Final Fantasy VII 1. Awakening

Something was wrong.

Cloud knew that something was different as soon as consiousness reached him, the ground beneath him was definitely not the harsh desert sands surrounding Midgar, instead there was soft soil underneath his body, the feel and smell of plants surrounding him.

Working to open his eyes, Cloud found the usually simple task extremely difficult as his eyes burned and the eye-lids felt extremely heavy. Taking a mental assessment of his body he found that it was just as hard to move; his limbs felt awkward and out of shape, almost as though he hadn't moved in months.

Trying to think through the confused haze of his mind, Cloud attempted to remember how he had gotten here... He had been with Tiffa, Yuffie, Vincent, Cid, Nanaki and a small group of resistance members as they worked to fight through masses of monsters to get to Midgar. They had been fighting for days on end to reach that destination, it was there that the Darkness had taken root, rendering the area uninhabitable and spreading further out into the surrounding lands. They had gone to end it. Gone to either stop the Darkness or die trying.

Yet Cloud could only vaguely remember getting within the ruins of the Midgar boundries before something had gone wrong, the last thing he remembered was darkness and then the black of unconsiousness.

Once again trying to open his eyes and finally succeeding Cloud looked blearily up into the foliage above him; for unknown reasons the surrounding growth was familiar, yet Cloud could not place where from. Prehaps from an old memory?.

_To right the wrongs of the future... The past must first be altered..._

The soft voice abruptly floated through Cloud's mind, consfusing and without immediate explanation, leaving him to wonder if he had truly heard it at all.

"Wh-what do y-you mean?" Cloud questioned the air above him, his own voice sounding odd and strained, as though, much like his limbs, it had not been used in a long period of time. Any attempt to look around failed when a stiff pain shot through his body.

_You will understand soon enough, help is coming. You must change what you were once to weak to challenge. _

Cloud realized that the voice was indeed inside his mind, and also undoubtedly belonged to the Life Stream, once the realization passed the feeling of connetion to the Life Stream faded leaving only a wearly tiredness in its place. Cloud found that he could no longer continue the fight to keep his eyes open, and let them close once more so that blackness once again took over.

As Cloud slowly slipped back into a blissful unawareness, many questions swirled through his mind, none of which he had the slightest clue on how to answer...

XxXxX

"You alright Buddy?"

The strangely familiar voice floated to Cloud through a distant haze of sleepiness and confusion. He wondered how long he had been asleep, or if maybe his earlier wake up in a forest had been a dream and the person now talking to him had been sent by Tifa to wake him up for the next part of their struggle to Midgar.

"How long do you think he's be here?" He heard the same voice speak again, and wondered why someone would say something like that.

"A day or so at least... He looks thin and very pale." A second deeper and very unfamiliar voice answered.

As Cloud finally found it within himself to push through the heavy layers of darkness and wariness the voices came into a sharper focus, once more striking him with a familiarity towards the first voice that was beyond just one of the resistance members, it was more like a distant friend, a lot like...

_Zack?..._ The thought came unbidden to his mind and the first reaction was for Cloud to instantly shove the errant thought down, but at the same time a part of him admitted that the voice was indeed just like that of his past friend. Deciding that he had had enough of mysteries and confusion, Cloud forced himself to fully awaken.

"I think he's waking up..."

"Give him room Puppy."

This time when Cloud attempted to open his eyes the action was much easier, even if still slightly stiff, any attempt at actual movement was quickly stilled though as his body was still as heavy feeling and paralysed as before. At first all he could see was the faint outline of two figures hovering above him and a blur of dark hair and two pairs of bright blue eyes.

As his vision cleared further Cloud began thinking that maybe he _was_ still asleep; what he saw was too impossible for him to believe. A young man with spikey raven hair, soft features, lightly tanned skin and bright mako blue eyes full of expression hovered the closest above him.

Cloud knew who the man was, he had no doubt in his mind, yet he couldn't bring himself to accept what he saw.

"You ok man?" Even the voice was the same, maybe younger and more carefree than Cloud remembered, if that was even possible.

Cloud felt a strange panic setting in as he looked up at the impossible; he wanted to wake up, he wanted to stop the pain he knew he would feel for letting his friend down so long ago. He wanted to stop the pain he knew he would feel all too soon just from the sharp reminder of his friend.

"Zack, give him some room." The second voice from before spoke, this voice was deep and held a calming qaulity.

Cloud flicked his eyes over to the tall man. He was sure that he had never seen this man before and that concerned Cloud; it wouldn't be the first time Cloud had dreampt of Zack from their Shinra days, but why would he be dreaming of someone that he didn't even know?

"Angeal?" Zack asked, looking up at the man in confusion.

"He's panicked." Came the short reply.

It was only at those words that Cloud realized how erratic his own breathing was, he could only picture the look on his usually well masked face. Even with his practice and habbits, this was to much.

"We should get him back camp and make sure he's ok." The man; Angeal, said softly to the young Zack.

"Yeah, alright." Zack said nodding, "I wonder... How do you think he got out here?"

Cloud stopped listening after that, instead turning his thoughts inwards to where his mind was now working in over drive. What was happening? This had to be a dream right? So why wasn't he waking up?

_You need to relax Cloud, It's confusing I know, but answers will come in time. The Planet needs this of you. _This time the voice that spoke to Cloud was the calming voice of Aerith.

The effect was instantanious as it calmed Cloud and consequensly wiped away all doubt of whether he was dreaming or not. Cloud was still confused and wanting answers, in reaction those questions pulsed forward towards the mental contact that was the young flower girl.

_I can't answer all your questions now Cloud. I'm sorry and I know it will be hard but please hang in there. _After that the voice faded from Cloud's mind, leaving more questions than before, but also leaving a sense of reality and relief.

How could this have happened though? Cloud had watched Zack die on the cliffs so close to Midgar, there had been Zack's blood on his hands... What had The Planet pushed him into now?

Suddenly a bolt of pain ran through his body, snapping Cloud back to his surroundings. He held back a cry through sheer will, determination and habbit.

"Be careful Zack..." The deep voice of Angeal broke through the haze of pain first, Cloud realized that Zack had picked him up and was holding him close to his chest in an attempt to lessen the pain.

For just a moment the pain receeded enough for Cloud to take in his situation and for a moment he felt like a cadet again, looking up to and depending on his one true friend within SOLDIER... His one true friend in the whole of Shinra.

Cloud vaguely noticed that something was off with his body; he shouldn't have been able to fit so well in Zacks hold, he should have been to tall for Zack to carry him, cradled as he was. All to soon though the pain was back and Cloud could no longer think straight as darkness encroached on his vision...

XxXxX

When Cloud awoke next the first thing he was aware of was the softness of the bedroll beneath him and the warmth of the blankets over him. It had been too long since he had had a good night sleep on fresh gear.

When Cloud moved to stretch he realized just how sore he was, and slowly memories of waking up previously in the under brush and seeing the face of a friend he had long thought dead came forth in his mind. Freezing mid-stretch Cloud bolted upright, only to be greeted with a severe pounding in his head accompanied by the world revolving before his eyes.

With a groan Cloud brought a hand to his head, closing his eyes in an attempt to lessen the spinning and pain. Cloud jumped when a firm hand was placed on his shoulder, jerking away on reflex, having spent too long fighting to be comfortable in a foreign presence.

"Easy there. You still need rest." A deep voice sounded quietly from Cloud's left.

Forcing his vision to steady Cloud looked to the source of the voice and saw the man that had been with Zack before; Angeal. Despite the gentle push on his shoulder to lay back Cloud stayed up-right, not willing to rest without some answers.

"Where am I and who are you?" Cloud asked, voice raw and grating. He may know the man's name, but he knew nothing _about_ him.

"You're in the forest lands near Wutai." Came the simple, honest answer. "We found you while searching for a group of insergeants from the Wutai forces. My name is Angeal Hewley, first class SOLDIER. "

Cloud frowned faintly at that, confused that Wutai forces would be fighting with Shinra; the war with Wutai had ended years ago...

"What's your name cadet?" The question threw Cloud off even more and when he answered it was more on reflex than consious thought.

"Cloud Strife..." But... How was he a cadet though?

Cloud looked down then at himself and barly contained his shock and confusion when he saw himself; his body was smaller, much like he had been around 15 or 16, and instead of his usual attire Cloud now wore the standard issue attire of a cadet. Cloud's head spun, but this time the world was still steady. The memory of the Life Stream's voice when he had first awakened slowly floated through his mind; telling him that to right the future he had to change the past... Is this what it had meant? Literally sending him back to the past?

There was a difference with his body this time though; Cloud could still feel the mako and Jenova cells running through his veins, giving him strength he had long ago grown used to.

"Strife... I don't recall hearing that name, let alone being informed of a cadet being sent to Wutai... How did you end up here?"

It took Cloud a moment to realize that Angeal had actually spoken to him, and when he did a stab of panic ran through his mind; how could he ever hope to explain that?

"I... Uh... I'm not to sure... Sir." Cloud said, deciding to be as honest as he could without the time to think of an appropriate story and adding 'sir' more as an after thought as it was obvious that Angeal ranked well higher than him in this society, and therefore would be expected.

Looking up Cloud found Angeal studying him intensely, mako blue eyes looking for anything out of the ordinary, causing Cloud to quickly lower his eyes once more in hopes of avoiding more questions.

"That-" Angeal started before being interrupted by the flap of the tent bursing open and an energetic Zack bounding in.

"Angeal! I found some food." The young man said excitedly before he even noticed the situation he had walked in on. "Oh. Your awake!" His eyes focused on Cloud with a large grin plastered on his face.

Cloud couldn't quite hold in the gasp that escaped him at the sight of Zack alive and more than healthy, and for a moment Cloud felt his chest tighten in pain as images of Zack dying to protect him threatened to overwhelm him.

"You must be hungry," Zack continued, completely oblivious to the inner turmoil his presence had stired. "I managed to catch some of the local wildlife and I bet it will taste nice once its cooked."

Cloud found that any reply was beyond him as all words had suddely left him as he watched the young raven-haired man talk animatedly about his hunt for food.

Angeal on the other hand was rather intreagued by the strange blond's reaction to his student, and watched carefully as barely restrained emotions passed through the boy's strangely bringht blue eyes. He knew that a level of emotional restraint like that came with years of practice and usually plenty of hardship; and this simply brought the question of who the boy was to the front of his mind once more. Angeal knew that something was off about the quiet cadet, yet he couldn't find any reason to view him as a threat.

"Well, I'll go start getting the fire ready to cook, but you might want to actually do the cooking Angeal." Zack said happily, smiling at his mentor and getting a small, distracted nod in answer as he turned to leave.

"I'm sorry..." The voice was faint and even with both the SOLDIER's advanced hearing it was nearly missed. Two pairs of confused eyes turned to the blond who was now looking down at the blanket clutched in a white-knuckled fist.

"I... I'm so sorry..." Cloud vaguely wondered if it was a good idea to actually speak the words aloud, but a part of him just had to... He couldn't miss his chance to apologize for the pain he had been to weak to prevent.

"Sorry for what?" Zack asked, moving down to squat next to the young cadet, his expression serious for the moment. He was surprised to see a look of intense pain in the boy's eyes; it was a look that seemed much to old for the teen to have.

"I..." Cloud couldn't bring himself to speak anymore, his chest hurt with a pain he had long thought to have hidden away.

Zack carefully laid a hand on the boys shoulder deciding that he wanted to see a smile on that face and not the pained expression it now held.

"Hey, whatever it's for, don't stress. Angeal and I will watch out for you ok? So don't worry about anything and just keep your head held high."

Cloud looked up at Zack's words, and through his pain he found himself smiling a little. It was just like Zack to be like that; only Zack could want to make eveyone feel better, even if they were complete strangers to him.

"But hey, the name's Zack. Zack fair; second class SOLIDER."

Cloud looked down at the hand held out to him, tentatively taking it.

"Cloud Strife." He replied watching as Zack's face lit up with one of his trademark grins.

"Well Cloud, you just rest up while we get the food ready then we can talk some more." Cloud felt some of the pain in his chest lighten at the promise and nodded to Zack as he stood up and left the tent.

The tent was silent as Cloud sat there looking down at his own hands lost in thought. Maybe, just maybe he would be able to make up for some of the mistakes he had made...

"You are quite the mystery, Cloud Strife." Cloud looked up to see Angeal studying him once more.

"What do you mean?" Cloud asked, frowing slightly. He hoped there were no more questions coming.

"You are a cadet that appears out of no where with no idea how he got there, you seem to carry a burden that somehow involves my student, you carry a sword longer that yourself," As he spoke he motioned to where First Sword was lain on the far side of the tent, "and your eyes suggest a maturity and wariness that someone your age should not yet know, as well as they fact that they seem to shine with mako; something a cadet would not have yet been exposed to."

While there was curiosity, Cloud could find no condemnation or suspision in the large mans voice, and while he wasn't sure how to reply to the mans observations, he was glad to see that his sword was still with him.

"It doesn't matter though. You should rest." Angeal said softly as he stood and moved to the opening in the tent.

Cloud nodded in silent agreement, his sore body reminding him once again that he was not at top game right now.

"Thank you." He said softly as he gingerly lowered himself back down onto the bedroll and allowed the wariness he felt to drag him into sleep once again.

XxXxX

_The landscape around him was a familiar grass land, scattered with brilliant flowers that seemed to shine with an inner light, that went on until a ghostly whiteness took over in the distance . Cloud walked through the bloming flowers slowly, taking comfort in the lack of pain and knowledge that all was well and safe here. _

"_Hello Cloud." A soft voice spoke from behind him. _

"_Hello Aerith." Cloud greeted back, turning his head to catch a glimps of the flower girl._

"_I know you're confused right now, but the answers will come in time. You must understand that the future was looking bad for The Planet... Despite your efforts the Darkness was winning and The Planet couldn't risk losing you to that Darkness, nor could it risk to attempt to rise against the Darkness itself. So it sent you back to before it all began Cloud. You must change things..."_

_Cloud thought for a moment about what had been said, it answered some of the questions for him at least, but not all._

"_But... How am I meant to do this?" Cloud asked, "How can I change enough that it will change that outcome?"_

"_It will not be easy Cloud. You will have to adjust to the time again, as your older body would not have been able to move around freely without attracting attention. You have retained your strength, but you will have to re-train your body to use it. It will be so hard, but we all have faith in you Cloud. We all know that you can do this..." _

_Even as she finished speaking the last sentence, the world around them began to fade._

"_Wait, where do I go from here? What do I do first?" Cloud asked, wanting more answers._

"_You will have to achieve the success you once failed to obtain..." Was the cryptic reply._

_Those were the last words Cloud heard before the scene before him dissolved completely, and he fell back into the black embrace of sleep._

XxXxX

"Hey Cloud! Foods ready!"

Cloud woke to see Zack standing above him with a grin and the smells of cooked meat floating through the open tent flap.

"Can you sit up? I'll bring some food in." Zack said, his energy nearly substansial to Cloud, bringing forth a soft smile as some of the more pleasant memories from his past came to mind.

"It's ok. I'd like to get up and walk around." Cloud replied, sitting up carefully; wary of the effects of fast movements from earlier.

Zack looked on in approval at the blonds will to get up and about despite having only had minimal healing time from whatever strange illness had befallen him. With another wide grin Zack held out a hand to Cloud, who only hesitated a second before reaching for it.

With Zack's help Cloud was soon standing, albeit a bit shakily. Cloud walked slowly from the tent with Zack close behind, out into a small forest clearing where the smell of food was originating from. It was night but the well stoked fire in the center of the clearing provided plenty of light to see by.

Ignoring the ache in his muscles Cloud made his way over to a spot near the fire where Angeal was carving up the meat.

Looking up from his carving at the sound of an approach Angeal was surprised to see Cloud heading over, walking on his own with a grinning Zack behind him ready to help if needed. However, it seemed that the small blonde was stubborn as he moved over and sat down, the only signs of discomfort being in the stiff movements themselves as his face seemed relaxed and free of pain.

"You should still be resting." Angeal said reprovingly to Cloud before fixing his gaze on his student, "And you should not be helping."

Zack just shrugged in response and sat down next to his new friend, Cloud looked almost surprised for a second when Angeal reprimanded him, but the tall First Class was unable to figure the reason why.

"It's fine; I'm feeling better now." Cloud answered, slightly surprised at the reprimand, he was accustomed to people depending on him to be up and around to fight and not resting up for more than absolutely necessary.

Angeal shook his head and wondered at the amazing healing rate of the odd cadet, adding that to the growing list of mysteries about the boy as he finished carving the meat and gave some to his two companions, watching as Zack grinned at Cloud; earning a small smile in return.

Some how Angeal knew that he would be seeing a lot of the blond boy from now on, as Zack had taken a quick liking to him and it seemed that Zack had already managed to worm his way under the boy's natural guard.

Cloud ate the meat slowly, enjoying the flavour and taste of a well cooked meal over the usual dry rations that had been most common when fighting with no animals or game in the areas so polluted by monsters.

"So Cloud, where you from?" Zack asked after a while, having finished his meat and swooped in for seconds.

"Nibelheim." Cloud answered with a sense of deja vu, only this time instead of walking over a snowy mountain pass after a crash, he was sitting comfortably next to a fire eating food. "You?" even though he already knew the answer, it would seem strange not to ask.

"Im from Gongaga! So where's Nibelheim? It sounds like a backwater place to me." Zack said, pride for his home and curiosity at Cloud's showing in both his voice and facial expressions as he spoke.

"Well, its a country town in the mountains." Cloud answered softly, remembering the small town he had wanted so badly to leave in what felt like a whole different life time. "It's not much, but it's home... What about Gongaga? That sounds just as backwater as Nibelheim."

"It's the opposite of yours then; its hot, sandy and in the middle of the forest." Zack replied fondly. "Wait, Nibelheim...Dont they have a reactor there?"

Cloud smiled slightly, already knowing where this was leading.

"Yeah, it does."

"Same, and we all know that a reactor outside Migar usually means-" Zack began.

"-Nothing else out there!" They both finished, laughing together at the small joke.

It felt like it had been centuries since Cloud had last laughed with Zack; since he had been carefree enough to even open up to those around him.

"Well, guess what Angeal? Cloud and me are both backwater experts!" Zack said, turning to his mentor and pulling Cloud close with an arm around the blonds' shoulders.

Angeal shook his head at the display, his earlier assumptions seeming to become more certain, and a small smile found its way to his lips. It was nice to see Zack so happy.

Zack and Cloud spent a good while talking about whatever came to mind after that, and as the night wore on Cloud found himself wishing that he could stay like this forever with his friend. Wishing that he could forget ever watching Zack die. Wishing that it didn't need to be a second time round for there to be a chance at saving Zack.

When Cloud finally yawned after hours of listening to Zack he got a stern look from Angeal.

"Ok you two. Time to turn in." He said, acting every bit the mentor he was. He then focused his gaze on Zack, "I'll take first watch, get some sleep and I'll wake you later."

Zack nodded his thanks and helped a tired Cloud to his feet.

"Come on Spikey, off we go!"

Cloud paused for a moment before looking to Zack in shock, it had been so long since he had heard that nickname from Zack that it surprised him, causing another smile to make its way to Cloud's face as Zack helped him to the tent and they both settled on their bedrolls.

For some reason Cloud felt that tonight he may just sleep well for the first time in years...

XxXxX

Waking to the bright light of morning shining through the fabric of the tent, Cloud stretched contentedly and noticed that all the aches and stiffness from the previous day was now gone. He still needed answers, but at least he felt equiped enough now to deal with whatever came his way.

Looking over to the side Cloud noticed Angeal sitting up on his bedroll carefully cleaning his signature Buster sword.

"Sleep well?" The larger man asked without so much as a glance in Cloud's direction.

"Yeah, thanks." Came the soft reply.

With a nod Angeal went back to focusing on his sword and a comfortable silence filled the tent. After a while Cloud stood up with another stretch and headed outside into the sunshine that made its way through the branches above, with a sigh he headed over towards one of the larger trees in the clearing. Cloud wanted some answers and maybe now he would be able to sort through some.

Sitting down comfortably between the large roots that broke the surface of the ground Cloud turned his attention inwards towards the mess of questions and confusion that had been bothering him for the past day.

From what Aerith had told him, Cloud could be pretty sure that The Planet had literally sent him back in time to when he was still a cadet at Shinra, how far he had been sent back exactly was still unknown. The fact that Zack was alive, and looking younger as well, now also made more sense, as did the fact that they were in Wutai and the war was still dragging on.

What was he expected to do next though? It had been a multitude of things that had determined the future of The Planet; so what was so important about this time period that it could act as a pivot point for the future?

Prehaps he needed to just destroy Jenova before all the comotion that happened last time; it had been Jenova that had caused the change that occurred in Sephiroth while at the Nibelheim reactor, so prehaps preventing that would be a good start.

What of Shinra? They had also been damaging The Planet through the draining of mako to create power, but it had been slow, and ultimately in the end it had been Sephiroth that had brought about the end of Shinra's power.

Cloud sighed and scratched the back of his head. So much had depended on so many different things occuring to either end or begin, and Cloud's mind spun with the enormity of the task before him.

With a second sigh Cloud relaxed back to lean on the bark of the tree behind him and gazed upwards to the blue sky through the trees. He wondered what Tifa would do in his place, or if he would even meet her in this time period, maybe if he could he would make a trip up to Nibelheim to visit her and his Mother; to fix the mistake he had made last time when he neglected to visit out of shame.

Cloud wondered what Barret, Yuffie, Cid and Nanaki were doing now at this time; had they already joined the fight against Shinra. Cloud guessed that they hadn't, it just seemed to early. Vincent was probably the only one that he knew where he was and what he was doing; he would be sleeping in that coffin under the Nibelheim Mansion as he would have been doing for years already. It seemed strange that all his former friends and allies wouldn't be there to help him if needed; he had grown used to having that extra backup...

Cloud jumped when someone flicked his nose and focused his eyes on a grinning Zack that stood before him.

"You looked kind of distracted." Zack commented, amusement lacing his words.

"Yeah, well..." Cloud said, running out of things to say the moment he started speaking. How was one even suppose to answer to that? Zack laughed at his obvious loss of words.

"Well, I kinda got bored of watching you stare upwards, figured you needed some entertainment." The young raven haired man said.

Cloud looked behind him then and realized that while he had been sitting there thinking, Zack had no only come back from where ever he had been, but Angeal had exited the tent and was packing away items from around the now cleaned clearing. There was no longer a tent standing, nor was any of the cook ware out, leaving the area looking almost untouched besides eveyone's weapons and pouches resting on the grass next to two back packs that would have held the camping gear.

How long had he been lost in thought? How could he be so unaware of what was happening around him? Cloud shook his head in wonder, being unable to even remember letting himself fall into such a state for many years.

"What's going on?" Cloud asked.

"We're heading back to Shinra today, it seems that most of the Wutai forces in the area have either withdrawn or have been dealt with." Zack answered happily.

Cloud nodded in way of response and stood up, heading over to where First Sword was laying on the grass, and picking it up and strapping the sheath over his shoulder, frowning when he had to adjust the straps so that it fit his smaller frame. Over all though the weight was comfortable and familiar on his back.

"You know, I'm surprised you can lift that thing." Zack said having followed Cloud over.

"It's not that heavy." Cloud stated, not for the first time, "And I guess I'm just used to it."

Zack laughed at the modest way Cloud had answered, "Yeah, like-"

Whatever Zack had been going to say was abruptly cut off when a large throwing star burst through the folliage behind Cloud, who as soon as he heard the sound of the threat had dived to the side with Zack following milliseconds later.

Angeal was standing seconds later with his sword in hand, ready for the danger, Zack moved to grab his sword as well, while Cloud drew his and stood ready.

"Wutai forces." Angeal said quietly as he moved over to stand by Zack and Cloud.

As if in answer, several dozen Wutai warriors stepped out from the bushes around the clearing. Cloud figured that these were the remaining forces from the area, and that they had banded together for a last stand.

"You have slaughtered our people!" One of the warriors yelled, stepping out of the group. He was dressed in a manner that identified him as the leader of his unit. "For this you will die!" With a vicious snarl the leader launched himself forward, aiming for Cloud who no doubt seemed to be the weakest of the three.

Cloud reacted easily and without fear, bringing First Sword up to easily block the attack. This was something that he could do; fighting required no thought, it held no lies, and it was simple to fall back into a frame of mind that needed no thought, only action. Cloud was aware of the fact that he was not as physically strong as he was used to, but it made little difference as he adjusted to the change quickly, sending blow after blow towards the Wutai warrior until he eventually broke through the defences to drive his blade through the side of the mans armour.

The whole clearing was a blur of activity, the remaining forces having jumped into the fight soon after their leader to engage Zack and Angeal, who were cutting them down with ease. Once the leader was dead Cloud moved on to the next threat, dispatching this one even quicker than before, once again moving on.

The ring of tempered steel clashing and grunts of excertion soon faded until only the two SOLDERs and Cloud remained standing, Cloud was breathing a bit harder than he would have liked, and knew that he had a long road of retraining his body ahead but was glad that he still had the basic strength needed. Silence was now the only sound around them, seeming to have its own distinct ring through the air as the three waited to see if anymore attacks were coming.

"Well, that was unexpected..." Zack said cheerfully, shattering the silence and casing both Angeal and Cloud to relax slightly, though both still stayed alert.

"It also answers the question as to where the remaining forces were." Angeal commented.

Zack walked over to where Cloud was now using the grass to wipe the blood off his blade and patted his back in comradeship.

"And here I was thinking we would have to watch out for you!" He said grinning, impressed by Cloud's abilities. "But you were beating them down faster than they could blink, where did you learn to fight like that and how are you not already in SOLDIER?"

"Uh..." Cloud stalled, not quite sure how he was going to answer the question, he also felt, more than saw the intense look Angeal was giving him and wondered if maybe he should have held back a bit. "I was taught by someone who used to live in Nibelheim..." Cloud answered softly, keeping his eyes on the blade in his hands.

"Used to?" Zack asked.

"Yeah... He left after... After an accident." Cloud replied, realizing that he was more reffering to his old self than to a different person.

"Huh. Well, he must have been awesome!"

Cloud looked up and smiled at Zack, glad that he had been believed so easily but also slightly guilty at the lie. A quick glance in Angeal's direction told him that not everyone had believed him though, and Angeal's stare sent him a silent promise that there would be questions later.

_This... Could be difficult..._ He thought, avoiding Angeal's eyes as he stood up, sheathing First Sword, then helping an animatedly talking Zack finish clearing the camp.


	2. Obsidian

_He was suffocating._

_It felt like the air was being stolen from his body before it was given a chance to reach his parched lungs. No matter how much Cloud thrashed around in an attempt to loosen the invisible bonds binding him, it changed nothing._

_He couldn't see anything._

_He couldn't hear anything._

_There was only fear..._

_Only darkness..._

With a gasp, Cloud lurched out of sleep into a sitting position, his blankets wrapped around his legs, for a moment causing more panic before his situation became more clear as his mind went into an instant awareness. It took him a second to realise he was in the small cadet dorm room that he had been assigned upon his first entry into Shinra what felt like a life time ago.

A cold sweat covered his body and Cloud found himself reaching to turn the light on; unable to stand the darkness that the night brought to the room.

The bright light exploded into the room, chasing the shadows away and causing the blonde to blink several times to hasten the adjustment of his enhanced eyes. With a sigh he scanned the room, finding no threat, but still being unable to relax. Cloud's heart felt like a jack hammer, making his blood rush through his veins. He knew it was an irrational fear, but it did little to change the effect it had on him; it had been so real...

Standing on shaky legs Cloud made his way out of the room and down to the shared dorm bathrooms. No one else was awake at this hour, but Cloud was no stranger to late nights, being accustomed to nightmares; even if this one was worse and more surreal than usual.

When Cloud looked up into the mirror of the small, white bathroom above the sink, he saw features with small water droplets rolling down a face that was his, yet... not his. It was too young, too open. He was pale, more so than usual; but he put that down to the nightmare.

Another splash of water on his face, then Cloud left and silently went back to his room. Sitting down on the bed, Cloud knew that he would get no more rest for the night, so to keep occupied he grabbed First Sword for its new resting place against the wall next to the bed and disassembled it. As he began thoroughly cleaning the blades his mind wandered back to the journey to Shinra and the events that unfolded once they arrived.

XxXxX

The walk to the Shinra pick-up point was easy and uneventful. Cloud walked with Zack up front while Angeal followed behind. The energetic raven-haired man was often racing ahead before stopping and waiting for the blonde to catch up.

Angeal watched the two with growing amusement; Zack's quick liking to the boy was obvious, as he acted as though he had known, and been friends, with the blond for years. Likewise the blond seemed to open up to Zack in a way that, even only being around the young man for a short time, Angeal could see was uncommon.

Angeal still wondered how Cloud had ended up in Wutai with no memory of _how_ he got there, but it had been fortunate that they had found him. That thought also brought about the question of what exactly had happened to the blond to leave him in such a pained state, yet to also bare no physical wounds.

As soon as they had come into view of the small, temporary airbase that Shinra had constructed for the transfer of troops, Cloud reverted to the quiet, closed off person he had been for the last few years. He was weary of people, especially unknown Shinra personal, and even Zack was unable to draw out more than a few words from the blond. Both Angeal and Zack instantly noticed the change and both looked curiously at the blond.

The airbase was busy with troopers, pilots, maintenance, and troop distribution personnel all quickly going about their business. Angeal lead Zack and Cloud towards a pre-prepared plane that would take them directly to Shinra. There were a few curious glances in Cloud's direction as they walked, Cloud ignored them completely, keeping close to his two SOLDIER companions.

Once they were in the air Cloud relaxed slightly, he knew that few at the air base would represent a physical threat to him, but he knew that there would be enough questions when he got to Midgar and without all the answers himself, the less who knew about his 'I don't recall' situation, the better.

Cloud was glad that he hadn't reverted back to his previous situation of the sever motion sickness that he had had during his actual cadet years. Even if he did feel slightly off. He found himself missing Fenrir; the beautiful black motorcycle that had been his for so long, it had been perfect for him and he much preferred land travel with the wind in his face and his own hands on the wheel to the sky with an unknown pilot flying.

It was only when they had reached Shinra that Cloud found himself in trouble.

As soon as Cloud was out of the plane he found himself surrounded by infantrymen, all with the standard issue rife pointed directly at him. Tensing to be ready for a fight he looked around in confusion. What had he done to warrant this?

"What is this about?" The deep voice of Angeal said behind him, surprising Cloud.

"General Hewley, I apologise for the disturbance. However, we fear that this man may be an imposter." A cool voice answered from the other side of the group of infantrymen, Cloud identified the man as a Turk due to his immaculate black suit and completely unreadable expression. He was no stranger to Turks, and he didn't overly like them either.

"Imposter?" Cloud asked, more confused than before... Had the Life Stream made a mistake?

"I doubt that." This time it was Zack's voice that he heard, then he felt the raven-haired man move up to stand beside him, the infantrymen parting to let him through instantly.

"Oh? Is that so young SOLDIER? Then perhaps you can explain why the cadet Cloud Strife disappeared from the cadet dorms just over 48 hours ago? Then he suddenly appears at the airbase in Wutai with two SOLDIERs, and on his way here no less."

Cloud listened to the Turk speak and slowly things fell into place in his mind; 48 hours ago was around the time he had woken up, so it made sense that the Life Stream would have to account for the original him from this time period, otherwise major trouble would be the result._ Why make me wake up in Wutai though, that's just as troublesome..._ Cloud wondered.  
Everyone had gone quite, so Cloud decided that he would have to speak up now, or risk being ignored.

"I don't really know was happened... But I am Cloud Strife. I woke up in Wutai, but I don't recall how I got there or anything... just... pain..." Cloud said softly, he didn't like all the attention on him as he spoke, but he knew that he had to make them believe him. He knew that he had to get into Shinra.

Cloud could feel the intense gaze the Turk was giving him, but he refused to look away, instead returning the gaze squarely and challenging him to disagree.

Angeal sighed as he watched Cloud return the Turk's gaze in a way that few people would have the nerve to even try. Some how he believed that Cloud was indeed the missing cadet, the time frames matched up but there were still many unanswered questions as well. He looked to Zack who was glaring fiercely at the Turk as he stood protectively behind Cloud. There was something odd about the blond, and Angeal wanted to know what that was.

Finally with a sigh Angeal stepped forward to stand in front of Cloud and Zack, effectively stopping the staring and bringing all attention to him.

"I will vouch for the boy, he has already proven himself to be an ally while we were still in Wutai." He said simply, then raised a hand and continued seeing the Turk about to protest. "Yes the circumstances are questionable, however I believe the boy is who he says he is. Under my supervision I will have him tested to be absolutely sure, so there is no need for you to raise in arms against a cadet."

The Turk looked irritated at Angeal's words, but nodded anyway. With a quick order the infantrymen lowered their weapons and stood back with a crisp salute each before disbanding and leaving.

Cloud looked up at Angeal in shock, not having expected the tall first to do anything of the sort. A quick glance over to Zack told Cloud that the second class SODLIER was also surprised but not as much as Cloud, and very pleased. Once the infantrymen left, Cloud relaxed slightly but not fully. He would never fully relax near a Turk. Cloud watched Angeal as the tall man stood before him, and he suddenly wondered if this was why the Life Stream had placed him in Wutai; so that he could meet the two SOLDIERs and gain an advantage he never had last time. After all he hadn't met Zack until he was already an infantryman, meaning that at very least he was definitely still a cadet and therefore hadn't failed the SOLDIER exams yet.

"If that boy is not who he says he is, the blame is on your shoulders Hewley." The Turk said, dropping any formalities he had used before.

"Obviously." Came the dismissive reply.

With one final glare in Cloud's direction the Turk turned and swiftly walked away. Once he was out of sight Cloud released a breath he hadn't realised he had been holding. Angeal was now studying him again and Cloud found himself nervous under that gaze once more, this time finding no will to create a staring match as he had with the Turk, instead looking away.

"Uh... Thank you..." Cloud muttered softly.

"Just don't cause any trouble, ok?" Angeal said, looking at the small blond and his beaming student.

"I won't." Cloud promised, bringing his gaze back to Angeal for a moment. The last thing he needed at the moment was to draw more attention.

"Zack, come on; we need to report in soon and Cloud, I suggest you clean up and get some rest. I'll send Zack to get you in the morning, you will be excused from classes until we figure out what happened." Angeal said, warranting no argument. Cloud nodded and looked to Zack who was smiling at him triumphantly.  
Cloud watched the two SOLDIERs depart as they headed to the main administration building for Shinra to report in, then headed towards the cadet barracks feeling a strange sense of Deja vu as he stood before the building. Cloud remembered the first time he had come here, how nervous and awe-struck he had been at the idea of finally making his dreams come true... Dreams that had later been shattered.

With a sigh Cloud moved inside, and was relieved to see the area mostly empty with only a few cadets sauntering around or doing catch-up assignments. Quickly ducking past them, Cloud made his way over to the board that displayed room placements and was glad to find he had one of the two-bed rooms to himself. He had almost made it to that room when yet another incident slowed him down.

"Cloud? Is that you?" The voice sounded just as Cloud reached towards the door handle. Turning, Cloud saw one of the other cadets, one that he thought he vaguely remembered. "It is you! What happened to you man? You suddenly disappeared the other day and no one could find you." The cadet had tousled brown hair that reminded Cloud of Denzel, but the bright obsidian eyes made sure the likeness ended there. Quickly sorting through scattered memories once more, he could vaguely recall a cadet with a similar appearance, but no details or name came forth.

"I...uh... It's hard to explain..." Cloud edged, not really wanting to talk to the boy. Absolutely nothing he remembered indicated that this boy had been a friend of any sort, instead all he remembered was the cadets avoiding him and he doubted any of them would have cared if he disappeared. So who was this boy?

"Cloud? You ok man?" The boy asked, breaking through Cloud's thoughts.

"Uh, yeah... Just tired..." Cloud replied, still wary of the boy that seemed so acquainted with him. Those black eyes seemed to watch Cloud in a strange way and Cloud was sure that even with everything that had happened he would have remembered such eyes.

"Well ok then, I'll let you rest... But you gotta tell me what happened later, 'k?" The boy smiled before promptly turning and walking off, his foot steps making no noise what-so-ever on the tiled floor.

Deciding that he would deal with it later, Cloud opened the door and entered a room he hadn't been in for years. The small room held two single beds with a small cabinet beside each, a lamp on top. Two large wardrobes stood at the back of the room, past the furthest bed, and a single window, directly above the furthest bed, illuminated the room in rich, golden afternoon light.

Moving to the bed below the window, and furthest from the door, Cloud placed First Sword against the wall and took the sheath off. Looking around the room once more Cloud decided that he would bypass a shower in hopes of avoiding more people. Moving over to the wardrobe, he found one contained several changes of clothes, including the small plain white tank-top and black shorts that would once more become his sleeping gear.

After getting changed, Cloud looked to the bed and realised just how tired he was despite not doing much other than travelling, so he decided to take Angeal's advise and rest.

Once he lay in bed and closed his eyes, sleep came quickly with the comfort of watching old memories of his time spent with Zack so long ago lulling him into relaxation.

XxXxX

Bringing his mind back to the present Cloud scanned the small room, even brighter now with the early morning light shining through the window to mix with the lamp light. He had cleaned First Sword to perfection, then re-assembled it, and was now holding the large sword in his lap.

With his heart rate back to normal after a few hours of keeping occupied, Cloud found his earlier fear almost comical. Why should be fear a nightmare after everything that had happened to him? Usually the effects of such a dream would fade quickly, but this one had taken longer... maybe it was just because he had been so worn out?

Standing up, Cloud once more rested First Sword against the wall and took the time to get changed.

_It's odd, _Cloud thought, _to be wearing these again..._ Even though he had woken in Wutai wearing a cadet's uniform, actually putting one on seemed to make the situation all the more real.

No sooner had the thought passed his mind when a knock sounded at the door, accompanied by the ever energetic voice of a certain raven-haired 2nd class SOLDIER.

"Oi! Spikey, you awake?"

With a shake of his head and a small smile Cloud walked over to the door and opened it, letting Zack in.

"Well if I wasn't, I would be by now." Cloud remarked, smirking slightly at his companion. Zack grinned in return, glad to see Cloud settled and content.

"Oh man, these rooms are tiny!" Zack commented loudly as he looked at the small room. "I had almost forgotten what they were like."

Cloud raised an eyebrow at Zack's commentary, getting a shrug in answer.

"Well, anyways... Angeal want us to meet him in an hour, so that gives us some time to kill."

Cloud nodded, glad at yet another chance to spend time with the raven-haired man.

"What do you want to do then?" Cloud asked, not really wanting to stay in the cadet dorms.

"Dunno, but we can start by taking a walk." Zack answered, hands behind his head looking like he was leaning on thin air. Cloud nodded once more, then took a look at First Sword, wondering if it would be a good idea to carry the large weapon around Shinra, but he quickly discarded the idea; he didn't need any more questions.

Soon both men left the small room and headed for the bright morning sun outside. The entrance and common areas held more cadets than the previous afternoon, many of whom stared unabashedly at Cloud as he walked along with the 2nd class SOLDIER.

Cloud promptly ignored all the stares, but when he was almost to the door, a prickling sensation on the back of his neck caused him to turn his head, having learnt long ago to trust his instincts.

Brilliant sky blue eyes met deep obsidian eyes from across the room and Cloud could barely suppress the shudder that ran through his body from that gaze.

Who ever that boy was, he was trouble. There was a dangerous sense about him and there was definitely something over all off about him.

With a second shiver running down his spine Cloud turned and left the building behind Zack, more than aware of all the eyes still watching him. Once they were well away from the cadet building Cloud let himself relax once more, and tuned into the words that Zack had been saying for most of the walk, being oblivious to Cloud's situation.

"So where to first Spikey?" Zack asked, looking over to the blonde with an open smile. They would only have about 40 more minutes of time to hang before they would need to start heading Angeal's way, so it wasn't long enough to go into town, yet Zack wanted to show the blonde something cool. He just didn't know what.

Looking down at he smaller blonde and remembering the way he had moved while fighting, the raven-haired man smirked to himself then began dragging a surprised blonde towards the SOLDIER building.

"Where are we going?" Cloud asked as they moved, recognising the areas they passed and having an inkling of where Zack was taking him.

"I'm going to show you something that I think you'll like." Zack replied with yet another devilish smirk.

With a sigh Cloud followed along silently, and as he suspected they soon arrived at he entrance to the SOLDIER building. Cloud wondered if it was a good idea to come here given the number of issues that had originated from this building that would once more be roaming around. The biggest of those issues;

Sephiroth.

However, Zack would have none of it and all to soon Cloud found himself in an elevator heading up. Once the elevator stopped, Cloud watched the door open with bated breath, afraid of who could be behind the door, but to his relief the area was clear.

Stepping from the elevator the blonde looked around; there was two corridors branching down opposite ways. In the centre beyond some glass it was easy to see the ground floor several stories below.

"Wow..." Cloud breathed, looking down. He had never been to this floor, and was thoroughly impressed by the view.

"Pretty nice, eh? But wait till you see this." Zack said once again grabbing the blonde by the arm and pulling him down the corridor. Stopping in front of a room labelled 'TRAINING ROOM' he grinned down at Cloud who was looking rather confused.

"Just wait." Zack said, swiping his card on a near by scanner before heading into the now opened room.

Cloud followed behind, curious as to what the young SOLDIER wanted to show him, and why it would be in a training room. There was a series of confusing panels and and devices that Cloud had to clue how to operate nor what they were for. Cloud waited near the door while Zack went and pressed a series of buttons before turning back around and motioning to Cloud to follow him as he moved over to a second door.

Cloud's confusion and curiosity grew as they walked into a large room with thick metal walls. Zack walked over to a small table and grabbed what seemed to be two pairs of goggles then headed back over to the blonde, handing one over with a knowing grin.

"Here, just put those on."

Cloud did as he was asked, noticing straight away that the goggles were electronically encoded. A small display was visible through the screen, and a small status display began flashing on the top corner as a neural link was established.

Zack had also put his on and was now playing with his phone, working to confuse the blonde even more. Once he seemed to be done Cloud watched the raven-haired man place the phone in a pocket before looking at him with his signature grin.

Cloud was about to ask what exactly was suppose to be happening, but a blue shimmer to the air belayed the question. Looking around in wonder, Cloud watched the blue shimmer become blue cubes that slowly changed the room around them into a whole other scene. Soon Cloud found himself looking around the painfully familiar surroundings of the cliffs by Midgar.

"Virtual Reality..." Cloud muttered, realising what was happening.

"Yup, sure is." Zack replied, having heard the quiet words, "Neat isn't it? This is how we train and simulate possible situations we may have to face. It's also a good way to visit an area without leaving Midgar."

Cloud nodded along, wondering vaguely if any of the situations portrayed could prepare them for what Cloud knew was to come. He was impressed either way though.

"Whatcha think?" Zack asked watching the blonde look around impressed.

"It's great." Cloud replied, "They should use this in cadet training, normal drills are nothing compared to what could be practised in here."

"Yeah true, but the damage you receive in here seems quite real until the simulation is ended and the goggles are removed." Zack explained, "Besides, the higher-ups believe that it's better to teach the basics and worm out those that won't make it."

Cloud nodded in reply and once again looked around. It seemed strange that not so long ago he had stood here and looked down upon the ruins of the once great Midgar, technically named Edge after Meteor as a sign of change and a new beginning, trying to infiltrate and destroy the darkness that had corroded the area.

"Hey, you ok Buddy?" Cloud jumped slightly when a hand was placed on his shoulder, breaking him out of his thoughts and making him realise that he had zoned out while looking at the Midgar of the this time period.

"Yeah fine." Cloud replied, pushing the hollow feeling that had come over him aside and forcing a small smile onto his face.

"You sure, you look a little out of it." Zack pushed, a slight frown on his usually exuberant face.

"Yeah, I'm sure, I was just thinking. Sorry." Cloud replied.

"Well, ok then. We should probably head to meet Angeal soon." Zack said running a hand through his hair, "He's probably waiting for us."

"Sure." Cloud acknowledged, looking over Midgar once more before the whole scene began to dissolve in a blur of neon blue once more, leaving them to stand in the large training room again.

"Sorry we couldn't stay longer, but we only have about 10 minutes to get to Angeal. If you want we can come back another time and actually have a look at the training programs." Zack said, once more his usual carefree self.

"That would be nice." Cloud replied with a soft smile.

XxXxX

Cloud and Zack soon met Angeal in the front office of the information building, the tall first class looking relaxed as he stood by one of the side doors. Zack practically bounded over to his mentor, something that made Angeal smile. Cloud walked over a bit slower, also clearly amused by the raven-haired man's antics.

"Hey Angeal!" Zack greeted warmly.

"Hello Puppy." Angeal replied shaking his head slightly, a smile still on his face, then he turned towards Cloud, "Good morning Cloud, did you sleep well?"

A flash of memory from the previous night ran through the blond's mind, but he nodded anyway; there was no need to tell them of a simple nightmare.

"Good." Angeal said with a nod, "I'm afraid that I will need you to do several tests, it's simply to allay any worries that the Turks have of you being an infiltrator."

Cloud was slightly worried at this but he kept it well hidden as he followed Angeal and Zack up a flight of stairs to where he knew the hospital and lab sectors were located. If would be troublesome for him if they wanted a blood sample or DNA of any kind... They would most definitely notice something was off; his entire DNA make-up had been altered at the hands of Hojo.

The first test consisted of several questions about himself and his background that were monitored by a lie detecting machine, Cloud had kept his face completely unreadable during this even though he had been worried as he had also lost much of his former self after the experiments he had endured, therefore he was sure that the Life Stream had intervened during the test as he had passed without the slightest mishap.

The rests of the tests were simple and easily passed, and Cloud was relieved when Angeal told him that is was over and he hadn't had to do anything along the lines of a blood test.

"Good job Spikey!" Zack said afterwards, clapping a hand on his back.

"Yes, there is no doubt that you are who you say you are." Angeal said, a small smile once more displayed on his face.

"Thanks." Cloud replied as all three left the building and out into the bright afternoon sunshine.

"You up for a trip into town for a few drinks Cloud?" Zack asked, looking at the cadet.

Zack had been worried at first by the thought that Cloud may have been an infiltrator, but at the same time he was sure that there was no possibility of such a thing. He had felt as though the blond could be trusted from the moment he first lay eyes on the semi-conscious boy in the woods, it was a feeling akin to that of a dream memory, a feeling that he had once met and befriended the boy even though that was impossible.

"Uh... I think I'll pass, I need to get some training in." Cloud answered, scratching the back of his head in an almost cute way.

Angeal looked to the boy, impressed at his attitude towards training; most cadets would much rather lounge around than better their skills.

"Hmm... I know; the training room!" Zack spoke excitedly, his eyes lighting up with the idea. Angeal raised an eyebrow at the statement.

"Zack," He said warningly, "You know that you aren't permitted to take non-SOLDIER personnel in there."

Cloud watched on slightly worried, he didn't want Zack to get in trouble for him, but he was also hoping that he could use the training room. It would allow him to level up quickly and condition his body that much faster.

"Aww, common Angeal!" Zack whined, "You've seen him fight! He's gonna make SOLDIER easy, and it will be even better if he can actually train to a harder level now."

Cloud was almost amused as he watched Zack badger his mentor, voice begging and hands and body only exaggerating his words.

"Fine Puppy." Angeal finally relented, "But I will need to be present each time to be sure that nothing happens that could cause trouble later.

"Yes! Thanks Angeal!" Zack yelled, jumping up in a bundle of energy.

Cloud found himself being dragged by an energetic Zack as they headed over to the SOLDIER building with an amused Angeal once more following behind.

Soon enough they were once more in the training room. Angeal had gotten both of them training swords as Cloud had left First Sword in the cadet barracks and Angeal thought it would be best if Zack also used a training sword as well.

Cloud and Zack stood in the large room once more with the visualisation goggles on, while Angeal loaded a simulation he thought would be appropriate.

Cloud found himself looking forward to training, after the rough night last night it seemed like a great relief. Once the room began morphing into a new scene in a wave of blue, Cloud readied himself; holding the light weight sword at the ready and letting his mind slip into a relaxed calm state of nothing but action and reaction, with the only thoughts being those of the best way to tackle an enemy and avoid being hurt.

The situation they were faced with was a simple invasion simulation, the objective flashing in front of their eyes while a voice spoke in their ears.

_'The building has been infiltrated by Wutaian forces. Objective; defend the area and repel enemy forces...'_

Once the voice had faded Cloud and Zack advanced through the simulated halls, working in a natural unison as they dispatched each group they came across with practised ease.

Cloud was aware of the tiredness already sweeping through his limbs, but he ignored it as best he could. This was why he needed to train; he needed to be as strong as possible to try and change the future... To change the fate of those he was to weak to protect last time.

Looking over at Zack, Cloud felt his heart swell at the fact that he was now fighting along side the raven-haired man.

A while later the two found themselves faced with the boss; a Wutaian captain rank and several lower ranking Wutaian soldiers as well.

Cloud and Zack moved in perfect harmony, fighting styles complementing each other as they moved through the lower ranks first, meeting up at the boss. Cloud attacked down low on instinct while Zack went higher up at the same time.

The conjoined attack was all it took for the Wutaian captain to go flying backwards into a flurry of digital blue cubes as the scene dissipated with a message of _'Mission Accomplished'_ flashing across their eyes.

Cloud took off his goggles, his breathing was laboured and sweat coated his body, but over all he was happy with the amount of effort he had put into the training.

Zack had also removed his goggles, and while less affected by the training his breathing was also slightly harder than normal as he smiled at the blond cadet.

"That was awesome!" Zack said happily. "You sure know how to wield a sword Spikey." Cloud chuckled at the compliment, feeling content.

"Thanks, but I've got a way to go yet." He replied.

Both men were standing there grinning at each other when Angeal made his way in. He had watched the entire simulation on a screen in the other room and had been more than impressed at the way both his student and the cadet had moved in sync.

"That was a good run." He said approaching them, earning a grin from Zack and a modest nod from Cloud.

"Did you see the way we took that boss down?" Zack enthused.

"Yes I did, I was very impressed with the way both of you moved and adapted to each other's fighting styles." Angeal praised. Thinking on it now the First Class SOLDIER had to admit that Zack had been right; the training that was usually reserved for SOLDIERs had seemed to be just right for the blond, it had pushed him, yet was not overwhelming for him either.

Looking at his watch, Angeal sighed, Zack had a few tasks that he needed to get done soon and he was due to meet with Sephiroth and Genesis for their own training.

"Zack, you have your duties to attend to now and I have to meet with the other generals as well. Cloud, you should head back to the cadet barracks and rest after that round. You will need to begin attending class again tomorrow." Cloud nodded and handed the training sword to Angeal.

"Thanks." The blond muttered before turning to Zack and waving before heading out.

Zack waved back grinning and watched his newest friend leave.

"That boy has some skill." Angeal commented.

"Sure does." Zack agreed before sighing and heading out to go and deal with all the petty tasks he had been assigned.

XxXxX

The walk over to the cadet barracks was quiet and Cloud was able to completely get his breath back as the mako in his blood worked to re-energise him.

Soon enough he was once more walking through the doors to the cadet building. The area was crowded this time and many eyes turned towards him in blatant curiosity once more, some more hostile than others. As he walked passed the notice board a sheet of paper caught his attention and soon had Cloud both excited and worried as he read.

_Notice to all cadets; _

_The SOLDIER exams are booked for after the holiday break that will be taking place in two months. The exams are important and we all strongly urge all cadets to spend the holiday period honing your skills and preparing as best as possible. During the break there will be no classes, however instructors will be around for those who will be staying on the compound. _

_-Exam instructor Higgins. _

That gave Cloud a little over two months to prepare, it also gave him an approximate time as to where he was exactly. This would be his first change, he decided, he would pass the exams where last time he had failed. He just had to be ready...

On the other side of the room a young cadet with deep obsidian eyes watched his prey silently.

"There is no escape... You have powerful friends, but my master is much stronger..." The whispered words were spoken in an almost loving tone as the speaker grinned maliciously...

**Thank you to all who reviewed, favourite, and story alerted from the first chapter. It was a better reception than I was expecting by far and I hope you all continue to enjoy it. **


	3. Fleeting Shadows

"Strife!" The irritated voice snapped Cloud from his thoughts, he looked up from where he had been gazing out the window over to the teacher standing at the front of the classroom, obviously annoyed. Somehow he just knew that once again he was being called upon to answer, demonstrate, or simply be growled at.

"Yes Sir?" Cloud asked, attempting to keep the boredom from his voice. It was the last class of the day and Cloud was far from interested in the strategical course he could do in his sleep.

"Since you seem to think you're to good to pay attention to this class, you can come up here and illustrate the best way to infiltrate, capture and defend the enemy compound shown here." The teacher growled smugly as he tapped an intricate building floor plan on the board behind him; clearly meant to be 'enemy compound'.

With a barely restrained sigh Cloud stood up and walked down to the front, quiet snickers and whispers rising up from the other cadets seated in the room. This was not the first time a teacher had decided to point him out today but it had also been the same the first time he had been a cadet, only then he had actually tried to listen to what the teachers were saying; it seemed now that teachers simply enjoyed trying to antagonise and embarrass him. So far he had endured basic level weapons demonstrations, a crash course in explosives theory, and geography; all of which he could have easily out done the teacher in. He was a patient person by nature, but not this patient.

Cloud barely took a glance at the layout on the board then proceeded to draw and write explanations for several different methods of infiltration with minimal casualty. Once done he looked around to the teacher who stood there, mouth open and eyes bulging as he surveyed the answers before him. The whole room was silent now as well and a quick glace around had Cloud finding most of the students looking either at him or the board in awe. Cloud looked back to the teacher who was now flipping frantically through several text books with harried looks at the board, something Cloud found quite useless.

_I've probably seen, and led, more infiltrations that this man ever will... _Cloud thought with an internal sigh. At the start of the day he had been careful to dull-down his skill and knowledge, not wanting to draw attention, but now he was ready to leave or be left alone; it had been too long since he was forced to deal with a large number of people for a prolonged period of time, and these people seemed hell-bent on pestering him.

"Sir?" Cloud asked, hiding his exasperation.

"Uh... Yes. Well done..." The teacher stammered, still attempting to cross-reference Cloud's answers with the books now scattered about him. Cloud knew that none of his methods would be found in any book, he had learnt through experience; through success and failure.

Cloud walked back to his seat, ignoring the hushed whisperings that followed him, and once in his seat he was finally allowed to spend the rest of the lesson in peace.

XxXxX

The walk towards the cadet dorms was quiet, with other cadets walking and talking in their respective groups while Cloud walked alone, thinking about how useless it was to attend classes as he was, he needed to work his way up faster... The only question was how; the SOLDIER exams were on a set date and he doubted that they would allow him an exception, and he _did_ need the extra time to train his body once more. With that thought Cloud grinned; he was looking forward to another training night with Zack and Angeal later, he knew that he was lucky to be able to use the VR room, and was grateful for the chance to really push himself with those he knew could actually match him, and the two SOLDIERs that had found him in Wutai were fast becoming people he knew he could trust; Zack more by default, but still he knew he could trust Angeal as well, despite only knowing the man for a short period of time. The fact that on a few occasions Zack had spoken highly of him before the razing of Nibelheim probably helped as well.

It was then that he heard the scream.

Several of the cadets walking near by looked around curiously attempting to locate the source of the bone-chilling sound, but Cloud already knew where it was coming from; his enhanced ears helping him to locate the area the sound came from almost instantly. Years of battle and instinct kicked in as he sprinted at full speed towards the cadet dorms. He arrived among the first, and instantly noticed the smell of blood as soon as he entered the building. Fresh blood.

One of the dorm attendants stood in the middle of the lobby area, near the back of a grouping of couches; face pale, eyes wide and hands over her mouth as though she was fighting to keep her stomach contents down as she stood with a transfixed gaze cast downwards where Cloud could not see.

Moving over quickly, Cloud came to see exactly what the attendant saw.

One of the cadets, a popular boy named Jeremy, lay spread-eagled on his back on the floor between the couches, his clothes in ragged tatters with numerous gashes littered over his body, but worst of all was the large hole in the boys chest, and where his heart should have been there was simply nothing, allowing Cloud to see the blood stained floor below. A steady pool was now spreading outwards from the body, indicating that the boy had died only minutes ago.

Realising that there was now a rather large crowd gathering, and the attendant still stood petrified to the spot, spurred Cloud into action.

"Everyone out!" He yelled, not bothering for explanations, "Someone alert the higher-ups of a serious incident, and someone else take this woman to the infirmary." Cloud moved over to the woman as he spoke and gently led her away from the sight and over to a group of the more advanced cadets. She was shaking terribly and Cloud hoped she had not been scarred for life from the sight.

"Here, get her out of here." Cloud said to the boys, who all nodded and began leading her away speaking softly to her in a soothing way, one boy running ahead; hopefully to get the higher-ups.

Cloud looked around and sent icy glares to those who tried to linger, all of whom quickly departed under the look, now was no time to be worried about keeping a low profile and Cloud quickly slipped into a frame of mind that allowed him to take control despite his quiet nature; something he realised to be a remnant of Zack's personality that he had taken on after he had watched his best friend die and the effects of the mako addiction had passed.

Therefore despite the situation and his low status here, Cloud made his way over to the body, being unfazed by, and completely ignoring, the blood under his boots as he got close to the boy and squatted down to press his fingers against a blood stained throat.

No pulse.

There was really no surprise there, after all there was no heart to beat, but Cloud had felt the need to double check anyway.

"Dammit... What the hell happened to him?" Cloud muttered, looking up and around for any hint as to what had happened. The room looked exactly as it should, and that unnerved Cloud more than if it had been absolutely trashed, then at least there would be some evidence to explain how the cadet had died.

With a sigh, Cloud stood and looked down at the body, almost willing it to give him the answers he sought. The eyes were frozen wide in surprise, forever imbued with an image no one else would be able to see.

_Cloud... This was not natural..._

The soft voice of Aerith floated through his mind and he almost sighed at the odd words.

_There is a hole through the boys chest; that is never natural._ Cloud thought back, feeling the link was strong and steady, but his eyes were glued to the horror beneath him.

_No Cloud, there is Darkness here... Even now it lingers... You need to be cautious Cloud, this could be dangerous..._

Cloud's eyes went wide as the voice floated through his mind and he barely registered that the connection had been lost after that.

Darkness...

He had been fighting against that force for so long before coming back to this time period, he had been working for so long to try and find a way to beat it. If it was here... Did that mean that he would have even less time to change things?

"Cloud?" The blond jumped when a hand touched his shoulder and spun around to see Zack and Angeal both looking at him in concern. When had they come in? Looking around he also saw others coming into the building to inspect what had happened. He realised then just how much the news of the Darkness had rattled him.

"Come on, let's get out of here." Zack said, "You don't need to see this."

Cloud was left with no choice as Zack grabbed his arm and pulled him away, heading not outside as he would have expected, but down the hall towards his room. Once inside Cloud could not stop himself from looking around the room in slight apprehension, scanning the few shadows that were scattered about the small area. In response to this apprehension Cloud moved to turn on the two lamps in the room, having a confused Zack watching him but thankfully deciding not to comment.

With a sigh Cloud sat on his bed, he hated that the thought of fighting the Darkness so soon affected him like it did; but it was also obvious that something had changed, even him with his scattered memories would be able to remember such an incident occurring, and that meant that somehow the Darkness held a stronger sway in this time period than it should. _Damn it all.__.._ Cloud thought bitterly.

"Cloud, what happened man?" Zack asked, breaking through the blonds thoughts.

"A kid died." Cloud replied mechanically, his usual habit of not letting people know his problems and concerns showing through, but his mind soon caught up with his mouth and he knew that it was a good thing he had said what he said; it wouldn't do to let anything important slip in a situation like this.

"That's not what I meant." Zack pressed, moving to sit on the bed across from the blond. "When Angeal and I arrived after seeing a panicked cadet running past, you looked perfectly calm despite the... situation. You were checking for a pulse even though most wouldn't have gone near him, then you looked around as if trying to gauge what had happened; something most cadets wouldn't even know how to do. Then you seemed to be thinking after you moved back... You just tensed up and looked... Well, you froze man, what happened?"

Cloud looked over at the raven-haired man, who was watching him in concern with an unusually serious look on him face. Cloud was reminded exactly how observant Zack was, and how serious he could be when needed. The blond wished then that he could tell Zack everything; about their old friendship from his original time period, about how they had once laughed and spent their time in happy friendship, about the horrors they both suffered at Hojo's hands, the heart-breaking death of Zack that Cloud was hell bend on preventing, about all the struggles the Planet would face and his own roles in it, about Sephiroth... Just about everything. It was torture not being able to speak like he wanted to. However, Cloud _knew_, even if he didn't know how he knew, that to tell Zack, or anyone, would send things spiralling out of his control more than they already were. So once again, despite his own wants, he pushed them down and did what he knew he had to do.

"I... I just... It kinda just registered that he was... well dead..." Cloud said, scrambling slightly for the correct words, something that he hoped would actually help Zack believe his story.

Zack was silent for a while, leaving Cloud to wonder if he had failed to convince his friend, then to the blonds amazement Zack grinned; as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

"Hey, don't let it get to ya Spikey. It will be sorted out soon, and eventually you will be the one working to prevent things like that." Zack said cheerily, surprising the blond by how close the words already were to the truth.

_You have no idea..._ Cloud thought sadly to himself, but he already felt more calm; an effect that Zack had always had on him.

Zack knew that Cloud wasn't telling him something, but he did know that the blond would have his reasons, and that he could trust the small cadet without restraint. Zack was still more concerned than he let on, the feeling of absolute trust for the blond and a strange drive to protect him from any harm had him alert, the fact that such a violent death had occurred on Cloud's second day back from Wutai and so close to the blond as well, would have the second class SOLDIER keeping a close eye on his friend for a while until he was sure it was safe.

XxXxX

The news of the cadet's death spread quickly throughout Shinra, the cadet dorms becoming crowded with Turks, SOLDIERs and lab personnel for protection and investigation alike. Lab personnel examining the body and immediate area for evidence while the Turks and SOLDIERs either stood on guard or questioned all those that had been in the building during the 'incident' as they called it.

Cloud spent the majority of the afternoon with Zack, who had apparently been excused from the investigation by Angeal.

Most of the time was spent talking about everything and nothing at the same time; simply idle chatter than they both enjoyed yet held no significance to anything at all, both men where comfortable and relaxed and had also decided that they would still train despite the late hour and the fact that they would be unable to use the VR training room due to Angeal's absence.

Just as they were ready to leave a firm knock sounded from the door. Cloud got up from the bed and walked over to the door, slightly tense once again. The door opened to reveal the dorm manager standing there, looking tired and frustrated and behind him stood, much to Cloud's worry and displeasure, the obsidian-eyed cadet from the previous day.

"Strife." The dorm manager, an ageing man named Ethan with grey hair and hard eyes, greeted stoically. Looking past the blond cadet Ethan saw Zack, identifying him as a SOLDIER quickly. "I apologise if I am interrupting anything."

"Nothing at all." Cloud answered immediately, keeping his voice light despite his troubles and drawing Ethan's gaze back to him.

"Very good then... In light of recent events some changes to the room arrangements have been made." Ethan said, "Razor was the room mate of... the deceased. He will now be rooming with you, understood?"

Cloud could see that there would be no arguments on the matter, so nodding he stepped aside.

"Yes Sir."

The obsidian-eyed cadet, now known to be Razor, walked past the dorm attendant, a duffel-bag slung over his shoulder, and into the room.

"Hey Cloud." Razor greeted cheerily, seeming completely at ease with the situation. Cloud tensed, still unsure about the dark-eyed boy and unable to forget the the feeling he had gotten as he left the building with Zack the day before. Cloud nodded to the boy in way of response, not wanting to actually talk.

"Very well, thank you Strife." The dorm attendant said before promptly leaving. Cloud closed the door and turned to see Zack now standing and Razor placing his things on the now vacated bed.

A heavy silence fell over the room, Razor seeming to be the only one unaffected.

"So...uh, you ready to go Cloud?" Zack asked, feeling the tense atmosphere and deciding that now would be a good time to start training. The second class SOLDIER wondered what had happened between the blond and the strange cadet, and decided to ask about it later.

"Yeah..." Cloud said with a nod, moving quietly and quickly over to where First Sword rested, not trusting to leave it in the room. He received a questioning glance from Zack, but decided not to answer it as he left, leaving a smirking Razor to look around his targets room triumphantly.

Cloud and Zack left through a side door in the building that had been opened while the lobby and entrance were cordoned off for the investigation. Cloud was feeling uneasy even if he could not specify exact reasons why; the death of the cadet was unnerving enough, and so was the strange cadet, but Cloud could find no solid reason why Razor affected him as he did. Perhaps the dark-eyed boy just tried to be to friendly, something Cloud was never very fond of.

The blond was really looking forward to a good training session, even if only to work out some of his frustration.

Zack watched his companion with concern, and was just about to voice his concern when Cloud spoke up.

"I don't trust him." Cloud muttered softly as they walked.

"Who?" Zack asked, hoping the small cadet would continue talking.

"Razor... He just seems...odd." Cloud admitted, allowing himself to open up slightly to his friend.

"I have to agree with you there Spikey, that boy definitely had some weird looks about him." Zack agreed. "He's probably just trying to be nice though."

Cloud nodded his head; maybe Zack was right and he was just paranoid around a new face.

"Hey! Don't worry about him now though, you gotta worry about me!" Zack yelled, suddenly leaping at the blond.

Cloud saw it coming and quickly dodged, turning to smile at his friend before quickly running the rest of the way to the small field they had chosen to use as a training ground while Angeal was busy. Once there Cloud quickly lay his sword down and the two companions began an impromptu sparring session, Zack quickly learning to keep his guard up after Cloud managed to land a successful blow to the raven-haired man's side.

_This is going to be fun._ Zack thought as he began working with his full skill and forcing Cloud to really work and think about his situations.

XxXxX

Both Zack and Cloud were sweating and short of breath by the time they had finished well into the night, they both lay next to each other on the grass staring up at the stars.

"That... was fun." Zack said grinning. "You sure you're not already in SOLDIER Spikey?"

"Pretty sure." Cloud replied with a small chuckle. Despite his worries of raising suspicion Cloud had decided to go all out against Zack, having never been able to test his skills against the one who had, inadvertently, given them to him; it had only been after Cloud had gained Zack's memories that he had begun fighting and it was through those memories that Cloud gained the fighting style he had now.

"Well, you should pass those damn SOLDIER exams easily." Zack said, still grinning.

Zack had been watching Cloud fight and had found himself admiring the way the blond held himself, the sureness of each step, the ability to read his opponents movements, the way his eyes shone as though they had already been infused with mako, yet a far to pure blue to be mako.

In fact the more Zack watched the blond and the way he was, the more Zack found his mind wandering into other areas. The very first things that had struck the raven-haired man had been the blazing comparison between Cloud's features and his eyes; his features were soft and young, well built and toned yes, but also holding a child like innocence, but his eyes... The first time Zack had seen the blond's eyes he had been amazed that anyone could have such eyes; they were pain-filled and closed off, holding knowledge far beyond Cloud's apparent years but at the same time kind and caring, showing a fierce determination and protective streak.

It wasn't long after that that other aspects of Cloud wormed their way into Zack's notice. The way Cloud would scratch the back of his head whenever he felt uncomfortable or embarrassed among friends was cute and endearing to the raven-haired man, and every time Cloud spoke was like listening to the whispers of the Planet on the winds, his voice was soft and if Zack could put a texture to the name it would be the finest silk, Cloud's body was small, but muscles rippled just under the surface and the lean body was able to move with amazing agility and hid a deceptive strength.

Zack found himself wanting more. Despite only knowing Cloud for now four days.

"Hey, one night you should come over to my place." Zack said cheerily, not letting on the direction his mind had momentarily gone.

"Your place?" Cloud asked, confused at the sudden invite.

"Yeah, why not? We could order a pizza or something, have a break from that gods-aweful food they shovel at us here." Zack replied.

"Sure, sounds good." Cloud replied softly, wondering briefly where the strange invite had come from but liking the sound of it as well.

"Sweet, I'll find you when I think on the date for it." Zack said, wanting to give his companion more time to adjust and get used to him before making his move.

Silence fell between the two men as they continued laying there, each within their own thoughts. Clouds mind eventually wandered back to the death of the other cadet only hours previously and the information that the Darkness had somehow managed to make its way to this time period as well, he would have to find out how and why... If it had been winning in the future why would it believe it needed to come back to here, surely it wouldn't know what he had planned to do?

Aerith had spoken to him for a brief while when he had found the cadet, but aside from that contact with her and the Plant had been pretty scarce, despite how confused he still was. Would he ever simply be given the answers he sought?

_Probably not..._ He thought with a sigh.

"So this is where you two went." An amused voice sounded above the young men, both of whom turned surprised eyes up to see Angeal smiling down at them.

"You bet! You should have seen us Angeal, we would have made the Turks jealous!" Zack said with a large grin, rolling over much like a puppy to lay on his stomach, propping himself up on his elbows. Cloud followed suit with a bit less energy and also rested on his elbows to accommodate looking up to Angeal.

"I'm sure." Angeal said with a chuckle.

"I mean it Angeal." Zack pressed on, sensing his mentors disbelief. Angeal sighed and decided to humour his student.

"How would you make the Turks jealous then Puppy?" He large first said, still with a small grin on his face.

"'Cause we have Cloud!" Zack all but proclaimed to the world, moving over and throwing an arm around a surprised Cloud's shoulders.

"What?" Cloud asked, turning his gaze to his madly grinning companion.

"Man, you are going to be one of the best! And those Turks won't be the ones with you by their side." Zack elaborated happily.

Cloud just looked at him, unsure of what to say to the raven-haired man's words. Did he truly believe that? _If only Zack knew what led to me gaining all these 'skills'... _Cloud thought sadly, his mind momentarily flashing back to labs with an unearthly green mako glow, shining silver surgical equipment, and pain filled screams from both himself and Zack, the images changed to looking down at a dying Zack... All because he had tried to protect Cloud, who had been to weak to protect his only real friend.

Cloud looked away from Zack as the images left his mind once more.

"No... not the best." He said softly. "Whether the world knows it or not there will always be others better than me..."

Zack and Angeal were both left looking at he quiet blond in surprise and confusion at the odd words. Zack had seen the flash of pain that passed through the blond's eyes; had it been what he had said that caused that pain? Why would Cloud think so lowly of himself?

The pleasant atmosphere from before had suddenly departed, leaving nothing but a cold breeze blowing over the three and an even colder feel to the air.

"Cloud?" Zack asked, trying to look at the eyes now focused on the ground. "What's wrong Spikey?"

When Cloud looked back up, any trace of the previous pain was gone and Zack was looking into beautiful clear eyes once more.

"Nothing." Cloud answered with a smile and a small shake of his head, making soft blond spikes wave around. "Just thinking was all..."

"Well, you should both head back to your rooms soon. Cloud is far past his curfew and Zack you have a full day tomorrow. After today's events I think we all need rest." Angeal said, making sure his tone conveyed no chance for arguments.

Like Zack, Angeal had also seen the momentary display of emotion from Cloud and once more he was struck with the depth of Cloud's emotion and a feeling that the blond knew things far beyond his years. The tall first figured now would be a good idea to send the two their own ways.

Cloud got up with a sigh, stretching his tired muscles in the process and silently thanking Angeal for busting him out of an awkward situation whether he knew it or not. Zack made a show of rolling onto his back before lifting his legs up and leaning his body to balance on his shoulders to spring upwards and land deftly on his feet grinning with his accomplishment and earning an exasperated shake of the head from Angeal.

"Well, I'll catch up with you tomorrow for training again, 'kay Spikey?" Zack said cheerily.

Cloud nodded back with a small smile before saying a soft good night to Angeal and heading towards the cadet dorms. Angeal and Zack both watched the blond go before they too began walking towards the SOLDIER building.

"What are you thinking Puppy?" Angeal asked, seeing a distracted look on his students face.

"Hmm?" Zack asked, looking up to the tall first after being snapped from his thoughts.

"You're distracted, it's not like you. What's wrong?" Angeal asked.

"Nothin'." Zack mumbled in reply. Angeal simply nodded, knowing that if Zack wanted he would talk later. He also had a feeling that the thing distracting his student lay with the small blond cadet that they had stumbled upon in Wutai.

Once inside the building the two caught the elevator, their movements and the _ding_ of the elevator being the only sounds in the quiet lobby area. The ride up was just as quiet as Zack thought over everything he had seen of Cloud since they had met. The elevator stopped with another _ding _on Zack's floor.

"Get a good night sleep Puppy." Angeal said as Zack stepped off.

"Yeah, night Angeal." Zack replied, sending a grin to his mentor as the doors closed before heading

to his own room. With another shake of his head Angeal pressed the button to head up to his own room, for some reason he felt that a change would be coming soon, and he could only hope that it was for the best.

The walk back to the cadet dorms was quiet, and the building even more so. Thanks to the hustle of that afternoon Cloud didn't need to worry about being caught out after curfew and therefore simply strolled back in through the side door he had exited from earlier.

He knew that he had made a mistake earlier by allowing his emotions to show for that brief amount of time, he hadn't meant to but even though Zack was alive once again and he now had to change the future and fate of his best friend, it did little to make those memories any less painful; if anything it made them all the worse, the fact that if he failed he would once more be condemning his raven-haired friend to that fate weighed heavily on his mind.

Arriving at the door to his room, Cloud hesitated before entering, still unsure about Razor. With a sigh he entered the room. _After all, _he thought, _Zack is probably right and I'm over thinking things... _

To his surprise one of the lamps was left on, despite the fact that the other cadet seemed to be fast asleep under the covers of his own bed. Cloud eased the door closed quietly before moving over to his side of the room. Had Razor left the light on for him?

Sitting on his bed, Cloud removed First Sword from its place on his back and set it down quietly against the wall. Despite the lack of sleep from the night before Cloud still felt completely awake and alert.

"You were out late..." The sleepy voice from the other bed startled Cloud, looking up he saw half-lidded obsidian eyes watching him from beneath the covers.

"Sorry." Cloud apologised, "I didn't mean to wake you."

"All good..." Was the sleepy reply. "Were were you anyways?"

"Nowhere special. Just letting off some steam." Cloud answered, getting up and moving over to his cabinet to get his sleeping clothes out.

"Mmmm 'kay then..." With that Razor rolled back over and buried his head under the covers.

With a sigh Cloud got changed and crawled into his own bed. He wasn't tired but he turned out the light to allow Razor to sleep in peace.

Maybe he had been wrong about the other cadet? There had been nothing odd about the way he had just acted... Perhaps it had just been bad timing before? His mind flashed back to he image of the dead cadet from earlier that day and he attempted to find answers to some of the questions that the attack brought up. Even if the Darkness was here, why would it make such a bold move? Was it attempting to send a warning?

Cloud lay there for a while, turning over a few times before settling on his side facing the cabinets at the back of the room, he wasn't looking forward to going to classes in the morning and having to waste time on things he already knew when he could be training instead. Now it seemed so much more important that he be ready to face any threat, and classes would do nothing but slow him down...

Eventually, after what felt like hours Cloud fell into an uneasy sleep.

Razor lay, pretending to sleep, listening to his target move around until he settled then all that came from the blond was even breathing, Razor knew that he had fallen asleep then. The obsidian-eyed cadet smirked, knowing that he had make progress; it would take time, but eventually he would be able to move around Gaia's Guardian with little or no suspicion. It would be then that he would strike and put his master's plans in motion; it would just take time...

**Another chapter done! Thank you to all who reviewed. I try to reply to each review, so to those who reviewed as a guest or anonymous; Thank you!**

**I hope you all continue to read and enjoy the story. **


	4. Hacked

Cloud woke well before sunrise the next morning. He had spent the whole night tossing and turning; unable to sleep, though he wasn't able to identify _why_. With a sigh Cloud sat up, his blankets pooling around his waist as he looked around the dark room. It was still around 2 hours before the sun would be up and that meant that with the late night Cloud would have been lucky to have gotten an hours worth of sleep.

"Great..." Cloud mumbled softly, keeping his voice below a whisper. Pulling the blankets away and standing up Cloud quietly gathered his clothes for the next day and headed off to the showers, hoping that some warm water would help to relax him and wake him up for the day to come.

The shower room was empty, but that came as no surprise to the blond due to the hour, but he was also thankful for it and planned on utilising the time alone to _fully_ relax. Quickly stripping down, Cloud soon had the water on and running hot, the water streaming over his tired body working to relax the stiff muscles from all the training. He had known that this would happen, and over all, he took it as I good sign that the small, but intensive, amounts of training he had been able to do were having an effect.

_There is still so much to do..._ Cloud thought, this mind was neither bitter nor happy about the thought; but simply neutral. With a sigh Cloud lifted his face to allow the steamy water to block out everything, and also wash away his thoughts and leave him in peace for a short while.

Soon enough Cloud was dressed and ready for the day, even though the day was not due to start for a few more hours yet. Leaving the shower rooms Cloud made his way down the silent halls and after quietly placing his sleeping clothes away he made his way outside into the early morning chill. The grounds were still dark and cold as Cloud walked but he didn't mind, he had spent to long sleeping in areas of little warmth over the years to really mind the cold. Over all he wasn't sure why he wanted to come outside, but he figured that it gave him a chance to clear his head and think.

Cloud knew that he had to train to be ready for whatever he had to face, and after the death of the cadet the day before that was all the more clear, but he also knew that he had to start planning for what he would have to do to change things... even if some things had already been altered; once again the dead cadet being the prime thing, the next being that fact that he had already befriended Zack and also met Angeal as well.

The main thing that Cloud wanted to... no, _had_ to stop from happening was Zack's death. He would not sit by helpless and powerless and watch his best friend die a second time. To do this he would have to stop a variety of things and just hope that nothing too unexpected happened as a result; he would have to stop the mission to Nibelheim, stop Sephiroth from going crazy and burning down his home town, he would have to get rid of Jenova as soon as he could figure out how... With a scowl Cloud realised that another person he would definitely be getting rid of would be Hojo; there was no way he would allow such a sick and twisted man to continue on and probably find other ways to endanger everything they worked for.

Cloud came out of his thoughts for a moment and looked around; he had wandered over to the outskirts of the training field and was standing just inside the line of trees that marked being close to the border of Shinra's territory in this particular direction. Cloud knew that the trees went back around another one to two hundred meters from here and his lips turned up in a humourless smirk as broken memories of hiding in these woods came to mind; of finding any small area he could fit in or even climbing up the trees in his attempts to hide from the bullies who had taken a liking to making his life hell. Well that was one thing that would not happen again, he would make sure of that.

Cloud made his way over to one of the closer trees and sat down making himself comfortable, the sky was only just starting to lighten up on the very edges of the horizon meaning that there was still a few hours before classes started.

Class. That was another thing that Cloud still needed to figure out, he already knew that these classes were pointless and that he was doing nothing but wasting time by attending them, but he also had to go to them to both avoid attracting to much unwanted attention and to gain entrance into the exams.

Cloud sat there thinking over the matter for a while before he finally came to a conclusion, even if it was a conclusion that could be risky as Cloud was unsure as to what reactions it would cause. It seemed that the only way that he might be able to access more than the average cadet training scheme would be to show that he was far above it, and that meant that from today onwards he would begin displaying an above average skill level that would hopefully catch the teachers attention, but he would also keep the skill level low enough that he would not raise _too_ much suspicion.

"It's not often you see a cadet out this early, yo." The annoyingly familiar voice cut through the silence of the early morning like a knife, causing Cloud to instantly turn his gaze to the side and upwards where he was able to make out a well known figure in a tree not far away. Reno.

Cloud had heard that Reno had been an established Turk sometime before he had even become an infantryman, despite how young the red head was.

"Nice, not many know to look up, yo." Reno said as he jumped lightly from the tree and landed on the ground with a soft _thud. _"Name's Reno."

"Cloud." The blond stated his name without emotion, even though he wouldn't be surprised if Reno already knew his name. What he didn't know was why the Turk was even here right now, and more importantly, he wanted to know what the Turk wanted.

"Whatcha doin' all the way out here? It's early man."

"Nothing. Couldn't sleep." Cloud replied, hoping to satisfy the Turk's curiosity while keeping up the emotionless mask he had perfected so long ago. After Sephiroth had returned during the Geostigma threat the small group of Turks had more or less become allies and had remained that way, and had even become friends of a sort in the few years that followed and in the fight against the Darkness. However, Cloud knew that of all the people he would come to meet in this time period, Reno was probably the one he could trust the least as the red head was fiercely loyal to Rufus Shinra and Tsung, and at the moment that meant that Reno was fiercely loyal to who he had to consider an enemy in this time period.

Cloud actually found himself saddened by the thought, as the Turks are good allies when needed, and the Reno of the future would no doubt help the blond if he ever needed it, even though they all knew that Cloud would never ask anyway. It was a bit depressing to know that the thought was no longer there.

"Not much of a talker are you?" Reno commented, pointing out the obvious. Cloud just looked at the cocky young man and didn't verbally reply to the comment. To Cloud it seemed as though there was very little difference between the Reno he was used to and the Reno before him, except maybe the older Reno had seen much more in life and had made mistakes that were not yet made here. When Reno made no further comment for a while and proceeded to stare at Cloud, the blond decided that maybe silence would not help.

"What do you want?" Cloud asked at last, his voice cold and uncaring. He couldn't let anything slip in front of a Turk; it would bring nothing but trouble.

"Hey, I don't want nothin' yo!" Reno stated putting his hands up in front of him in a placating manner. "This is just where I usually hang, so I was just interested to see who else decided to come here."

Cloud thought it would probably be better if he just went with it, so he simply shrugged in response before getting up. He wasn't sure what it would mean for him and his task by already meeting Reno, but this was one thing that was more likely to go wrong than right.

"Well, thanks for the chat Cloud, see ya 'round, yo." Reno said as Cloud walked away, getting a small wave of the hand over the blonds shoulder in response.

Reno watched the quiet blond walk away with curiosity, there was something about the strange cadet that piqued the red-heads interest, perhaps it was the way the blond was able to completely hide his emotions in a way that Reno was more used to seeing when around people like Tsung, or maybe it was just the mysterious way the blond held himself as though there was a great weight on his shoulders that he had to tackle alone. Reno figured that it would be interesting to keep an eye on the young cadet...

XxXxX

Cloud spent the remainder of his time before class wandering around, mind mulling over all the complications he had to sort out or prevent. By the time class came around Cloud was glad for the distraction as he listened to the instructor talk about safety while using weapons, something that Cloud found almost amusing now that he knew the warnings and thorough speeches would do very little compared to experience that most of these kids would eventually gain... after some pain and a few mistakes.

The teacher drawled on about how whatever weapon the cadets chose would be the weapon that they would be using while taking the SOLDIER exams, and Cloud could see most of the cadets eyeing off the table of guns not to far away and could imagine the images of fame and strength going through the cadets' brains.

Once the teacher allowed the cadets to go and choose their weapons, Cloud made his way over to the sword table and began inspecting the blades there. None of the swords were even close to the quality and strength of First Sword, but eventually he settled on one of the training broad swords.

"Good choice." A voice said behind him. Cloud turned to see Razor standing there looking at the sword in Cloud's hand.

"Uh... thanks." Cloud replied, still unsure on how to act around the other cadet.

"Heh, it's not much compared to that sword of yours back in the room though." Razor commented casually, his obsidian eyes sweeping over the blade once more before focusing on the oceanic blue eyes before him. Cloud nodded in agreement before quietly moving over to stand away from the table.

Looking around it seemed like him and Razor were the only two to pick blades, the large majority of cadets choosing a gun of some kind while the remaining cadets chose from a selection of weapons, varying from EMR based designs that simply lacked the electric current for training purposes, to spear-blades that Cloud knew could be very effective in the right hands... Cid's being one of them, it was a shame that the grumpy pilot wasn't here.

Soon enough each Cadet held a weapon of some sort and stood before a small group of instructors that Cloud remembered to each be trained in different areas of combat and would begin training the students that chose the instructors specific weapon.

Soon enough they were all separated into groups and heading towards the assigned areas of the room for their training. In the end there were another two cadets who had chosen swords, one a pair of short swords and the other a simple katana, Razor held duel long swords and he gave Cloud the impression that he, at very least, had some idea on how to use them.

"It's hard to believe so few cadets choose a blade when it's the basis of SOLDIER training... It just makes it more difficult if they actually manage to pass the exams." The instructor mumbled to himself, Cloud only just catching the muttered words thanks to enhanced hearing.

"Right. You four chose a good weapon in my opinion." The instructor said, turning to face them once they reached their destination. "You will address me as either Sir or instructor Hans. Understood?" Cloud had the feeling that this instructor was either very good and knew it or was cocky and over confident.

"Sir!" All four cadets shouted as one, each one standing up straight and heels clicking together in an 'attention' stance.

"Good. Now, first of all you will be doing blocking and disarming your opponent. This is useful during tough battles and in tight spots when you are outnumbered. Each of you, in turn will work with me, attempting to block and disarm my attack. To do this you will..."

Cloud let his mind wander after that, leaving the technical techniques of the man to himself. Letting his eyes wander around Cloud saw the different groups each getting their own run down of the techniques the instructors wanted them to learn. His eyes then travelled to the door where we saw several men walking in; each dressed in the typical outfits of either third or second class SOLDIERs. This was no surprise to Cloud, as he was sure he could remember having SOLDIER audiences during his training, even if the training itself was more or less a fuzzy blur in his memory. What did surprise Cloud was a certain raven-haired man wandering in with the group, the eyes of his friend looking around quickly before spotting him, after which he began walking over as the rest of the SOLDIER group spread out to the groups they were interested in.

Cloud's attention was drawn back to his group as the instructor gave them a number each, his own being 4. There was little surprise after that when instructor Hans told them that they would be facing him in order of their numbers. One of the two cadets that Cloud didn't know was first, leaving the other cadet, Razor and himself to stand off to the side to watch, it was there that Zack came and stood with them a few minutes later.

"Hey Spikey!" Zack said cheerily as he came to stand by the blond.

"Hi Zack." Cloud replied softly, "How come you're here?" Cloud couldn't help but ask, his earliest memories of Zack coming to supervise or assist in any of the rookie trainings only happening after the mission to Modeoheim when Zack had agreed to train with the infantrymen, and the raven-haired man had already been a first class SOLDIER then.

"Well, I wasn't going to come down but then I heard that you would be here and I guess I just wanted to see you whoop their butts." Zack said with a grin, raising his hands up behind his head and placing one foot behind the other as though he was leaning on the air itself. Cloud shook his head with a small smirk, wondering if it was indeed the fact that Zack already knew him that had brought the man down here.

The two fell into a companionable silence after that, watching as the cadet struggled to block instructor Hans' attacks, let alone disarm him, until the instructor figured that it would be enough and called out the next number which happened to be Razor.

Cloud watched as the obsidian-eyed cadet readied himself and watched as he blocked the first attack with fair skill, proving Cloud's earlier thoughts correct. This round ended much quicker than the first, Razor being able to disarm the instructor after giving a clever feint that instructor Hans obviously hadn't been expecting from a cadet.

"Not too bad." Zack commented quietly as he watched, Cloud nodding in agreement.

The next cadet was little better than the first, simply trying to block the instructors attacks with all thoughts of disarming technique gone within seconds.

Not to long later it was Clouds turn and after a quick encouraging remark from Zack the blond cadet made his way to stand before instructor Hans, with the light weight broad sword held loosely in two hands with the tip facing the ground.

"You sure you can actually lift that in time for it to be any good kid?" Hans asked with a slight look of contempt disbelief in his eyes as they scanned the small cadet before him. The soft sound of Zack snorting in amusement was only heard by Cloud and the cadets near Zack.

"It's fine." Cloud said simply, watching the man before him and deciding that he would prove just how effective a broad sword could be, even if it was just a cheap rip-off like this one.

"Your funeral." Hans muttered, shrugging slightly before charging at Cloud with his own weapon, nothing more than an imitation sword with a dull edge that would hurt but not cut.

There was a thud seconds later as the fake sword landed a good fifteen meters away, Cloud having raised his blade quickly to connect with the practise sword near the tip before expertly sliding his blade downwards towards the hilt of the other blade, from there it was a simple twist and flick to send the sword away.

Silence fell over the small group and the trainer looked up in surprised while the cadets stood transfixed in awe, only Zack stood there completely at easy with how Cloud had moved, but soon the raven-haired man was trying to hold back his laughter, something that soon failed as the rich sound filled the air around them.

"H-How did you..?" Hans asked, still unable to believe what had just happened. Cloud shrugged slightly before moving to stand over by a still laughing Zack. There were a few other curious stares from some of the other SOLDIERs that had seen the occurrence, some of which were nodding their approval.

"You sure showed him Spikey!" Zack laughed leaving Cloud to shift uncomfortably with the weight of the stares on him as more turned to see what the noise was about.

_This is going to be a long few months..._ Cloud thought with an internal sigh as he thought about the idea of having so much attention on him by, hopefully, excelling in all aspects of the cadet training. He just hoped that it was worth it to try and gain extra training rights.

XxXxX

Over the next few weeks Cloud's status among the cadets quickly rose. After the initial display of skill with instructor Hans, Cloud began working at rising his rank within the cadets and catching the higher-ups attention, though he was careful to keep his actions and skills to an advanced, but believable, level. With this he very quickly gained the attention and approval of teachers, instructors, and general infantrymen and personnel alike, it was through this that he managed to gain access to both better equipment and a more intense training regime. The only downside to it all in Cloud's opinion, was the audiences that seemed to gather when he trained to see the 'hopeful' cadet with a good chance of going far within Shinra, but thankfully Angeal had been able to send them all on their way a few times to give the blond some peace as he trained.

The new ritual of training with Zack and Angeal was going strong, the bond between the raven-haired man and the blond was getting stronger with everyday, something that never ceased to amaze Cloud, and Cloud had come to really respect and like Angeal as well; the tall first class SOLDIER was helpful and often gave good advise on a range of things. Angeal had also been able to show Cloud a few techniques that he had never had the chance to learn before, as he had never been very high in Shinra and after that it had been Zack's memories that shaped his fighting style.

"Aww man! What are we gona do for the holidays?" Zack whined, acting very much like the 'puppy' Angeal called him as he sat restlessly next to Cloud at the edge of the VR training room. It still amazed Cloud that even after the vigorous VR mission they had just done that Zack could still have the energy to continue moving as he was; mako or no mako, it was still a great feat of... Puppyness?

Angeal stood on the other side of the room, leaning comfortably against the wall with an amused smile on his face as he watched his student's antics. He had been impressed with both Zack and Cloud's latest run as they had, for lack of better description, taken down an entire army.

"Well, what do you want to do?" Cloud asked, deciding to humour his friend as he took a sip of water.

"I dunno! But it has to be fun..." Zack replied with a pout, Cloud couldn't help but chuckle at the behaviour.

"Ok then, but that doesn't help narrow down your options at all." Cloud pointed out, earning a playful glare in return.

"Oh? And where would you go Spikey?" The raven-haired man retorted.

Several things ran through Cloud's mind at the question, the first being the usual and popular holiday destinations like Costa Del Sol, but soon his thoughts turned homewards towards Nibelheim and his mother whom he hadn't seen for so long. Yet those same thoughts of actually meeting his mother again after everything, left a dull ache in his chest and he was unsure as to whether or not he would be able to actually go through with meeting her. It was enough to just know she was still alive.

"Not sure... I guess there are a few places I wouldn't mind going." Cloud admitted with a shrug and a sigh.

"What about you 'Geal?" Zack asked, looking over to his teacher and long time friend.

"Hmm, I've been thinking about perhaps going to Costa Del Sol..." Angeal said thoughtfully as he pondered the bright sunlight and the warm beaches.

"Costa?" Zack jumped up, an excited grin on his face, "Can we go too?"

Cloud chuckled and shook his head in wonder at his friends actions, it didn't matter how crazy they were, because Cloud loved each and every one and treasured them because for such a long time he had thought he would never see those antics again... _Oh Gaia, _He thought, _I doubt I could handle __loosing him again..._

Once more his vision was swallowed with the images and sounds of the past; the ear-splitting discharge of guns, the soaking rain pelting down on the blood stained ground, the smell of blood mixed with mud. Crawling... He had to get to him... Had to get to Zack... _There was so much __blood_...

Cloud finally snapped out of his thoughts to see Zack over by Angeal still nagging about the up coming holidays in a few weeks, thankfully neither of them had noticed Cloud's inner turmoil as they spoke. The blond's heart was racing and a cold sweat had broken out over his body. It was not the first time his own memories had haunted him and he was used to it by now, but it didn't matter how many times it happened, he could do nothing to lessen the effects it had on him.

Only over the past few weeks the memories that shadowed him during both his waking and sleeping hours had worked as reminders of what would happen if he didn't change things... If he wasn't strong enough once again to keep what is most dear to him alive and well.

"What about you Cloud?" The question caught the blond off guard and he looked up to see both Zack and Angeal looking at him questioningly.

"Uh... what was the question?" Cloud asked quietly, bringing his hand up to scratch the back of his head as he silently berated himself for not listening.

"Angeal said he would take us to Costa!" Zack almost yelled, excitement clear in his voice, "You've gotta come Cloud."

Cloud looked up to his friend that now stood before him with a begging expression on his face and eyes shining with excitement. For that expression alone Cloud was tempted to go, but at the same time the holidays could prove to be better spent using the free time to go do some snooping around the Nibelheim reactor for Jenova and also perhaps looking into a few things within Shinra itself. Almost as if sensing Cloud's reluctance Zack closed the gap between them and grabbed the blond's shoulders.

"You _have_ to come! No excuses will be accepted." Zack pressed, grinning widely at the almost shocked look on Cloud's face.

"But... Training..." Cloud muttered softly, realising that he was reaching for straws in a loosing battle.

"Oh there will be training done." Came Angeal's deep, amused voice. "There is no way I would be allowing Zack to laze off the entire time."

Finally Cloud sighed; it was just too hard to say no to Zack when he got like this, and he supposed that he could always find ways to do his 'investigating' at a later date.

"Fine... I'll go." Cloud relented with a small smile.

"Yes! It's going to be so much fun Spikey, you'll love it!" Zack exclaimed excitedly. Angeal smiled from where he stood as he watched the two young men, it was quite obvious that Zack basically had Cloud wrapped around his little finger despite Cloud's ability to always seem one step ahead of everything else. Angeal decided then that the holiday may be a good way to get to know more about the reserved cadet that could fight with uncanny ability and seemed to be carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Cloud smiled softly as Zack continued talking about the holidays and all they were apparently going to be doing. There was around two weeks before the break, and for Cloud that also meant that there was only around a month or so until the SOLDIER exams; he was happy with the way he had progressed through his training for this as his body was now, at very least, at an acceptable level for him.

"Hey Cloud, how's about that pizza?" Zack asked suddenly, completely changing the topic without missing a heartbeat.

"Tonight?" Cloud asked, remembering when the raven-haired man had invited him for a pizza during his second night back on the Shinra base.

"Sure. I mean why not?" Zack replied, "It'll be fun."

"Ok then." Cloud said with a nod, deciding that it would indeed be fun. Once more Zack jumped up with a whoop obviously thrilled with all the good news of the afternoon.

"All right you two, that's a long enough break." Angeal said, deciding that if he waited any longer to get the two training again it would be an impossible task. Zack whined slightly but grabbed his sword and VR goggles none-the-less while Cloud stood up silently with sword in hand.

"Right, this time I'm going to give you a slightly harder challenge." Angeal said as he began keying things into his mobile that was currently linked into the Virtual Reality system. "We will see how you two fare with an infiltration mission since you both obviously excel in simple defence and offence missions."

With that both Cloud and Zack placed the goggles over their eyes and prepared themselves for the simulation that soon built itself around them, leaving them standing on the crest of a small hill looking over to a large, fortified base a few kilometres from when they stood. Both men quickly crouched to avoid detection as they scoped the area.

"Aww man, this looks like a real pain..." Zack muttered as his eyes scanned over the high walls at the patrols both outside and on top of those walls, he could only see one entry point and it seemed heavily guarded from all sides.

Cloud who had also been scanning the perimeter already had a plan in mind. He had once infiltrated a similarly fortified base with Vincent when that base had managed to get their hands on some important documents regarding experiments with Jenova cells. The two had gotten in and out quickly, dispatching any who got in the way and destroying all evidence of the documents.

"No, in the far left corner opposite from the entry gate the patrols are much thinner and less aware, that will be our attack point as they would likely be careless due to the high walls and being so far from the entrance." Cloud said softly as he analysed the situation further.

Zack looked over to the blond in mild surprise, a feeling that quickly left as he found himself not really being all that shocked in the end at the knowledge the blonde held.

Ten minutes later the two stood at the base of the wall where they had decided to infiltrate, none of the sentries had noticed them yet and for that Cloud was grateful; the biggest challenge of getting to the base had been the open, slightly raised terrain.

Cloud took the lead and, hoping that his timing was correct, jumped up with all the force he could manage and gripped onto the edge of the top of the wall. From there it was simple to lift himself and time his actions to climb up and efficiently and silently remove the single guard that was patrolling that area. Soon after Zack was up with him and they silently made their way down to the ground on the other side where the patrols were practically non-existent and over to one of the inner compound entryways.

The hallways were empty. This more than anything put Cloud on edge as they advanced; it was just too easy, no matter how well a compound is guarded from the outside, it was common practice to keep the inside just a well, if not better, guarded. He knew this from personal experience.

When they finally entered the centre of the compound and still had not encountered a single soul, Cloud began to really grow restless. Something was wrong, and it didn't seem like something that was usual for the VR. As if on time the 'communicators' that both he and Zack wore while in the simulation buzzed with an incoming transmission.

"Zack, Cloud, what's happening in there?" The crackled voice of Angeal broke through, static making it difficult to hear the man properly. Those words had Cloud's sense of suspicion rising through the roof; they all knew that Angeal would watch their progress every step of the way from monitors in the room adjoining the VR room itself.

"What do you mean 'Geal?" Zack replied, looking around in confusion.

"I lost all sight of both of you when you went into the compound. I think the machine is malfunctioning, it won't stop the program and this is the first time I have been able to get a vocal link to you." Angeal replied, voice still hard to make out over the communicator.

A chill ran down Cloud's spine at the words, for some reason he doubted that it was the machine malfunctioning...

"What does that mean?" Zack asked, "Are we stuck in here or something?"

While Zack spoke Cloud found himself looking around the dim room carefully, he could sense a danger somewhere and it felt all to familiar.

"The door into the room you are in is locked and won't open and none of the computers will respond properly. Zack, I want you and Cloud out now!" Even to Cloud, the concern in Angeal's voice was obvious.

"We're coming." Cloud cut in this time. He knew that they had to get out, and fast.

"Good, but be-" The communications abruptly stopped there leaving the two men to themselves.

"Zack, we need to leave. Now." Cloud said, scanning the room once again as the foreboding feeling intensified. Zack nodded his agreement and they both moved towards the door, only to find it blocked by a large man. The man was huge compared to the lean, lithe build of the two friends with bulging muscles rippling over the length of his body. The man had a large cloak on, the hood working to conceal all but his lower face and glowing red eyes that remained locked on Cloud.

Cloud understood then exactly what was happening; the darkness was making a move, and it was a smart one as well, completely isolating them in the reinforced room and further trapped in an artificial reality in which whatever pain they felt would feel very real. Although Cloud was sure that any wounds sustained by the darkness would prove to remain even after the simulation ended, something that was not suppose to happen.

"Who the hell?" Zack breathed softly, standing beside Cloud. Right now though the blond was more concerned with how they were going to get past the imposing figure than who he was.

The large man raised a hand that held one of the massive battle maces that would inflict serious damage, the weapon pointed straight at Cloud.

"You." Was the only word to leave the large man's lips coming out in a deep echoing voice that Cloud had heard before from the monsters he had faced that were under the Darkness' control.

Adapting a battle stance of his own Cloud held First Sword ready. This couldn't be good.

"Oi! If you want to even lay a finger on Spikey, you go through me!" Zack's voice was serious as he spoke, he moved to stand directly in front of the blond and Cloud couldn't help the spike of panic that raced through him; this was no simulation, and Zack was nowhere near ready to face such a foe.

Seeming to decide to take Zack's challenge to heart the large man moved at a speed that surprised the raven-haired man as he soon found the large battle mace swinging for his head. Cloud moved faster though as he quickly pulled Zack back out of harms way and behind him as he brought up his sword one handed and deflected the blow.

"Zack, just focus on getting to that damn door." Cloud growled, "We will only need one of us to get out to the courtyard for Angeal to be able to end the simulation."

"But-"

"Just do it!" Cloud growled, grunting as he blocked another heavy blow from the mace.

"Ok... Be careful." Zack said reluctantly as he edged around the fight and waited for there to be enough room between the door and the threat to escape through. Zack hated the idea of leaving Cloud there, but the way Cloud had spoken... It had warranted no arguments, and it had also radiated an inner power that Zack hadn't seen before.

Cloud drew the large man further into the room and breathed a silent breath of relief as he saw Zack slip out the door. Now he just had to stay alive and hope there was no other dangers out there. Looking up into the eyes of his attacker Cloud saw the crimson light grow brighter and Cloud was barely able to dodge an attack that splintered and cracked the floor where it struck, leaving a large crater in the middle of the room. Cloud wasn't surprised by the sudden power increase as it seemed to be a common trait in creatures under the influence of Darkness.

Deciding to go on the offensive Cloud quickly closed the distance and began swinging at the man with precision blows, but each and every one of them was deflected by a physical damage barrier around the man.

"Dammit!" Cloud cursed, knowing that before he could tack the man down, he would have to destroy his barrier first.

As he jumped back to gain some distance between him and the mace, he found himself hitting the wall and only realised this mistake to late to dodge the sweeping blow coming his way, bringing his sword around at a lighting pace he was only able to lessen the blow to his side slightly and was sent flying across the room. Pain had exploded up his side and he was sure that he had at least three broken ribs. He landed on his other side with his sword landing several meters away, he was given to respite as he soon found the large man standing over him and a huge hand closing around his throat.

Cloud soon found himself with his feet dangling off the floor and his air flow constricted to a painful minimum as the large man held him up and away from his body.

"You... Cannot escape." Came the same eerie voice as before...

Zack was running like his life depended on it, for reasons he couldn't explain he felt an ache in his chest as though he had already lost Cloud and was trying to prevent it from happening again. Finally he burst from the compound and out into the courtyard area of the base, where he noticed there were no longer any guards stationed. Almost straight away Angeal's voice came through the communicator.

"Zack! What's happening?" The deep voice sounded frustrated and concerned at the same time but this time at least, the voice was clear to make out.

"Shut it down Angeal! Now!" Zack yelled, the foreboding feeling within him only growing stronger by the second.

Tense seconds passed by while he waited with bated breath, but finally the area began dissolving into the usual blue squares.

_Please be ok... _Zack thought furiously.

Cloud was slowly loosing consciousness from lack of air, the pain in his side throbbed and only hastening the advancement of darkness on his vision. Somehow he knew that if he died in here, he would die in the real world as well.

It was then that the reality around them began dissolving and Cloud knew that Zack had made it out. The man began dissolving with the rest of the room, the red eyes blazing in anger as the hand holding Cloud's throat lost substantial matter, leaving Cloud to fall to the ground and watch as the man yelled in rage as he disappeared. Resting his head on the floor, Cloud worked to keep his breathing shallow and even to avoid hurting his ribs further. Slowly it registered that the VR room was completely back to normal and seconds later he felt the familiar presence of Zack as the raven-haired man gently pulled the goggles of his head.

"Cloud?" Zack asked tentatively, fear racing through his veins at seeing the blond laying as he was.

"I'm fine." Came the breathless reply and for a second relief flooded through him, but returned instantly when he saw a red blotch spreading through Cloud's clothes on his side. Moving quickly, Zack gently lifted the shirt to see several puncture wounds that matched the spikes on the mace that the strange man had been wielding in the simulation, the skin around the puncture wounds was already severely bruised and welted.

"Shit..." Zack muttered, "Angeal!"

Cloud had only vaguely felt Zack moving his top and heard the cry to Angeal, the blond only just realising how hard it was to keep his eyes open. As darkness once more encroached on his vision he was left to wonder if he had really been hurt that bad?...

Angeal had been in the computer room, feeling much better now that he had been able to end the malfunctioning simulation. When he saw Cloud fall to the floor in the adjoining room he had figured that the shock from the abrupt ending to the simulation had caused it, after all, the pain felt in the VR was also artificial, but when Zack's panicked voice had shouted he knew that something was wrong.

Entering the room quickly, Angeal went to his students side, only to be greeted with the horrible wound on Cloud's side and an upset Zack. Moving quickly Angeal inspected the wound, realising that the blond had at least one broken rib and severe lacerations. He wasted no time in quickly but gently lifting the blond up and holding him steady to reduce any pain as he left the room with Zack following close behind.

"What happened in there?" Angeal demanded firmly as they walked, heading towards the medical wing of the SOLDIER floor. He could tell that Zack was distressed at the situation and knew that the best way to handle it would be to keep him occupied.

"There was nothing inside... Cloud was on edge and then as we turned to leave there was guy there... a huge guy with a mace... He was fast, and that thing would have hit me, but Cloud stopped it. He stopped that thing with one hand Angeal!" Zack said, his voice shaky as he went off track.

"Zack. Concentrate." Angeal said sternly, trying to make sense of what his student was saying.

"Cloud told me I had to make it outside for the simulation to end... So I did, but he stayed to fight the guy..." Zack finished and lapsed into silence for a moment before another detail came to his mind, "The guy... He targeted Cloud from the start..." He muttered, "Even when I got in the way, he remained locked on Cloud."

This concerned Angeal a lot, but he had no time to ponder it as they reached the med station and he quickly called for the assistance he needed.

Both Angeal and Zack watched at the medical staff raced around as Cloud was placed on one of the medical beds and quickly wheeled away, muttering of 'Check for internal bleeding' and 'Crushed ribs' fading the further they got.

"He'll be fine Puppy." Angeal said softly as he rested an comforting hand on Zack's shoulder...

**Well that is chapter four. I hope you all enjoyed and thank you to everyone who reviewed :) **


	5. Pizza and A Kiss?

Cerulean blue eyes slowly forced themselves open to look at a white ceiling, spaced with currently dimmed florescent lights. The first thing Cloud felt was confusion; this wasn't his room in the cadet dorms... That confusion soon dimmed as an ache in Cloud's side made itself known and memories from the VR room soon followed.

He recalled fighting the man of Darkness and receiving a blow to the side from the mace, and the wave of relief that had flooded through him as the world and the enemy dissipated. The final and most comforting memory was the feel of Zack by his side, and he could only hope that Zack had sustained no injury during his escape.

Cloud looked around the small room, it was void of anyone except himself and he was glad for that; the fact that the Darkness had made a direct move against him took a heavy toll on Cloud's mind. He had hoped, despite everything, that he would at least be able to achieve some of his goals before it came to facing the seemingly unstoppable foe. It also worried Cloud to no end that Zack had been present during the attack and very nearly injured; Cloud thanked Gaia he had been able to move fast enough.

With a sigh Cloud had to resign himself to the fact that his raven-haired friend would most likely have questions regarding how he had moved and acted later on. Deciding that it was pointless to remain sitting in the hospital wing, Cloud sat up slowly, gauging the full extent of his injury with practised ease and deciding it was not that bad, especially when compared to past wounds, Cloud stood up and looked around the small room once more until he located the door that led to the attached bathroom and made his way over.

Once inside Cloud switched the light on and turned to the small mirror above the sink. The room was tiny and housed a closely packed shower and toilet along with the sink, it left very little room to move around but from what Cloud could guess these rooms were not built with the idea of people spending long, luxurious periods of time in them.

Cloud was shirtless with a long bandage running around a large part of his waist, the loose hospital pants being the only other thing he had on. Quickly locating the end of the bandage, Cloud worked quickly to unwrap it, wanting to fully examine his own wound for himself. As he got to the last few loops of the long, thin cloth he noticed dried crimson stains, and knew that there must have been blood, however when he removed the final wrapping of bandage he only revealed badly bruised but otherwise unblemished skin. Cloud frowned but let it slide, deciding to ask Zack later. A few expert prods told him that he did indeed have a few broken ribs but he knew that they would be basically fully healed in a few days thanks to the mako in his system. Leaving the bandages in the bathroom, Cloud went back out to the room and began searching around for his actual clothes so that he could leave. However a quick searched proved useless as he soon figured that there was nothing else in the room besides a small Shinra magazine and spare sheets in a draw by the bed.

Sitting down Cloud had to settle for waiting and hoping that someone would bring by some better attire soon.

Not to long later a hyperactive raven-haired man opened the door silently stuck his head through, grinning wildly when he saw Cloud sitting up.

"Spikey!" He exclaimed and bounded through the door, letting it close with a soft _thud_ behind him. Cloud looked up from where he had once more been lost in thought and allowed a small grin to show on his face.

"Hey Zack." He greeted, his quiet voice seeming to be a whisper when compared to Zack's loud greeting.

"How are you feeling buddy?" Zack asked, his voice more serious quite suddenly, the quick change only surprised Cloud for a moment as he, of all people, knew exactly how much Zack cared for his friends.

"Fine," Cloud answered, "It's just badly bruised."

A look of confusion ran over Zack's face at the words and Cloud watched his friends eyes drop down to his exposed side and focused on the skin.

"How...?" He asked moving closer.

Cloud figured then that the blood on the bandages had indeed been from the mace and he frowned. Sure mako healed quickly but it wouldn't even be fully healed yet let alone completely gone.

"Cloud, that was a serious wound... How could it just be... gone?" Zack asked, now standing right next to the blond.

"I don't know." Cloud replied silently as his mind quickly went over all the possibilities. Perhaps the Life Stream? No, it wouldn't have left any damage at all, and usually Cloud would be able to tell if he had come in contact with the Planet... "Could it be because of the VR room itself?" He asked.

"I... I'm not sure." Zack said with a small shrug.

The two fell into a pondering silence, each coming up with no sure answer for the strange outcome.

"Anyway," Zack said after a moment, swinging a small bag from his shoulder, "I brought you some clothes. Figured you wouldn't want to walk around in those."

"Thanks." Cloud took the bag gratefully and quickly opened it up and rummaged through the items Zack had brought along until he found a shirt.

"No worries Spikey." Zack replied with a grin, once more his carefree self.

Now that Zack wasn't looking at the bruised skin on Cloud's side, he found his eyes wandering slightly until they rested on a faint line on the blonds shoulder. He realised with a start that it was a scar, and from the size and shape it seemed to be from a blade of some kind.

The raven-haired man found himself reaching out before he could stop himself and his finger tips found themselves on the warm skin over the scar.

"What happened?" Zack blurted as bright blue eyes shot up to look at him as the blond froze. Slowly those blue eyes lowered to look at the area Zack was touching and he noticed the scar. Cloud frowned, he was so used to the scars that he had accumulated over the years that he had never even noticed that he shouldn't have them on his cadet body. Yet here it was; the thin scar he had earned from Sephiroth's Masamune when the silver haired demon had returned from the Life Stream during the Geostigma incident. _Why had the Planet left it there?..._ He wondered. Cloud realised then that Zack was still waiting for an answer.

"It was... Something that happened a long time ago..." Cloud hedged quietly, looking away from Zack. Silence filled the room as Cloud quickly pulled his shirt on, effectively covering his other scars that he hoped Zack hadn't seen as well as removing Zack's hand from the scar that brought back so many bitter memories.

Zack knew that Cloud wasn't going to tell him so he didn't press the subject, instead he decided that he needed to change the subject to break the silence.

"Anyway, still up for that pizza?" Zack asked cheerily.

Cloud looked up thankfully and nodded. He had always loved how Zack could turn any uncomfortable situation into a comfortable conversation. Also, right then pizza sounded strangely good.

XxXxX

A few hours later Cloud was finally permitted to leave, but only after putting up with the doctors poking and prodding at him as they tried to figure out how his side had healed the way it did. Apparently they had no more of a clue than Cloud and Zack did.

When they finally left the hospital wing Cloud decided that he would not be returning there, he would have easily been able to do all that the doctors did without all the foolish questions about how he felt or how bad the pain was.

"Well, welcome back to society Spikey." Zack joked with a grin.

"More like freedom..." Cloud muttered softly, earning a laugh from Zack. Zack had watched with growing amusement as Cloud attempted to remain civil around the medical staff. When the nurse first came in Cloud became quiet as he usually was around an unknown face but he had stayed open enough while Zack was still there, then the raven-haired man had watched as more people came in wondering over the wound and Cloud completely closed off, his face a mask, and speaking very little.

"Well, just think, now your out of there and you don't have to put up with classes for a week. Plus we can finally have that pizza!" Zack replied cheerily.

With a mental sigh Cloud had to agree to that, he knew that his ribs would likely be fine enough to train with by tomorrow, so as long as he didn't get caught by the wrong people he planned to do just that.

"Anyway, lets drop by yours so that you can change into some casual clothes instead of your uniform." Zack said and steered them towards the cadet dorms.

"Why?" Cloud asked, slightly confused.

"Pizza is not a military related activity." Zack replied in a mock command voice before laughing, "Common Spikey, you need to relax once in a while. Tonight there will be no stuffy Shinra uniforms."

Cloud looked over to Zack's smiling face and knew once more that he wouldn't be able to refuse the raven-haired man, but... there was also a little problem.

"Uh... I don't have any other clothes than my uniforms..." Cloud said with a frown. He hadn't bothered to get any other clothes than the uniforms that Shinra supplied. He hadn't found it necessary to do so.

"What?" Zack asked incredulously. "You mean you don't have _any_ casual clothes?"

Cloud nodded, suddenly wishing that he _had_ decided to grab a few sets of civilian clothes.

"Hmm... I might have something that will fit you." Zack said thoughtfully before grabbing Cloud's arm and pulling him towards the SOLDIER building instead. Cloud followed along feeling slightly uncomfortable with the situation.

As usual the SOLDIER building was buzzing with activity when Zack and Cloud walked in; there were administration personnel, third class SOLDIERs and even a few Turks walking around and going about their business. Most were used to seeing the blond cadet with Zack by now and no one so much as paused as the pair walked through the lobby and over to the elevator.

As the elevator rose Cloud realised that he had never been in Zack's room before, he wondered what it would look like... Probably a mess knowing Zack. Soon enough the elevator came to a stop and the two friends got off on a floor Cloud hadn't visited yet, he followed his raven-haired friend and they headed down a few corridors before stopping in front of a door at the end of one of the halls.

Zack opened the door and entered with Cloud.

"It's not much, but it's home." Zack said with a chuckle.

Cloud had known that SOLDIERs got their own rooms but he hadn't ever been in one. Zack's apartment was a moderate size with a kitchen area off to the side through a open door. The room they had walked into held a large two-seater lounge and T.V set into the wall. There were two other doors that Cloud assumed went to the bedroom and bathroom. It was a comfortable place with a welcoming atmosphere that Cloud figured was because of its owner.

"It's nice." He commented. Zack grinned and laughed.

"Thanks, I'll be right back." The raven-haired man said before disappearing through one of the doors, Cloud got a quick view of a messy room and smiled slightly to himself, it was certainly Zack's house.

Cloud moved over and sat on the lounge. He couldn't quite understand why Zack was so bent on what they had to wear, but he figured it was better to humour Zack. After all most of Cloud's teen years were a blur or memories filled with pain.

It was almost odd to be doing something that didn't involve swords and could be considered socialising; he had spent so long keeping his friends at arms length that it was strange to let someone closer to him without looking for ways to push them back.

Cloud knew that even if he let Zack in, he wouldn't be able to tell him everything... Things were to strange and dangerous, and the last thing Cloud needed was to lose this friendship for a second time.

Hearing the door open, Cloud looked up to see Zack walking over. He had changed out of the usual SOLDIER uniform and now wore khaki shorts and a figure hugging shirt. With a start Cloud also realised that he had never seen Zack without his uniform on...

The next thing the blond knew there was a bundle of clothing in his face and Zack's laughter going around the room. Pulling the clothing down so he could see, Cloud half-heartedly glared at Zack who was now holding his stomach laughing.

"Aww man Spikey! You didn't even see it coming." Zack said between laughs. Cloud mentally noted that the statement was true; he really _hadn't_ seen it coming... He'd been to busy looking at Zack out of uniform to have seen what he was carrying. "Heh... Go try them on, I'm pretty sure they will fit." Zack continued, not trying to contain his laughing.

Cloud got up and quickly moved into Zack's room. He could barely believe he had been so distracted that he hadn't even seen the clothes flying at him... He wondered vaguely if it was normal to get distracted while watching a friend like that...

With a sigh Cloud looked down at the clothes in his hands for the first time. There was a pair of jeans and a sleeveless black shirt. Getting changed, Cloud noticed that the familiar weight of First Sword was absent, and he wondered vaguely where his sword had ended up; he couldn't afford to lose it. Once changed Cloud was glad to notice that the clothes were a perfect fit for him and not to big as he had initially thought they'd be. He also wondered at the irony of just how similar this shirt was to his usual one that he had worn for the last few years, the only difference being that this one had no zip and the collar was not as high, all he needed now was his shoulder armour and the shoulder belt held on by the Fenrir pendant with the ring within its mouth.

Walking back out he found a now calm Zack sitting lazily on the lounge. Once again he found himself watching his friend as he sat completely relaxed, flicking slowly through different channels on the TV appearing to not have heard Cloud re-enter the room. Cloud found his eyes wandering over the body of his friend and seeing just how masculine and... beautiful he was.

Feeling eyes on him, Zack turned around to look behind him and his breath caught in his throat at what he saw. Cloud stood just inside the room, the jeans that he had been given hugging his legs and waist nicely, while the black shirt clung just right so that it showed the contours of Cloud's torso. Zack mentally made a note to encourage his friend to wear them more often... _But,_ Zack thought with a flicker of protectiveness, _only when around trustworthy people_. It was all to easy for the raven-haired man to see a variety of people looking at the blond cadet as though he was a piece of meat, and in that moment Zack wanted nothing more that to protect Cloud from the world, even though he knew all to well that the blond could look after himself.

"Hey." Zack greeted with a wide grin. "They fit alright then?"

Cloud nodded and made his way over to the lounge where he sat.

"Do you know where my sword is?" He asked, deciding to voice his earlier concerns.

"Yeah, Angeal's got it for you. He didn't want to leave it with someone else that might not give it back."

"Thanks." Cloud replied with a small smile. He trusted Angeal with his sword and knew that there would be no damage to the blade under his care.

"No worries Spikey." Zack said with a large grin.

A comfortable silence fell after that as the two simply enjoyed each others company. Zack had settled the TV on some news channel as he had obviously given up on finding something entertaining. Cloud sat back, enjoying the peace after the fuss in the hospital wing and the fight before that. His ribs were still quite sore, especially when he moved certain ways, but the pain was barely noticeable most of the time to him; something that he still bitterly put down to being caused by the many torturous hours under Hojo's care. After a while Cloud felt a curious gaze on him and turned to see a serious faced Zack watching him.

"What is it?" Cloud asked, already guessing what his friend wanted to ask, but not wanting to say anything eluding to it if he was wrong.

"Cloud..." At the use of his normal name instead of the usual nickname, Cloud knew that Zack really wanted answers, and that bothered him the most because he knew that many of his answers were likely to be lies, or part-truths at best. "What really happened in the VR room?"

As tempted as Cloud was to tell the truth about the Darkness and simply put the warning to his friend, he knew that in doing so he would have to explain too many things from future knowledge and that would be treading on dangerous grounds.

"I don't know, I thought it was a glitch in the system?" He answered quietly. Both men knew that the occurred was no mere glitch, and if anything that confirmed Zack's thoughts that there was something bigger happening than Cloud was letting on.

"Ok... Yeah, but... The way you acted... and spoke... and fought before I left... It wasn't anything like when we trained." Zack spoke slowly pausing often and seeming to gather his thoughts. "You looked more like Angeal or one of the Firsts'."

Cloud internally swore, he had hoped that Zack hadn't been there long enough to see much, but apparently his raven-haired friend had observed more than he thought. Cloud could only be slightly thankful for the closed in environment they had been in, it had been part of the reason that he been injured as he wasn't able to fight properly there, but it had also been what stopped Zack from seeing the full extent of his ability.

"It was probably just adrenaline and the fear of the moment." Cloud hedged quietly, "Plus it's not like I exactly beat him."

Zack still didn't look overly convinced.

"You seemed like you were doing pretty well when I left." The raven-haired man pointed out.

"My style of fighting is for wide open areas, not enclosed rooms." Cloud challenged gently, "It was pretty clear that unless I managed to blow the walls out, I was bound to get pinned sooner of later." He didn't bother mentioning that had he seen his mistake _before_ he made it, he would have quite easily rid the room of its walls, and ceiling for that matter.

"Pinned? I know he managed to hurt you but... I mean..." Zack faltered not sure how to correctly phrase what he wanted to say. Cloud sighed and proceeded to answer Zack's unspoken question.

"At one point I tried to jump away to get more room because the bastard had a physical damage barrier and I realised to late that I had managed to back myself into a wall... The guy was pretty quick to take the opportunity and got me with the mace." Zack winced slightly at that. "After that I couldn't get to my sword... he had be by the throat... I was lucky that it was then that the reality dissolved."

Cloud was sure that was the most he had spoken in a single go for a long time. He also felt better for being able to tell Zack at least one truth among the see of lies. Zack seemed to be thinking about what was said, but there still seemed to be something that was bothering him.

"Why did that guy..." Zack paused for a moment before plunging ahead anyway. "Why was that guy after you?"

Once again Cloud mentally cursed, both at the Darkness for stating their target so openly, and for just how observant Zack could be.

"I don't know..." Cloud said, guiltily looking away as he once again lied to his friend, especially when it was because if him that Zack had been in danger in the first place.

Zack saw the flash of guilt that ran through Cloud's eyes and for a moment felt a slight pang of hurt run through him that the blond wouldn't tell him the truth, but he quickly pushed it aside as he realised that if Cloud was actually displaying his feelings, even veiled as they were, he truly felt bad about it.

"Well, if anything else strange happens like that, promise me you'll tell me?" Zack said finally.

Cloud got the feeling that Zack was compromising what he wanted to know and what he probably knew Cloud wouldn't tell him. It was both endearing and concerning to the blond that Zack could read him so well, but he refused to entertain the thought of distancing himself from the raven-haired man. So finally Cloud nodded his agreement whilst he hoped that he wouldn't have to break that promise.

_Well... that's one less set of questions to worry about... _Cloud thought glumly, he knew that Angeal would have questions of his own and the tall First was less likely to let Cloud off with vague answers, and Cloud would need to face him soon, as he was not willing to go long without First Sword.

"Well then!" Zack said, once again his usual happy self. "How's about that pizza now?"

Cloud nodded with a small grin of his own and decided that he would never cease to be amazed by Zack's ability to change his moods, and therefore, the atmosphere around them in an instant.

Cloud watched as Zack made his way over to the table where he had placed his PHS earlier, then turned back to vaguely watch the TV as Zack ordered the pizza. He wondered if any of the civilians that worked for the pizza companies would actually have the nerve to go any further than the lobby of the SOLDIER building, but he quickly discounted the notion, as it was more likely that the pizza would be left at the front desk and brought up by either a free office worker or a third class.

Soon enough Zack was bounding over the back of the lounge to land next to Cloud.

"Shouldn't be too long." He said chuckling, "They tend to move pretty quickly when they realise the address is to the SOLDIER building."

Cloud nodded with a small grin, he wasn't surprised; most people usually went out of their way to ensure something is done when SOLDIER is involved.

"So..." Zack started with a cheeky grin that usually meant someone was going to find themselves part of a practical joke... Or worse. "Ever had a crush?"

Cloud looked at him like he was an alien for a moment; it was probably the last question he expected to be asked.

"Uh..." Cloud wasn't sure how or what to really answer. He had never really bothered with love, especially as he attempted to get his own mind back together. "Not really..."

"Aww, come on Spikey, everyone has a crush at one point in life." Zack pressed, knowing he had finally found something that had Cloud acting like a normal teenager.

"Well... maybe a few years ago..." Cloud said, running his had through is spikes in what Zack now knew to be the closest Cloud got to showing discomfort or embarrassment. "There was never much of a chance though..."

"Who was she?" Zack asked, glad for the chance to press the blond for more details about himself. Cloud had an annoying habit of worming his way out of questions about himself.

Cloud was a little bit more hesitant to answer any more questions... especially this one. Even though things were different now he was still cautious to delve into the memories of a past that had been buried for so long.

"It wasn't..." Cloud paused wondering if he should answer or not, but decided that he owed Zack a truthful answer. "It wasn't a she." He finished with more determination.

Zack instantly felt his hopes rise... Perhaps this could work out after all.

"What happened?" Zack asked, having to work to keep his excitement out of his voice. "I'm sure that if you told him-"

"He... passed away..." Cloud cut in quietly. He was glad that Zack had not been repulsed by the notion that he had preferred men, but it was hard to admit something like that when the person that you had lost was now sitting before you... Cloud quickly closed his mind off from the thoughts and pushed the memories back to where he had hidden them. There had been no chance then when Zack had liked Aerith, and there would be no chance now... He was just too broken to ever be someone's partner.

"Oh... I'm sorry to hear that." Zack said, wishing that he could take away the tinge of pain that flitted through the blonds eyes.

"It's fine... It was a long time ago." Cloud replied with a small smile, one of the ones that he reserved for Zack, and occasionally Angeal now as well.

"Cloud..." Zack called for the blonds attention softly, he didn't know what exactly he wanted to do, but he wanted to do something.

Cloud's incredibly blue eyes focused on him and not for the first time Zack felt like he was swimming in them; felt like he would be able to fall into them and lose himself forever.

Zack hadn't realised that he had been leaning towards Cloud, who seemed just as mesmerised as him, until a series of knocks sounded from the door and the two jumped apart to separate ends of the lounge and an awkward silence came over the room.

"I..uh... I better get that..." Zack said, stating the obvious while getting up to hide the blush coming over his cheeks. Had he been about to _kiss_ Cloud?

XxXxX

Not long later the two friends sat at the small table in the kitchen area with a steaming pizza between them. Neither had been too sure what the moment in the lounge may have led to, but both had come to a silent agreement to let it slide and now sat in a comfortable silence as they ate.

"Mmm, this is good." Zack said, grinning as he spoke with food his in mouth and bringing a small smile from Cloud who agreed with a quick nod and another large bite.

To Cloud it had been a long time since he had eaten anything remotely close to a pizza. After the devastation that Midgar had seen as he and his friends in AVALANCHE worked to bring Sephiroth down, there hadn't been many decent fast food places. Those that had eventually made their way back into the market later on had never caught Cloud's interest, something that he had come to regret when the Darkness began to take its toll on the Planet and her people.

In no time at all, the pizza box was empty and the two friends were sitting back in their chairs with full stomachs and in Zack's case, a customary grin.

"You know, I think they should have these in the canteen." Zack decided, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table.

"It would be preferable to the usual." Cloud agreed.

"Yep!... You know what? I can't wait for the holidays. It will be my first trip with Angeal that doesn't have to do with SOLDIER missions, and now my best friend gets to come as well!" Zack grinned at the idea, already being excited to be going to Costa.

"It should be good." Cloud agreed once more with a small smile of his own. The last time he had been in Costa the sea had been affected by the growing Darkness and had turned a sickly green and bore more monsters than was worth thinking about. It would be nice to see it as it once was again.

"Heh, just think; sun and surf! And we can party for real too." Zack's excitement was catchy and even Cloud found the idea of resting by the sea in the sun appealing.

"Do you think your ready for the SOLDIER exams?" Zack asked, moving from one subject to another with the natural ease that had been awarded to him since childhood.

"I hope so." Cloud answered. He knew that he could pass them easily but he also knew there would be complications, and he now to consider the possible idea that the Darkness would use the exam as another chance to attack him... And then if he passed he had the additional task of trying to avoid the mako treatments without raising suspicion. _Too many damn issues..._ Cloud thought bitterly.

"Heh. I'm sure you will pass them like they are nothing." Zack encouraged, "Angeal thinks so to."

Cloud smiled softly at that, the support was in stark contrast to the rejection he had faced the first time.

"Thanks Zack."

"For?..." The raven-haired man seemed confused at the gratitude, earning another small grin from the blond.

"For believing in me." Cloud answered softly. He had had the support of his friends during and after the Sephiroth incidents, but it felt... different with Zack somehow, like it was more intense.

"No worries Spikey."

Zack and Cloud spent the next hour or so simply talking at the table, neither really wanting to move, but eventually Cloud decided that it was time for him to leave; just because he had a week off classes didn't mean that Zack was free of his SOLDIER duties.

"Well, I had better head off." Cloud said as he stood up from the table.

"Thanks for coming along." Zack replied as he also stood, "We should do this more often."

"Sure." Cloud agreed softly with a nod. "I'll see you around."

There was a strange feeling that ran through Zack as he watched Cloud turn to leave; he felt like there was still something he really needed to do before the blond left...

He hadn't even realised that he had moved after the blond until he was half way to the door where Cloud stood with a small bag in hand that held his cadet clothing.

"Wait." Zack said, causing Cloud to turn around to see Zack standing just behind him looking nervous all of a sudden.

"What's wrong?" Cloud asked, slightly concerned at the strange look in his friends eyes. Zack once again met his gaze, and a feeling very similar to earlier spread through Cloud's body. Then he had felt like he just couldn't move, but it had been a good feeling, although he hadn't been able to identify it then and he still couldn't now.

When Zack stepped closer, closing the small distance between them Cloud's heart seemed to miss a beat and he couldn't tear his eyes away from the glowing orbs before him. Zack hands came up to rest on the door on either side of his head and soon Cloud felt soft lips against his own.

It was a tentative kiss, and at first Cloud wasn't sure how to respond but as Zack's warm body pressed lightly against his own, effectively trapping him between the raven-haired man and the door, Cloud found a heat he had long thought lost running through his veins, and he found his lips responding to the kiss.

The kiss lasted only a while longer before a need for air won out and both males pulled apart slightly. Cloud's mind was a whirlwind of questions and feelings and any attempt to calm the maelstrom failed while Zack was still so close. It had been soft and unsure, but deep and passionate all at once, leaving the two breathless but silently wanting more.

Zack watched the emotions play through Cloud's eyes and was sure that the same must be playing through his. He couldn't believe he had kissed Cloud, but he was beyond happy that he did.

Leaning in once again he placed another soft kiss against the lips of the blond before pulling away slowly.

"I... uh... Sorry?" Zack offered, feeling a blush crawling up his cheeks again. Cloud seemed to take a moment to process the words and Zack briefly felt proud at having accomplished the task of catching the blond off guard. Finally Cloud shook his head.

"It's fine." Was the soft, almost inaudible reply.

Zack released a breath that he hadn't realised he had been holding till then and grinned happily at the blond before removing his hands from the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow some time right?" Zack asked.

Cloud nodded the affirmative before slowly leaving whilst still struggling with his own thoughts. He barely registered it when he passed through the lobby of the SOLDIER building, now mostly empty with the late hour, nor did he pay much attention when he finally arrived back at the cadet dorms, only managing to find some semblance of coherent thought when he entered his room.

Razor was sitting up in bed and looked up as the blond entered the room, taking in the appealing clothing of his target with a well hidden, curious eye. He also noticed that Cloud lacked his usual sword and briefly entertained the thought of making his move then and there, but quickly decided against it. He already had a date set for when he would corner his target, so for now he would simply observe and continue to learn.

Cloud got ready for bed swiftly, hoping that with sleep maybe he could answer some of the thoughts running through his mind.

_I just kissed Zack..._ He thought in something close to wonder as he crawled under the bed sheets and switched off his lights...

**Chapter 5... I wonder what you will all think... I hope you enjoyed.**


	6. Cornered

_It was the same... The same suffocating darkness that bound his limbs and held tight through his thrashing. A part of Cloud's mind registered that this was a dream, that it couldn't be real, but it was the primal fear overrunning his mind that held the realisation at bay as he fought for freedom. Something was also different... This time his unseen foe felt stronger, even if only slightly._

_It felt like he was drowning in fear and darkness..._

_It felt like everything was closing in on him..._

"_Cloud..." The word seemed to come from far off, but it resonated with a power that chilled the struggling blond to the bone._

"_Cloud..." This time it was closer. A feeling of utter helplessness ran through Cloud, helplessness that was only amplified when images broke through the darkness; images of Nibelheim burning as he watched, of pain that that he couldn't fend off while under Hojo's 'care', of Zack laying in a pool of his own blood on the cliffs of Midgar, of Sephiroth's blade piercing through Aerith's chest..._

"_No..." Cloud mumbled weakly, earning no reply._

_Suddenly the images stopped and Cloud was left to sag weakly against the binds still holding him in this dark realm. The feeling abruptly changed to complete fear once more as Cloud sensed his unseen foe rushing towards him at an unimaginable speed, a faint drumming could be heard in the back ground as Cloud felt a presence press against his body from behind._

"_You are mine!"_

Cloud jerked awake with a startled gasp, he was frozen where he lay as beads of sweat rolleddown his face and neck. It had felt so real... More real than even his worst nightmare...

Bringing a shaky arm up to his face Cloud attempted to wipe away some of the sweat as he took in his surroundings. He was alone in the room, Razor having apparently already left judging by the neatly made bed and missing gear. There was soft sunlight streaming through the window above him, lighting the room with a warm glow.

Just as Cloud's heart began to regain its usual pattern a series of knocks on the door caused him to jump; sitting up like lighting he automatically went to grasp the handle of First Sword, only to find it wasn't there.

_Of course... Angeal has it..._ Cloud mentally chided himself as he slowly made his way off the bed and made his way over to the door, realising that the knocking must have been the drumming he had heard in the nightmare. Cloud briefly wondered why a simply knock on the door had put him on edge like this, but he decided that the recent attack and the even more recent nightmare were the cause.

Cloud opened the door only just enough to see who stood on the other side while at the same time making it harder for someone to force their way in. To the blond's surprise, Angeal stood on the other side with First Sword in hand.

"Angeal?" Cloud gave voice to his disbelief unintentionally, he was still too shaken up after his nightmare to really have a full control over his thoughts and actions. "Why are you here?"

Angeal merely raised an amused eyebrow before replying.

"I had some time and figured you would like this returned." Angeal replied motioning to the large sword in his hands. After he spoke Angeal actually really took notice of Cloud; the cadet was pale and a thin sheen of sweat still remained on his skin, his brilliant blue eyes looked slightly hazy while still fully alert and his posture was tense and battle ready as he stood behind a mostly closed door.

"May I come in?" Angeal inquired after a moment of receiving only silence from the blond. The question seemed to bring Cloud back from whatever thoughts he had been stuck in as he nodded and stepped aside, allowing the door to swing fully open.

Cloud watched the tall First enter and noticed how the bright mako eyes scanned the room, taking in the tousled appearance of Cloud's bed in the otherwise neat and orderly room. Cloud closed the door behind Angeal, he had a hunch that his guest wouldn't be leaving until he got some answers. Answers that Cloud, especially now, did not want to answer.

"Are you ok Cloud?" Angeal asked after a moment of watching the silent blond.

"Fine." Came the short reply. Cloud moved past Angeal to the cupboard at the back of the room, intending on finding something to wear. He heard, more than watched Angeal place First Sword against the wall near where he stood.

"There are a few things I would like answers to." Angeal spoke with a firmness that he would usually use when talking to Zack after the raven-haired man had been in trouble, his words also confirming Cloud's earlier thoughts.

"Now isn't really the time..." Cloud said softly, hoping to at very least delay the questioning. He had paused in grabbing a fresh shirt, only turning his head slightly towards Angeal as he spoke.

"I'm afraid I need answers now Cloud, what happened in there not only put you in danger, but Zack as well... I know that you know more than you are telling." Angeal kept his voice firm; he was determined to get the answers he wanted.

Cloud was surprised with the knowledge that Angeal's words held, they not only held knowledge of Cloud's unwillingness to talk, but also of what actually took place in the VR room.

"I-" Cloud was interrupted as Angeal spoke again.

"After whatever happened to the simulator I was able to access and watch the recordings with no problems... I have no idea how, or why, but I know that attack was intentional. I know it was aimed at you."

The simple, straight forward words cut into Cloud's mind like ice. This wasn't good. Angeal didn't understand what he was asking of Cloud; he couldn't understand the danger he would be in if he knew...

Quite suddenly Cloud felt like he was once more in his nightmare; struggling to find a way out, yet being trapped. He knew that he wouldn't be able to hedge his way around things like he did with Zack, yet he knew that there was no way for him to not answer, not without placing his whole position within Shinra in jeopardy.

Angeal waited silently for a moment while Cloud just stood, seemingly frozen. Angeal could learn nothing from what he could see of the cadet's face, it was a blank mask; emotionless and cold.

"What happened Cloud? Why were you attacked?" Angeal pressed, stepping closer in an attempt to see more of the blond's face and hopefully see _some_ form of emotion or reaction.

"There are things that you don't need to know." The reply was just as cold and flat as his face, something that Angeal decided that he didn't like after seeing Cloud relaxed and open around Zack. The answer also caused a faint anger to rise up in Angeal. This attack had been made as he watched with no way of helping or intervening; how was it not something he needed to know?

"Well this is one thing I do need to know." Angeal countered, keeping his voice even and firm despite his rising anger and confusion. This was a different Cloud from the one he was used to; this was a Cloud that seemed to be old for his age, to battle weary for his own body, and to secluded for any person.

"No it's not. You have no idea what you are asking." Cloud ground out, his voice now more harsh. The blond was struggling to think of a way to dissuade Angeal from asking questions, he knew that lying would get him no where as there was no way to adequately lie about the situation when Angeal had already figured out so much. Yet to tell him the truth would only cause more issues than he needed right now. The blond's mind felt like a maze; it was mixed with to many different thoughts and suppressed feelings that were making it hard to think straight.

Suddenly Cloud found himself turned around and pushed back against the wall, now face to face with an angry Angeal. Behind the piercing eyes in front of him Cloud could see emotions playing through the tall First's mind; frustration, confusion... and hurt? For the first time since Cloud had met him, Angeal seemed truly dangerous.

"I don't need to know what I am asking." Angeal's voice was still steady despite his emotions, but they still held a hint of danger, "My student and a cadet under my care were put in danger and I intend to find out why... I am not your enemy Cloud, neither is Zack... Do you truly not trust us?"

The simply question cut deep for Cloud. He could now understand why he had seen hurt in Angeal's eyes, those few words had explained it all. Cloud found that he couldn't look Angeal in the eye any longer and turned his face away, he knew that if he really wanted to he could probably push the older male off of him but he just felt too drained right now; both mentally and physically.

"Of course I trust you..." Cloud mumbled. What had happened to his cold, uncaring mask that he had always worn? How had such a short time in this time period cracked it this much?

"Then you need to tell me what is happening." Angeal insisted, placing a bit more pressure on Cloud's shoulders as he held him in place.

"I-" Cloud didn't know what to do, this was one of the reasons why he had separated himself from his friends for so long. His inability to allow others to assist him in his fights; the riving want to keep those he cared about out of harms way by keeping them at arms length. "I can't..."

Angeal could tell that Cloud was conflicted, even if he couldn't fathom why.

"Why not?"

"It..." Cloud sighed, "It would only place you and Zack in danger." Cloud admitted.

Cloud felt weak... The nightmare had left him rattled and despite all that was happening around him he could still feel the constricting bonds that had held him and he could still hear the voice that had called his name and chilled his bones. Added to the demands of Angeal right now and the want to just disappear to Aerith's church as he used to, he simply felt suffocated and he wanted to be alone.

Angeal had been shocked when the blond had finally given him an answer, for some reason he had been sure that he would have to keep pushing before getting Cloud to submit, he just hoped that he could get more answers than that.

"Zack has already been in danger..." Angeal pointed out softly, his anger draining quickly. Whatever Cloud knew, it was something that he was obviously trying to shoulder alone. "We can help, but only if you let us."

"It's not that simple..."

"Then explain it."

What could Cloud say? That the thing that had attacked him was a physical embodiment of Darkness? That he was from the future to try and prevent things from occurring as they did? No, he couldn't say anything like that; he would be labelled as crazy.

"I can't." Cloud replied, his own frustrations getting stronger as he felt more and more cornered. Why couldn't Angeal simply take the answer he had given and leave it at that?!

"You need to Cloud. If you want to protect Zack then you need to tell us what we are up against."

Cloud looked up sharply at the words, he knew that Angeal was using the only leverage he could possibly have over him then, but he could also see the point that was being made. With a sigh Cloud resigned himself to the fact that he wouldn't be left alone until he gave a few answers.

"They call it the Darkness..." He said softly. "It has many different forms and even more ways of controlling others. There is no true way to identify it until it chooses to show itself, so the only thing you can do is be ready at all times." Cloud finally trailed off, keeping his eyes trained on a spot on the floor instead of the man pinning him to the wall.

Angeal had listened to the words closely taking note of each thing said. After Cloud finished talking, Angeal released him and moved back, he was sure that the blond was still hiding things but the information he had been given would suffice. For now. At least he now had a name to the strange enemy.

"What ever this Darkness thing is... Why did it target you?"

"Because of the knowledge I have." Cloud answered softly, but his eyes hardened once more soon after, as did his voice. "That's all I'm telling you."

Angeal watched as Cloud moved over to the cupboard again and finished getting his clothes out. Angeal knew from Cloud's tense posture and the complete mask on his face that he would indeed get nothing else from the blond and decided that he had pushed enough for now.

Cloud heard Angeal leave silently and thanked Gaia that he the man hadn't pushed him further. Once alone Cloud allowed himself to fall down onto the bed, despite only just having woken up he felt exhausted. In the minutes that followed Cloud's anger at himself for speaking only grew, if anything, that information would only get Angeal targeted and likely killed...

It was during his own mental tirade against himself that he eventually slipped off to sleep once more...

XxXxX

Over the next few weeks things returned to a mostly normal routine. While Cloud still trained with Angeal and Zack he had made a point of also training by himself more often, especially with his new reluctance to use the VR room. Zack had seemed quite put off by Cloud's sudden separation and kept asking Cloud if it had been him that had caused it, presumably by the kiss; something that, although still unsure about, Cloud insisted was not the problem.

Thankfully Angeal had not tried getting more information out of Cloud, something that the blond was glad for after the trouble of the last one. It had taken him a few days to finally feel comfortable around the man again, something that he decided he would rather feel all the time.

Cloud hadn't had another serious nightmare since the morning Angeal had returned First Sword, something that Cloud was also thankful for, that one nightmare had left him hesitant to sleep for a good few days...

Cloud looked over to where Zack was sitting on the grass at the edge of the training ground that they often met at for training now, Angeal stood nearby and seemed to listening to Zack talk animatedly about something or rather. They had all arranged to meet here after Cloud got out of class for training, but Cloud realised with a frown that neither Zack nor Angeal had their weapons.

"Hey Spikey!" Zack greeted when Cloud got closer, Cloud nodded his greeting in return and gave the raven-haired man a small smile. While he was still conflicted about his feelings towards his friend, Cloud knew that he didn't regret the kiss they had shared, in fact a part of him would have liked another one...

"What's going on?" Cloud asked, knowing that the two would understand his question.

"We're not training this evening." Zack replied with a grin, earning a quizzical look from Cloud. "Well since you have finished all your classes, we are now officially on holidays and Angeal wants to head off for Costa tonight."

Cloud looked over to Angeal who nodded with a small grin of his own. This was the first Cloud had heard of the plans to go to Costa since they all spoke about it before the attack in the VR room, and although it was sudden Cloud decided that the idea of Costa was sounding better now than ever.

"Head over to your room and get packed; you won't need to much. I'll send the Puppy over to get you when we are ready." Angeal said as Zack stood up.

Cloud nodded and walked with Zack and Angeal until they needed to part ways, from there he made his way over to the cadet dorms feeling quite relaxed at he idea of getting away from the Shinra compound and all it's future issues. Maybe he would be able to make a few stops on his way back and call into Nibelheim?

The relaxed mood slowly evaporated the closer Cloud got to his room, but he couldn't identify why. Feeling on edge Cloud stopped before his door and looked up and down the corridor; there was no one but himself yet he could not shake the feeling he had. It was the same feeling he usually got when he senses an enemy in the area... Yet he couldn't find any possible threats.

Opening the door to his room slowly Cloud's eyes quickly scanned the area. Still no one. Stepping in cautiously Cloud kept his hand near First Swords hilt, he knew that there was someone or something here...

Stepping in further Cloud was not surprised when the door closed behind him. Spinning around and drawing his sword he was met with the sharp _clang_ of metal as First Sword collided with his attacker's.

"Not bad Strife." Cloud found himself looking into the obsidian eyes of a smirking Razor. The brown haired male before him reeked of Darkness, and somehow Cloud found that he wasn't surprised even if he had spent the last few months sharing a room with the boy.

"I knew you were trouble." Cloud's voice was steady and calm as he spoke. He was now confident that most of his strength had returned, and therefore barely moved when Razor placed more pressure of his blade using the unnatural powers that the Darkness gave him.

"Too bad you can't do anything about it." Razor replied, a sickly smile appearing on his face. "Oh how I have waited for this my dear prey."

Quickly pulling back Cloud once again brought his sword down against Razor's, and once again the blade was blocked. Trading a few more blows Cloud knew that this enemy would not be easy to over come and he also knew that he needed to get outside where he would have more room to adequately swing his large sword.

Cloud attacked with a sharp horizontal slash that Razor promptly blocked, but quickly transferring his hold on First Sword to one hand, Cloud sent his newly freed hand at Razor's face in a punch with bone shattering force. It connected.

Razor was flung back hitting the wall with a resounding _thud, _Cloud lost no time and quickly disconnected one of the smaller blades from First Sword, using the extra speed from the lighter weapon he cut a deep horizontal slash down Razor's torso, but the minion of Darkness quickly recovered and blocked Cloud's follow up attack.

Cloud watched as both the clearly broken jaw of Razor's and the deep cut instantly healed as they stood with swords locked together, the sound of the bones reconnecting themselves being the only other noise besides the breathing of the two fighters.

"What do you want?" Cloud hissed, he might not be one for talking but he hoped that he would be able to gain some insight as to what the Darkness was trying to achieve, "What are you planning?"

"Now, now there is no point in telling you." Razor replied smiling once again now that his jaw was fully healed, "You will find out eventually though."

The cryptic reply confused Cloud but he refused to let it slow him down; he would think about it later. Once more the two were exchanging blows, the room around them taking all the damage, yet neither was giving their all. Cloud was waiting for an opening to inflict some serious damage and also give him the chance to get outside, even if that meant busting though the wall. Razor seemed to be simply toying with the blond warrior.

A sudden harsh shove from Razor pushed Cloud a few steps back, and Cloud quickly reciprocated with his own series of quick slashes.

It was then that the door opened.

"Hey Spikey you ready to- What the?!" Cloud froze with his blade locked with Razor's as his eyes flicked to a stunned Zack who stood with the door part way open. Cloud saw the spark of triumph that went through Razor's eyes and caught the smirk that spread on those lips.

"Zack! Run!" Cloud yelled as he attempted a fatal thrust in hopes of ending whatever his enemy was planning, but the attempt missed as Razor moved with inhuman speed and he had no way of getting to his friend before the obsidian eyed enemy.

Cloud felt his blood run cold when Razor's thin blade placed itself against Zack's throat and he froze instantly. Razor had moved too quickly and Zack hadn't had the time to react before the enemy was behind him. Cloud cursed himself for not being able to move faster.

"Now, now. We can't have you running off on holiday can we Cloud?" Razor mocked as he applied just enough pressure on the blade to cause the skin on Zack's neck to break, but not enough to cause any major damage.

"Stop." Cloud demanded. Zack's eyes were narrowed in anger at his predicament but he showed no signs of fear, something that Cloud was proud of, but Cloud also knew that Razor wouldn't hesitate to go through with his silent threat. Razor knew that he knew it and simply smirked at him.

"Place your sword on the ground and step away from it." Razor said in triumph. "Now."

Cloud hesitated a second, his mind racing in an attempt to find a way out of this situation, but nothing came to him.

He was cornered and he knew it.

Slowly placing First Sword on the ground Cloud took two steps back keeping his hands in fists at his side; his own nails digging in with enough pressure that the skin broke and blood slowly ran between his fingers.

"Let him go." Cloud ground out.

"Hmmm, you know what? I could just so easily do what will be barely achieved by a whole army... I could end it now. " Razor said slyly, completely disregarding the blond's demand. Cloud tensed and felt his heart skip a beat. _I could just so easily do what will be barely achieved by a whole army_... He was talking about Zack being killed on the cliffs after they escaped from the labs... He was talking about _killing_ Zack right there.

"No." Cloud said letting his shoulders sag in defeat. He couldn't let that happen, and if it meant he died then so be it.

Razor walked forward, pushing Zack before him until they both stood just in front of Cloud.

"Good boy." Razor purred. In barely an instant he shoved Zack away, causing him to tumble over one of the beds, and he had a hold on Cloud; one arm twisted up behind his back while the sword was now pressed against the blond's throat.

"My master will be very happy to see you Cloud." Razor said next to his ear, his warm breath against Cloud's throat, sending a chill down Cloud's spine.

"Why don't you just kill me and get it over with?" Cloud asked bitterly, attempting to move his head away from Razor.

"Oh no, just imagine the things my master can achieve with Gaia's guardian at his disposal."

Those simple words chilled Cloud to the bone. He thought of struggling but the arm now pinned almost painfully behind his back kept him from moving much and the cold blade at his throat served as a stark reminder as well.

"Let him go." Cloud looked up to see Zack standing with First Sword in hand and glaring viciously at Razor.

"Zack!" Cloud barked, drawing bright mako eyes to him, "Get out of here... Find Angeal."

Zack looked torn, but in the end nodded and headed cautiously for the door, never once taking his eyes of the person holding Cloud.

He never made it out the door.

A large hand shot out from the other side of the door and grabbed the raven-haired man's throat and hefted him off the ground. Cloud instantly fought against the grip holding him then as he watched First Sword fall from Zack's hands as he fought to loosen the grip around his throat.

"No! Let him go!" Cloud yelled, his mind going into over drive as he ignored the biting pain of the sword digging into his throat as he pushed forward, feeling Razor's grip on him slipping.

"If you keep struggling he _will_ die." Razor hissed in his ear, knowing that he had to stop the blond's struggles.

The man holding Zack was the same as the one from the VR room, only this time he held no weapon. Cloud felt like his heart was being torn in two as he watched Zack struggle for breath under the man's incredibly strong grip, he had been there only weeks ago and knew exactly what his friend would be feeling now.

"Just let him go..." This time Cloud's voice had lost all bite to it; it was simply softly spoken words that could almost be interpreted as begging.

"I don't think so." Came the harsh reply, "This way we have utter control over you. You see, it didn't take a genius to see you cared for the boy, especially after the way you jumped to his protection in that reality chamber. You made it _so_ easy for us to find your weakness."

"Damn you..." Cloud growled.

Cloud watched helplessly as Zack's thrashing began to lessen as he ran out of air. Cloud wanted nothing else than to cleave the large man's head in half with First Sword right then, but Razor was right; Cloud wouldn't fight if it meant Zack got harmed because of it.

Time seemed almost suspended around Cloud and he felt hyper aware of all that was going on around him; he could feel the small dribble of his own blood slowly running down his throat from Razor's blade and his own struggles, he could feel the tainted heart beat of the man holding him against his back, and he swore he could hear the erratic pulse of his best friend.

It was then that a large sword came out of no where and impaled the large man from behind, causing the man to drop Zack in shock so that the raven-haired man fell to the ground gasping for breath. Glowing eyes looked down in disbelief to where the large sword pierced through his chest before the glow dimmed and went out, leaving the man to crumple on the spot.

Angeal withdrew his sword from the body, watching as the dead corpse turned black and crumbled into a pile of ashed before he focused his eyes on the next threat, pausing when he saw Cloud being held with a blade against his throat.

Razor was furious, Cloud could tell that much from the Darkness emanating from deep within the false-cadet's body. The grip on his wrist had tightened to painful proportions as it held Cloud's arm securely behind his back and the blade pressed deeper, allowing the small dribble of blood to grow to a small stream.

Right then though, Cloud couldn't have been happier; his own discomfort didn't matter, what mattered was the fact that Zack was now freed.

"Release him." Angeal said calmly, his eyes being the only thing to display his current anger.

"Like hell." Razor spat, his grip tightening even more, "I have worked too hard to obtain Gaia's guardian and my master will not accept me loosing him now."

Cloud vaguely registered that there would be some serious questions thrown his way later, but now he had other matters to deal with. Now that Zack was no longer in danger, Cloud had no objections to fighting back. Slamming the elbow of the arm that was not being held into Razor's ribs while wrapping one leg back around one of Razor's he pushed back with all his strength, sending the both of them to the ground roughly.

Cloud had to grit his teeth as he felt his shoulder dislocate as they landed, the angle Razor had been holding the limb at having been to far back to avoid damage. However Cloud's trick had the intended effect and Razor lost his grip allowing Cloud to roll under and away from the blade and its wielder.

Locating and snatching up First Sword one handed Cloud was quick to press his attack on Razor. He could feel the mako in his system racing through his veins and knew then that he had gained back everything he had lost when he made the transition to the past.

Despite his dislocated shoulder leaving him with only one hand, Cloud was now moving with renewed speed and strength as he rained blow after blow onto Razor, who struggled to merely block, dodge or deflect. It did not last long until Cloud managed to deal a serious blow to his enemies' shoulder.

With a final snarl in Cloud's direction Razor stepped back and literally melted into the shadows on the back wall.

"This is not the end Cloud Strife. My master _will_ have you." Were the final words that left the obsidian eyed enemies' mouth as he faded, Cloud's final blow from First Sword embedding itself into the wall seconds later.

The next few minutes were spent in tense silence as everyone waited to see if there would be any further attack, but the earlier feeling of danger was fading and Cloud knew that they were safe... for now.

Leaning First Sword on the wall next to him, Cloud began inspecting his shoulder and deciding that it wasn't to bad he gritted his teeth and used his other hand to push the joint back into place. Almost instantly he could feel the mako in his blood repairing any left over damage.

Turning around Cloud looked to his friends for the first time since Razor had left. Angeal was kneeling by Zack who was now breathing normally and Cloud sent a silent thanks to Gaia for his friends' safety. Despite how much the blond wanted to go over to his friends he decided it best not to, they had no doubt heard what had been said and he was unsure as to how they were going to react. Would they brand him a traitor? Would they report him to Shinra and have him locked up? Would he be handed over to someone like Hojo for experimentation?

Cloud shuddered at the thought.

Picking First Sword up once more, Cloud placed it on his back where the comforting weight acted as reassurance for him.

Finally Zack and Angeal looked up at him. Cloud was tempted to look away, but he held their gazes anyway. For a moment shock passed through both their faces and the blond was left wondering what they saw.

"Cloud... Your eyes..." Zack said quietly, "They are glowing."

Understanding filled Cloud; with his completely renewed power his eyes would once again become a beacon to display the mako running through is veins.

This time he did look away.

"That was the Darkness." Angeal's words were not a question, they were a statement.

"Yes." Cloud answered simply. He looked up to meet Angeal's eyes and was almost surprised to see no anger in them.

"You have some explaining to do." The tall First stated calmly. Cloud looked around the trashed room and gave a sigh.

"Not here."

Zack was looking confused but for once he held onto his questions, he was no fool despite how he often acted and he knew that whatever had happened had been something of a very serious nature. Hell, he had _never_ seen someone just melt into a shadow before.

Angeal was quiet for some time and Zack wondered if maybe his mentor was going to demand answers then and there, but to his surprise that was not the case.

"On the way to Costa then. This time I want the whole truth as well." Angeal said.

Cloud simply nodded, there would be no avoiding it now, not after the Darkness had marked Zack as his weakness.

It was going to be a long flight to a supposed holiday...

**A slightly more fast-paced chapter but I hope everyone enjoyed :) The next chapter should be interesting. **


	7. Explanations

The air craft was smooth in flight, but it did little to calm Cloud's nerves; he felt like the teenager he was meant be in this time period while under Angeal's even gaze and Zack's questioning eyes.

They had been quick to clean up Cloud's room before they left, not wanting to cause alarm if anyone went in there while they were absent. Cloud had spent the whole time trying to think how he was going to explain everything to his two companions, all the while keeping his face a careful mask to keep his thoughts solely to himself.

Cloud had noticed before they left that the tell-tale mako glow had dimmed to what could be mistaken as bright eyes, this revelation came with a gentle flush of feeling from the Planet and a whispered warning that in times of emotion, fear or panic they would resume the glow for a time.

"You have a lot to explain." Angeal said softly once they were safely in the air, his voice held no condemnation or anger as Cloud feared it might. The blond took a deep breath before focusing on the two men before him.

"What do you want to know first?" Cloud asked. He had deemed to let Angeal and Zack ask the questions as he had been unable to think of any plausible way to begin his explanations. He also hoped to avoid saying too much while still satisfying their curiosity this way.

"Why did your eyes glow?" Zack questioned, cutting off whatever Angeal had been about to say.

"Mako." Cloud answered simply.

"Woah... How? Why is the glow gone now? Why does it glow more blue that green?" Zack questioned rapidly, his natural curiosity coming out full force now that he knew they would get answers. Cloud was unsure as to just how much detail he wanted to go into to answer the questions as the memories attached to them were not the most pleasant. Cloud decided to answer the last question first.

"The glow is more blue due to a mixture of Life Stream and... other cells within my blood. As to why the glow is gone, it's most likely the doing of the Planet..." Cloud said, the last sentence coming out hesitantly.

"And how?" Zack prompted. Cloud sighed mentally.

"I... I spent around 4 years being experimented on..." The response brought a few of the more unpleasant memories to the forefront of Cloud's mind. "A large portion of that was spent in a mako tube..."

Shock ran through the faces of both Angeal and Zack at the blond's words, however Cloud's face remained an impassive mask and neither could tell what Cloud thought about the matter.

"When?" Angeal asked softly.

"A long time ago now..." Cloud hedged, not wanting to delve into the fact that he had already lived through this time period and was from a doomed future.

"How did you get the Life Stream in you?" Zack asked, hoping to move to less unpleasant topics and besides, it was something that had him curious.

"It was... A gift from the planet."

Silence filled the small cabin area as both mentor and student registered surprise; it was almost unheard of for anyone to receive anything from the Planet herself. It was then that something clicked in Angeal's mind as a look of uncertain understanding crossed his features.

"Gaia's Guardian... That is what the boy called you." The tall first muttered, earning a small nod from Cloud. Personally the blond didn't believe in the term; he had failed to save so many, even those closest to him, that he refused to accept it. He had been, and still was, too weak in his own opinion.

"Wow..." Zack breathed, for a moment looking like a star-struck puppy.

"There is hardly anything 'wow' about it..." Cloud said softly, self-condemnation clear in his voice. Once again an uncomfortable silence filled the air as Angeal and Zack thought about what they had learned.

"I don't understand though... Why are you at Shinra? Why pose as a lowly cadet?" Angeal asked, moving the conversation back on track. Cloud had to think for a while before answering.

"Shinra... Is the centre of a lot of... dangers. These dangers need to be prevented." Cloud looked away as he replied; these topics could lead to problematic questions.

"Dangers? Prevented?" Zack questioned, causing Cloud to curse mentally.

"There are things beginning to happen now that will cause... severe damage in the future." Cloud elaborated slowly, bringing his eyes to meet Zack's, "Many people will be killed, and many more hurt... It's these dangers that will lead to the Planet being harmed and weakened."

"How do you know this for certain?" Angeal asked, the tall First was unsure about the things he was hearing, but the knowing look in Cloud's eyes... It was almost surreal.

Cloud paused. Should he just lie and tell them the Planet had had told him? No. He didn't like, nor want to do that, but... how could he explain the truth to them so that they would understand?...

_Cloud... _The soft voice that floated through his mind was undoubtedly Aerith's. _Just listen to your heart and speak your mind. Everything will be, alright..._

The words, so similar to what she had said to him after the fight with Sephiroth and Geostigma gave him a new strength and courage to speak the words.

"I've seen it..." He spoke softly, his eyes meeting Angeal's, "...I've lived it."

"Lived it?" Zack echoed confused. Cloud could see the doubt within his two friend's eyes, he could see them trying to make sense of that he had said; trying to understand what he was saying and make it more possible.

"I can't really explain how... But I was sent from the... the future to change the mistakes of the past and stop things from happening as they did." It felt odd to say it aloud, and almost instantly he saw the doubt in Angeal and Zack's eyes turn to disbelief. He couldn't expect them to believe him that easily though could he?

"You asked why I 'pose' as a cadet?" Cloud continued, the question aimed at Angeal, but requiring no answer as the blond continued, "I was always a cadet; only the first time I was weak, both mentally and physically. Although I attempted the SOLDIER exam, I failed and became a simple infantryman."

Cloud could only hope that his words would ring true and convince them of what he claimed. He knew now that he would have to speak of things that related to them as well.

"Hojo..." He said, finally getting a reaction from the two, even if only recognition of the name, "It was him who... conducted the experiments on myself and-" Cloud cut himself off then as he had almost said _'and Zack...', _he quickly corrected himself before continuing, "And a friend." The words were bitter and filled with regret.

As Zack watched Cloud, he felt a sense of truth over come him; it was almost as though he should have known this all along, though he could not think of any reason as to why. Angeal was both surprised and not surprised at Cloud's words; he wouldn't have thought that Shinra's finest scientist would be connected with the blond cadet in anyway, yet he would never put it past Hojo to conduct such horrible experiments; the man was brilliant but twisted as well. However it was only after Cloud's next words that Angeal could no longer doubt what he said.

"Jenova..." The blond said softly, causing Angeal to tense, "That... Thing... Cannot be allowed to remain alive."

"How?... How do you know about that?" Angeal asked, watching the blond closely. There were very few who knew of the Jenova project, the tall First being one of them due to Hollander and the experiments done to him before birth. Cloud's gaze met him like a tone of bricks as Cloud's earlier words rang through his mind; _'a mixture of Life Stream and... other cells within my blood...'_

'Other cells...' He couldn't mean... Could he really?

"Jenova cells run through my veins in a more than usual proportion for SOLDIER." Cloud stated softly.

The small aircraft was suddenly silent as the weight of Cloud's words sunk in. Zack didn't know who Jenova was, but he rarely saw Angeal react as he did and therefore knew that the meaning had serious consequences.

"Why come back though? Couldn't these dangers be stopped then?" Angeal asked, stating indirectly that he now more or less believed the blond.

"They were stopped..." Cloud began slowly, "But the damage was done... Eventually the Planet grew to weak to fight off the biggest threat."

"This 'Darkness' that attacked you?" Zack queried, getting a nod from Cloud. But something was bothering the raven-haired man, "Ok... but if the Darkness didn't come until after all those things happened, why is it here now?"

Cloud seemed thoughtful for a moment before answering.

"I'm not sure, but I think that the future couldn't be fully erased from the past and that creatures or.. entities, like the Darkness, remained aware of what was, or is, meant to happen. Even if now it is much weaker."

"Weaker? That thing seemed pretty strong to me." Zack said in disbelief.

"It's only had a fraction of the power it will have if it is not stopped." Cloud elaborated seriously as he remembered the ruins of Edge and the mess of Costa...

"Ya know, it's hard to wrap your head around all this stuff." Zack muttered pulling a comical face as he shook his head.

Cloud was relieved that he had been able to convince his two companions with minimal explanation. He was still concerned that the knowledge may place them in more danger, but he also knew that they would be in even more trouble if they were left ignorant to what Cloud had to face.

"Well, it all explains why the Darkness is after you." Angeal admitted, "So, how do you plan on fighting it?"

"I don't really." Cloud replied, getting an odd look from Angeal. "We have been fighting it for a while before I came back here... Nothing we did had much of an effect on it and the weaker the Planet got, the stronger _it_ got." Cloud elaborated.

"Who is 'we'?" Angeal asked.

"A... Revised group of AVELANCHE."

"AVELANCHE?! As in the terrorist group?" Zack burst out. Cloud only shook his head.

"Not quite, the AVELANCHE of this time is different, the future members are still quite young and unaffected by the world." Cloud amended, deciding not to worry about explaining Vincent's situation.

Silence once again filled the small aircraft, the sound of the engine being the only background noise as Angeal and Zack thought about what they had been told. Cloud was grateful for the chance to not speak; it had been a long time since he had held such a long conversation, especially of such a delicate topic, and it was now something that the blond decided he didn't like very much. It was times like this that he missed Vincent's company, a reassuring but silent presence, or even Red XIII who would have been able to explain things much better than him. Cloud was brought out of his musings by another question.

"So who do you need to stop in Shinra?" Angeal asked.

Cloud thought for a moment and wondered if it would be a good idea to mention Sephiroth, even if he was still the sane, good General right now, he could also be counted as Angeal's friend and Cloud didn't like the idea of having to tell what horrors the man would cause if not stopped.

"Hojo." Cloud answered, deciding that it would be best to get rid of the twisted scientist considering so much of the damage that he needed to prevent originated for his experiments.

"Definitely Hojo."

XxXxX

After their conversation the majority of the trip was spent in companionable silence. Cloud took the opportunity to thoroughly clean First Sword, taking apart each blade and going over each one with great care.

Zack mostly spent his time watching Cloud, and decided that one day he would have a sword like the blond's and also deciding to get Cloud to show him how he fought with the separate blades.

Angeal spent the time going over everything he had heard since entering the plane, the tall First could still scarcely believe what he had been told, but Cloud's knowledge and the intensity of his eyes told him that it was indeed the truth. Angeal had a feeling that they hadn't been told everything yet, but he was sure that the blond was unaccustomed to speaking of such things at the best of times, so he was prepared to wait now that he at least understood what was happening around them.

It was hard for either Angeal or Zack to imagine that anyone would have to go through so many things only to be taken back to the start and Angeal had to wonder if he would have stayed as calm as Cloud had when he had woken up back in the forests of Wutai, but what Cloud had told them definitely explained a few things from then as well.

_'I'm sorry...' _The near silent words whispered through Angeal's mind as he pondered on the actions Cloud had taken those first few days. He recalled the pained look Cloud had given Zack to accompany those soft words and he suddenly wondered something that made his blood run cold.

"Cloud?" He asked, getting a a quick look of acknowledgement from the blond as he cleaned. "You mentioned that there had been a friend that was experimented on with you."

At Angeal's words Cloud faltered slightly in his cleaning but he refused to look up this time as he waited for the tall First to continue.

"What was his name?" Angeal asked finally.

This time Cloud's movements stopped completely. Cloud could feel Zack's curious gaze on him and he suddenly felt like he was under a large spot light while trying to hide in the dark. Where had these questions come from? Cloud cast a quick glance over to Zack but otherwise kept his eyes on the blade in his hands.

"It doesn't matter..." Cloud muttered, his voice distant but not necessarily unfriendly. Just wary. Angeal felt his hunch grow stronger, but still he silently wished for himself to be wrong.

"Did he escape with you?" Angeal asked, "Or were both of you released?" The tall First doubted the latter but asked anyway.

Cloud made a small humourless sound in his throat at the idea of being released by Hojo... Oh how many times had he hoped to be either set free or killed when he was strapped to the cold hard table after being pulled from the mako tube?... It had been almost a blessing to fade into the blissful oblivion of mako addiction.

"It was because of him that we ever escaped." Cloud answered warily.

"What happened after you escaped?" Angeal asked, slightly relieved by the prospect that they had both escaped but still concerned slightly. Hopefully his hunch was wrong.

"It doesn't matter." Cloud hedged once more. Those were memories he would not recall now, even if Zack sat across from him alive and well.

Angeal looked as though he was about to ask something further when the pilot's voice came over the intercom to announce that they were landing in Costa Del Sol. Cloud wasted no time in assembling First Sword and grabbing his small bag as the plane landed. Angeal and Zack also gathered their stuff before they all stepped off the plane.

Cloud looked around as he came out of the air craft and paused, it had been so long since Costa had looked like this for him. The pristine beach and crystal clear blue waters had never looked better.

"What's the hold up Spiky?" Zack asked stepping up behind Cloud and looking over his shoulder.

"Nothing." Cloud replied, finally shifting his eyes from the sights. He began walking with Zack, following Angeal to their hotel.

"Does it still look this good in the future?" Zack asked, still finding the prospect of Cloud really being from the future quite weird. Cloud shook his head sadly.

"No where near... Costa fell to the Darkness soon after Edge." Cloud said.

"Edge?" Zack echoed in confusion.

"Sorry; Midgar." Cloud corrected, not really wanting to explain the difference.

"Hmmm ok then... You know, I still don't get what this 'Darkness' actually is."

"None of us really know." Cloud replied, "A friend once said that it could be the opposite, or mirror, to the Life Stream though."

"Huh?" Cloud almost smiled at the comical expression on Zack's face that accompanied his very articulate question.

"A friend thought that the two are meant to exist in balance, but then the Life Stream was weakened after everything that happened, the Darkness fed upon that weakness and grew stronger. Throwing off the balance." Cloud explained as best he could as he recalled Vincent's quiet words during one of their many meetings regarding the growing threat.

"Hmm, it makes sense I guess. But... Why is it after you exactly?"

"I don't know."

"Was it after you before you came back here?" Zack asked curiously. Cloud shook his head.

"Not that I ever realised, it just seemed to be trying to kill all of us." Cloud answered.

"Ok then... Anyway..." Zack dragged the last word out to last several seconds as a mischievous grin spread over his face. "Race ya!" The raven-haired man yelled as he suddenly leapt into a sprint, soon racing past Angeal who had been listening to the conversation quietly. Cloud smiled slightly, shaking his head before following after his friend, leaving Angeal to walk by himself with an amused smile.

When the tall First arrived at the beach front hotel he found a puffing Zack and smirking Cloud standing just outside the door. The blond seemed surprisingly unaffected by the long run.

"How... How the heck did you _do_ that?" Zack asked between breaths.

"Do what?" Angeal asked as he walked over.

"He beat me!" Zack exclaimed indignantly, "And he's not even puffed!"

Cloud chuckled slightly at his friends antics, his previous worries melting away for the moment. Angeal raised an eyebrow at the blond, who simply shrugged.

"It wasn't much really." Cloud said, earning a challenging glare from Zack.

"You just wait Spiky, I'll beat you next time!"

With a short laugh Angeal moved inside and up to the front desk where he promptly got the keys to their rooms.

Zack and Cloud followed Angeal upstairs to the top floor where they quickly moved to the rooms Angeal had gotten them.

"You two have the room on the left." Angeal said, tossing Zack the key to the room before unlocking his own room and heading in.

Zack unlocked the door to their room and the two friends went in. The room was huge and well furnished with a large TV inbuilt into the wall, several couches that looked like they were covered in some very expensive material that was a shimmering black colour, a large kitchen area with a black marble bench and bleach wood cabinets. The carpet beneath their feet was a brilliant red and so soft that it felt like they were walking on clouds and the curtains on either side of a large sliding door that led to a balcony over looking the ocean were a deep burgundy red at the bottom that slowly melded to the same shimmering black as the couches at he top. There were two doors on the left side of the room and one on the right.

Zack whistled lowly as he looked around.

"'Geal must have paid like a tone for these rooms." The raven-haired man said as he walked in.

Cloud made his way over to the further of the two doors on the left side of the room and looked in, the room was the same black and red colour scheme but it held a large four-coaster bed with blood red silk sheets and a black duvet. There was another large window on the wall to the right that also looked out over the ocean.

"Damn." Zack said from behind him, "This place is sweet. The other room is the same but without the window."

Cloud walked in, placing First Sword on the wall near the door and dropping his bag at the bottom of the bed.

"It will be a comfortable stay at ve-" Cloud was cut off as he had been turning around to talk to Zack who had snuck up behind him and tackled him the moment he had turned around, knocking him onto the bed.

Cloud looked up at Zack who was currently straddling his waist with a confused and slightly amused expression. Zack was grinning down at him like a wolf who had just caught his prey.

"Who said you get the room with the window." Zack growled playfully.

"I was in here first." Cloud replied simply with a shrug.

"What if I want it?" Zack challenged.

Cloud smirked and with a quick movement he reversed their positions so that Zack was the one pinned.

"Hey!" Zack protested. Earning another small smirk from Cloud.

"I win." The blond said simply.

"Fine. Fine." Zack muttered, still grinning.

With a nod Cloud went to climb off but only made it halfway before arms circled his waist and he was pulled back down and rolled over so he was pinned on his stomach. Zack laughed as he lay atop the blond, this time holding Cloud's hands on either side of him to prevent the blond from escaping.

"Gotcha!" He said, his voice and breath whispering over Cloud's ear. "Even if you get the room I still get pay back for you beating me to the hotel."

Cloud felt a pleasant shiver run down his spine, but he ignored it, deciding to continue teasing the raven-haired man.

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Cloud asked raising an eyebrow.

Zack smirked, moving quickly as he once again rolled the blond over to lay on his back, straddling his waist and keeping his hands contained by holding them above Cloud's head.

"Like this." He purred before quickly bringing his lips down to press against Cloud's in a soft kiss. To Zack it had felt like a life time ago that he had cornered the blond at his place, and after seeing that freaky cadet that had been sharing a room with Cloud for months, hold a blade to the blond's throat because of him... Zack had never been so mad, yet at the same time he had never felt as strongly for his friend. After hearing all that Cloud had been through on the plane, Zack had been determined to show the blond just how much he meant to him.

Finally breaking the kiss due to a lack of air, Zack looked down at Cloud. The beautiful pale skin was slightly reddened with a blush and Cloud's eyes were shinning like stars with emotion that was usually kept hidden, both of them were breathing heavily and Zack knew it had more to do with the what they had done than any lack of air. Zack grinned before going in for a second kiss.

Cloud felt like he was on fire. He had never been so aware of the way a person was touching him before, but each point where Zack made contact with him sent small fires through his nerves and he was sure he was blushing because of the heat on his face.

When Zack came down for another kiss, Cloud met him halfway. He might not be very experienced in intimacy but Zack managed to break all of his mental walls down without even knowing it and although he had barely even allowed himself to think about it, he realised then just how much he had craved this since the last time. When Cloud felt a tentative tongue run along his lower lip he acted more on instinct by parting his lips and allowing the raven-haired man entrance. Cloud almost moaned against Zack's mouth as the other explored his mouth but managed to keep it in. Cloud tried to pull his hands free, wanting to run his hands through the hair that hung around him but Zack only held tighter and deepened the kiss further making Cloud's back arch slightly as he desperately tried to hold in another moan.

All to soon Zack pulled back, looking down at a flustered Cloud in triumph. He released one of Cloud's hands and brought his own to run up Cloud's jaw line with a feather light touch.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep control when you act like that?" Zack asked softly between breaths. Cloud could only look at him and shake his head, causing Zack to grin.

"It is _very_ difficult." Zack replied before moving off Cloud slowly. Zack didn't want to take things too far now, it was just too soon in his opinion but as he had just told Cloud, it was very difficult to continue thinking straight when the person beneath you was nearly writhing at your touch... It would have been only too easy to go further.

Deciding to go take a cold shower and fix up a few problems Zack left the room with only a small teasing smile at Cloud who was still lying on the bed breathless.

As soon as Zack was gone Cloud groaned, he was aroused now and couldn't think straight.

"Dammit." Cloud cursed silently, "Do you have any idea what you actually do to me?" He asked the question to no one in particular and expected no response. He had never met anyone who could make his react like that the first time around. He had once thought that Tifa was the one for him but by the time he remembered who he actually was after getting the second round of mako addiction it had become clear that he would only ever love her as a sister. Now, within only a few months, Zack was driving him wild! How did the raven-haired man manage to bring down all the walls he had built around his mind for years? Yet Cloud also knew that he wanted this; he had always admired Zack and may have had a crush of types on him before Hojo, but all those had been torn away from him on the cliffs near Midgar and now things were happening so differently... Was this the consequences of him simply being there and meeting Zack before all the trouble had started? Cloud was left there to ponder this for quite a while...

**I apologise that it took so long to get this out when I had expected to have it out weeks ago. Life just decided to get increasingly busy for me though and I haven't been very well. I hope it was ok.**


	8. Flames Will Rise

Cloud woke before dawn on the second day of their holiday. The room was dark but Cloud's eyes quickly adjusted as he glanced around the unfamiliar room. He hadn't slept much that night; his mind going over the previous afternoon with Zack like a broken record.

Cloud had been left wondering if there had ever been anything between them like that the first time... If there ever had been, it was among those memories that he had lost or, more likely, it hadn't happened...

If Zack had lived that fateful day on the cliffs would that have changed?

With a sigh Cloud abandoned the idea of sleep and pulled himself out of bed, he made his way over to the door that led out onto the balcony. Stepping outside had the desired effect as the fresh pre-dawn air chased away the last vestiges of tiredness as the cold air hit the exposed skin of his chest like a ghostly embrace.

Cloud looked out over the darkened beach and for a moment he saw Costa as it had been the last time he had been here with sickening creatures pulling themselves from the waves and chasing the horrified people, hunting them down one by one where they would-

Quickly pushing the thoughts and images down with an almost violent shake of his head Cloud forced himself to see the world as it currently was; a quiet, peaceful, darkened beach with the low moon sending a long line of reflection over the softly churning water.

Releasing a white knuckled grip on the banister that he hadn't realised he was holding, Cloud took a moment longer to make up his mind before vaulting over the banister and jumping the four stories to the soft sand below.

Once down Cloud took off at a steady run, letting the cold air rush through his hair and cool his warm face as he ran down the beach. As he ran more memories invaded his mind, memories of when AVALANCHE, himself included, had rushed to Costa in hopes of saving as many people as they could once they learned of the Darkness' presence there. They dreaded letting the same thing that happened to Edge, happen to Costa as well. They had already learnt from their experiences in Edge that no one would be spared if the evacuation was not quick enough.

Eventually Cloud's run slowed to a jog before coming to a complete stop on the waters edge, his gaze turned blankly out over the ocean as the first rays of morning sunlight crept over the horizon... It was several hours later that Zack and Angeal found him there, still standing in the same position as he battled a war that no one but him could see.

Zack had been concerned when he had gone to Cloud's room to find it empty and had gone to Angeal not long after, the two had then gone in search of their missing companion, both slightly apprehensive about the blond's disappearance after the attack in the cadet dorms...

Both men had been surprised to find Cloud standing on the shore a few miles from the hotel, wearing nothing but loose pants.

"Cloud?" Zack called softly, approaching the blond slowly.

"We couldn't save them..." Cloud muttered softly, his voice almost inaudible, his tone blank of all emotion as his eyes stared off at a world neither Zack or Angeal could see with hidden sorrow.

"Who?" Zack asked after a pause, realising just how rare it was for Cloud to mention much about his personal past. How tormented _was_ he to be driven to such a state?

"All the people here." Cloud answered, his voice remaining the same soft, blank tone. His mind was both in the present and the past; he was conscious of what he was saying while the images raced like a slide show on repeat under his eyes. "We came to save them... To get them away from the Darkness..."

Cloud went quiet for a while after that, leaving Zack and Angeal to wonder if the blond would continue or not.

"Of the while population," Cloud continued, so quiet now that both men had to move closer to hear him, "we managed to save maybe... 20 people." He finished.

Zack looked like he had been slapped as he thought of all the people, all the families that lived in the area, and all the visitors that Costa had at any time of the year. If what Cloud said was true...

"Damn..." Zack muttered softly, understanding for Cloud's haunted look washing over him like rain. Zack didn't even want to think about how he would feel in Cloud's position, how he would feel if he could only save a handful of a whole thriving cities population.

"Then you just need to stop it from happening again." Angeal said, his tone gentle yet firm as he laid a comforting hand on Cloud's shoulder. "You said you were here to change things; so change them. Do not squander your time dwelling on things that have not yet come to pass."

Angeal's words brought Cloud back from his memories, his eyes clearing of that far off look and a moment later Cloud's startling cerulean eyes met Angeal's mako eyes and the blond nodded once with renewed determination and gratitude.

Zack grinned widely before promptly tackling an unsuspecting blond to the ground.

"And no more sudden disappearances Spikey!" Zack growled. Cloud put his hands up in a shadow of surrender.

"Ok, ok." Cloud conceded. Zack nodded, content with the answer he got, and climbed off Cloud and helped him up with a grin.

Angeal once more looked on with amusement, the tall First had a pretty good idea of Zack's feelings for the blond and although he had been wary at first, he now found that he couldn't blame his raven-haired student. The blond had a quiet way of drawing people in, even when Cloud so obviously attempted to keep people at arms length. With possibly the exception of Zack.

"Come on you two, let's head back." Angeal said after a moment of silence. He had seen the look that went between them and figured that they better start walking now. That and Cloud needed a shirt.

XxXxX

Not much later the three companions stood outside their hotel. The lobby was bustling with activity as people of all status and occupation rushed about their morning routines. Cloud was now properly dressed and had First Sword slung comfortably across his back. As he watched the people moving about he was once again struck with the determination to prevent the tragedies of the past... or rather; future.

The three decided, with heavy persuasion from Zack, that they would head down to the beach although at a more secluded spot. In the end it was Cloud to come up with a good place to go that was away from the busy hustle of Costa's centre. The blond led them to a small cove a few miles from the city, something he had stumbled upon during an out-of-the-way delivery that took him past the area.

The cove had become a safe-haven for the members of AVALANCHE during tough times after that. The cove was a large, bowel shaped area that had two headlands that ran a fair way out to sea. The entrance was through a small fissure in the surrounding rocks that formed the majority of the bowel shape and was therefore easily defensible if need be as it was difficult to enter the cove without the fissure which took a minimum of people to guard. The headlands also made it difficult to enter from the sea side and therefore made the area the ideal safe-haven if need be.

They had needed to abandon the area when the Darkness struck Costa though, the cove left them wide open from attack from the sea, something that none of AVALANCHE was willing to test. Cloud could still remember the horrid creatures that clawed their way from the water at the beaches in Costa itself.

Shaking the images away resolutely, Cloud focused his eyes on the glittering scene before him; the cove was brilliantly bright in the midday sun, the water sparkling as though littered with priceless jewels and the sand looked like someone had sprinkled the ground with ground-up gold.

"Wow Spikey, how'd you come by this place?" Zack asked, his eyes alight with an almost child-like excitement.

"I more or less stumbled upon it once when I was in the area." Cloud replied with a small shrug as they made their way over to a small copse of trees for shade.

"I'm surprised none of the locals come here." Angeal commented. Cloud shook his head.

"Most avoid it due to the monsters they believe are here, others believe some old tale about pirates." Cloud elaborated, remembering his own investigation on the topic.

"Seriously? Pirates?" Zack asked rhetorically with a chuckle.

"It's not as crazy as it sounds Zack." Cloud rebuked lightly. "They used to be common in the area, though as far as I know they haven't been around here in a while."

Angeal nodded in confirmation of Cloud's words and Zack found himself studying the beach with bright eyes.

"Any treasure?" The raven-haired man asked, completely serious. Cloud thought back to his few explorations of the beach. Finally he shrugged and gave Zack a small grin.

"You'll have to look for yourself. I'm not sure I remember." He teased.

Zack adopted a mock-wounded look.

"What?! You're not going to help?" He asked with a pout. Cloud only chuckled slightly and promptly took a seat underneath the nearest tree. Angeal could only laugh when Zack pouted harder and turned up the wounded puppy look full dial. When Cloud didn't move Zack decided to take a different tactic and attempted to jump on the blond with a loud whine of;

"Spike!"

Cloud had watched several emotions and thoughts pass through Zack's eyes; most of them mischievous, and had therefore expected the jump and easy rolled to the side the moment the raven-haired man's feet left he ground and watched in amusement as Zack crashed to the ground with a muffled _thump_. The blond couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped his lips as the raven-haired man looked up like a startled puppy, his face covered in a fine layer of sand.

When Zack's mako eyes met Cloud's Zack smiled a wide, troublemaking, grin that left Cloud wondering what was so funny. That wonder abruptly faded as he sensed, more than heard, a presence behind him and tried unsuccessfully, to move away. He soon found himself off the ground and heading towards the water with the sound of Zack's laughter following behind.

Cloud attempted to twist away, but the arms around him were like iron and before he could put any real effort into escaping, Cloud found himself soaring through the air for a long second before he hit the water with a splash and flurry of bubbles, sword and all.

He came up a few seconds later to see Zack laughing so hard he was clutching his stomach and Angeal standing by the waters edge with his hands on his hips smirking triumphantly. Cloud glared at them as he dragged himself from the water, steams of water running from his soaked clothes and hair. Cloud had not been expecting Angeal to try anything and therefore had not bothered to guard against the tall First.

"Oh man Spikey! You should have seen your face!"

Cloud just glared half-heartedly at his raven-haired friend before unstrapping a now soaking First Sword and planting it, tip down, into the sand before launching himself at a run towards Zack, who squeaked in a way he normally would never allow, before turning sharply and sprinting the opposite way down the beach.

Angeal took a seat on the sand and watched as Cloud caught up with Zack a ways down the beach and hauled him into the water despite how unlikely it looked given the blond's stature. Angeal had been surprised once again by the strength of Cloud; the tall First had needed to use nearly all his strength to simply hold the blond in place, and he doubted that Cloud had used much effort to escape in the few seconds it took to get to the waters edge.

The sight of the two boys in the water brought a fond smile to Angeal's face, after that mornings hardships he had come to further respect Cloud's state of mind. Even if the blond was technically older than he appeared, Angeal could not bring himself to view him in such a way, and he also believed that _no one_, no matter how old, should have to face the experiences that Cloud had revealed so far. _Also, _Angeal thought as he remembered his earlier thoughts on who Cloud's 'friend' was, _I doubt he has told us everything yet either..._

The water was warm around him and as Cloud waded with Zack he tried to remember ever being in water like this without being in some dire need of something. He couldn't recall anything. If he had ever swam for the sake of swimming it was lost to him. He wondered vaguely how he even knew how to swim, but he soon discarded the thought as Zack splashed a large amount of salty water into his face with a triumphant exclamation.

Cloud brought a hand up and wiped it down his face, clearing his eyes of the water in the process. Zack laughed when Cloud's blue eyes focused on him with a glare and was only half-surprised when he found himself underwater with Cloud's hand on his head. A moment later the hand was gone and Zack came up laughing.

"You know what Spikey? I think this is the most relaxed I've seen you yet." Zack commented, though he noted mentally that the blond still seemed battle ready. His muscles were still tenses enough to notice if you knew what to look for. His observations of Cloud's body brought up the fact that Cloud looked highly enticing while soaking wet; his hair somehow remained gravity-defying while still dripping water onto the blond's face, where the drop of water trailed down a sharp jaw line, down a slim throat, run over a defined collar bone and finally disappear under a soaked shirt...

"It's you..." Cloud replied softly, bringing Zack out of his observations.

"Huh?" Zack asked in confusion, having lost his train of thought... What was him?

"You've always been a... calming person." Cloud admitted, his face turned away from Zack so that his eyes were hidden from view.

The raven-haired man was surprised by the admission, having been used to the blond's stoic nature and reluctance to discuss personal topics. An awkward silence filled the air for a moment before Zack jumped at Cloud and pulled him into a half-hug.

"Aww, Spike! Thanks!" Zack said, keeping the mood light and easy going even though he felt his heart swell with joy at the simple words.

It was then that a large shape bubbled under the water nearby and Cloud was instantly alert and had positioned himself in front of Zack almost instantly, he was halfway through reaching for his sword before he realised that it was still on the beach and he mentally cursed himself.

Cloud watched a scaled head slowly rise up from the water and waited for the red eyes that would likely identify the creature as one of Darnkess' followers.

Only, they didn't.

Instead of glowing red eyes, simple black ones rose out of the water as the normal, low-levelled monster came up. In that moment Cloud could have laughed as he watched the reptilian creature stand over them.

"Uh, Spikey, those are kinda poisonous." Zack said from behind Cloud, sounding almost nervous as he remembered Cloud saying that most locals avoid the area due to monsters.

Cloud responded by moving quickly and sending a harsh punch into the creatures middle, sending it flying backwards several meters before splashing back into the water, where it slowly skulked away after recovering from the shock of the hit.

_That,_ Cloud realised with some satisfaction, _was the first non-Darkness controlled monster I have faced in... years, outside the VR room..._

"Talk about packing a punch." Zack muttered happily, Cloud sent him a small smirk, feeling quite content after the monster for reasons he couldn't identify further that relief and a sense of nostalgia.

XxXxX

That evening, Angeal, Zack and Cloud were walking through the sprawling streets of Costa as party-goers moved from club to club or families took sleepy children home after a long day out. The three had spent the rest of the afternoon at the cove and Zack had even succeeded in finding some treasure after Cloud made a few very subtle suggestions on where to search.

"Oh man! I am so stuffed!" Zack said while stretching and rubbing his stomach. They had just finished a large meal at one of the better restaurants in town.

"Now _that_ is a rarity." Angeal muttered, earning an indignant exclamation from Zack. Angeal chuckled in response and they continued walking.

"So what are you doing for the night?" Zack asked Angeal soon after.

"I was thinking of going for a drink." Angeal replied thoughtfully, seeming to not have fully decided yet.

"Spikey?"

"I think I'll just head back to the room." Cloud replied. He wasn't necessarily tired, but he was looking forward to the peace and quiet of the hotel room after the noise and bustle of people at the restaurant. Zack seemed thoughtful for a moment before speaking again.

"I think I'll go get a quick drink then join you, want anything?"

"No thanks."

The raven-haired man smiled and nodded, he was already planning on cornering the blond later. After the previous night he had found himself wanting more...

Not too long later the group split up to go to their respective venues; Angeal and Zack heading towards a nearby club that still had respectable service this time of night, and Cloud heading towards the hotel. Cloud pondered for a moment if Angeal would actually let Zack have any alcohol, after all the substance would do very little with the mako in Zack's blood.

Shaking the strange and pointless thoughts from his head Cloud entered the hotel and quickly made his way up to his room where he unlocked the door and entered. The lushly furnished room was dark, the only light coming through the large windows in the far wall from the starts outside. Moving to turn the lights on Cloud noticed that one of the far windows was open, something that he put down to most likely being Zack that morning.

Once the room was illuminated, Cloud made his way over to the open window and looked out onto the balcony and the darkened sea beyond it. He stayed there for a moment, letting the light sea breeze brush over his face as he thought about how much things had changed since he had been sent here. It still amazed him that Zack was alive, and he was glad that he had made a friend in Angeal as well. Cloud still missed his usual group though. Even Yuffie and her constant stream of hyper energy was missed. Cloud could have used Cid's flying abilities quiet a few times by now, as well as Tifa's wisdom, Barret's companionship, Marlene and Denzel's bright faces, Nanaki's fighting spirit, and Vincent's silent presence and extensive knowledge.

With a sigh Cloud moved away from the window, he would be able to see his companions eventually, even if they no longer knew him. Hell maybe he could save Denzel's family this time. Maybe... He could make all of their lives better...

Pushing the thoughts aside Cloud went to his room, planning on changing and, after his salt water dip earlier, he would have to thoroughly clean each of his blades once again.

His room was darker than the living space had been but the moment he opened the door he knew he was not alone. Flicking the switch and sending a flood of light into the room revealed a familiar figure lounged on his bed.

Razor.

"Cloud. How are you?" Razor drawled, any pretence he ever held of being a friendly cadet long gone. Now, instead of the usual standard issue cadet uniform, Razor was dressed in tight back leather pants and an even tighter muscle shirt. Cloud had to admit that it have Razor a tough edge, that along with the arrogant gleam to his black eyes, had not been there before. Or if it had, it had been well hidden.

Cloud's only answer was to unsheathe First Sword from his back and hold the massive sword ready with practised ease.

"Relax blondie, I'm just here to pass on a message." Razor stated, standing up with a stretch and seeming completely unconcerned with the battle ready blond by the door. "However," Razor continued, turning obsidian eyes to meet cerulean, "If you really want to play, I know a good game."

The tone in Razor's voice sent an unpleasant chill down Cloud's spine and the blond decided quickly that he didn't want to know what this 'game' was.

"Just tell me your message then _leave_." Cloud growled, putting emphasis on the last word.

"Aww, no fun!" Razor smirked. "Well... It's less of a message and more of a... warning: Flames will rise again Cloud, but only if you continue to evade us."

"What do you mean?" Cloud demanded, a feeling of unease seating itself in his stomach. _Flames __will rise again?_

"Heh, you'll find out soon enough. You have been given one week."

Razor laughed at Cloud's confusion before drawing his sword and sending a harsh downwards slash at Cloud. Cloud reacted by bringing his sword up quickly and blocking the attack.

"Of course, it can all be avoided if you just come with me now." Razor stated as they stood with their blades locked.

"Not a chance." Cloud ground out, twisting his blade and applying force to make Razor's blade slide away and leave Razor's torso open for attack. The obsidian eyed intruder quickly jumped back, narrowly missing the tip of the large sword.

"Very well Cloud." Razor's voice was now like ice as he stepped further backwards, sheathing his sword, "You have been warned."

With that Razor melted into the shadows and Cloud was left alone in the room. Cloud looked around the room before him, even if Razor had left, the feeling that there was still something nearby itched the back of his neck like a sunburn.

Cloud detected the attack at the last possible second, moving to the side just far enough that he only sustained a shallow cut and ripped clothes just below his ribcage. Turning on the spot, Cloud came to see a large black creature with glowing red eyes. The creature looked like some sort of octopus with jelly-like skin that seemed to shift as the creature moved and several tentacle like arms.

Suddenly the open window made a lot more sense to Cloud, but he still had to wonder where the creature had hidden at first and how he had not sensed it then. Cloud figured it would be best to think on it later as the creature sent a tentacle sweeping at his legs.

Jumping up, Cloud avoided the attack while also swinging his sword against it, slicing through the slimy appendage with ease. The monster made a loud screeching, gurgling noise in response and sent several of its tentacles at Cloud point first. Cloud avoided most of them, but the last one nicked his arm, where he found out that the tips were as sharp as razors when fresh blood ran down his arm.

Gathering a small amount of spirit energy that laced his blade in slight blue flames Cloud rushed forward and delivered a series of several powerful slashes to the body of the creature. The thing gurgled weakly as it collapsed into a sloppy mess on the floor where it slowly disintegrated as the creature died.

The door to the hotel room opened then and Zack came bustling in.

"Yo, Spikey! You should ha-" Zack cut off abruptly as he saw the mess on the floor just outside Cloud's room with Cloud standing over it with his sword drawn. Zack's now serious eyes took in the blood running in a series of small streams down the blond's arm and the ripped and bloody fabric of Cloud's side. "What happened?"

Cloud looked up at Zack the moment the door opened and watched as Zack quickly assessed the situation.

"Razor." Cloud answered, voice neutral and void of emotion once more.

"Where is he?" Zack demanded wishing that he had come back with Cloud now, if only to have helped.

"Gone now." Cloud said, once again placing First Sword in the sheath on his back. The bad feeling that had taken root in his stomach at Razor's words only intensified now that the fighting was done. Zack sighed and walked over to the ugly looking thing at Cloud's feet just as it finished disintegrating, leaving a large black stain on the floor.

"Come on." Zack said, grabbing Cloud's arm that wasn't cut. "Angeal's got a medical kit in his room."

Cloud followed Zack silently, his mind working over Razor's words furiously. When Cloud next took in his surroundings, he was in a room that mirrored his and Zack's, only this one had a single room leading off the living area instead of two. Zack was pushing him towards the couch where he sat without complaint and let his mind return to the task of puzzling out the words he had been told as Zack cleaned the already healing cuts and wrapped them both.

XxXxX

_Cloud looked around in horror as he watched everything he had ever known burn before his eyes. His home town was in flames, even the water tower in the middle of the square was alight. Screams filled the air as people were scorched beyond recognition or were trying vainly to find missing loved ones._

_But no one would survive... Cloud knew that..._

_This was _his_ doing. Sephiroth. But... why?_

_Cloud ran through the burning town towards his house and arrived to find only a collapsed husk of what had always been his safe-haven... His eyes were stuck on the building as though someone had taken a moving photo and stuck it before his eyes. The flames searing into his memory. _

_Slowly Cloud realised that he was looking at burned flesh and bone mixing with the ashen wood where the front door once stood. _

"_Mom..." The word was only a whisper but the pain it evoked was so much more..._

_Everything he ever knew was being destroyed before his eyes as he stood helplessly... _

_Cloud turned in a slow circle; the red, orange and yellows of the flames blurring together as he struggled to keep control of himself._

_Zack... where was he? Had he gone after Sephiroth?_

_Slowly Cloud forced his legs to walk forward. The reactor. He would have to make it there. He would have to make it to Zack... Zack would know what to do..._

Cloud snapped up from sleep with a gasp. A cold sweat covered his entire body and he was shaking. Cloud looked around in confusion as he attempted to get his bearings, he only vaguely remembered going to sleep on Angeal's lounge as neither the tall First nor Zack wanted him to sleep alone after Razor's 'visit'.

The fires of his nightmare still burnt behind his eyes, seeming to send the shadows of the darkened room flickering in a ghostly mock of the real thing.

"Cloud?" Zack's sleepy voice spoke from the lounge next to his, "You ok Buddy?"

"Nibelheim..." Cloud's voice was rough and choked as the answer to Razor's words hit him like a physical blow. Razor was going to burn his home town.

"Cloud?" Zack seemed more alert now and Cloud heard the rustle of blankets as the raven-haired man sat up. But Cloud didn't answer, he only stood up and quickly pulled some clothes on. One week. That was all he had and given the fact that no aircraft was able to go directly to the town itself, he would need to leave now.

"Cloud?" Zack's voice was worried now as he stood up. "What are you doing?"

"I need to go." Cloud said as he quickly stuffed all his things into his bag.

"Wait, what?" Zack asked, his voice surprised and confused. Cloud didn't answer, instead he just moved towards the door.

"Cloud, wait!" Zack said, moving to grab Cloud's shoulder and stopping the blond before he could get out the door. "Just... Wait. Ok?"

The door to Angeal's room opened then and the tall First walked out, looking alert and ready.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I don't know." Zack said, sounding slightly panicked. Angeal's glowing eyes turned to Cloud's and it was with a start that the tall First noticed that the mako in Cloud's eyes was burning like liquid blue fire. Cloud has mentioned that they would only do that in times of need or strong emotion.

"What's going on Cloud?" Angeal asked, voice firm but reasonable.

"I have to get to Nibelheim. Now." Cloud replied, not bothering to elaborate or side step the question.

"Why?"

"Because... Otherwise everyone I care about there will die... again."

**I apologise that it took so long for this chapter to be completed, but life has been hectic as of late and I have had very little time for anything. Oh, well I hope you enjoyed. :)**


	9. Old Friends

**Wow, over 100 reviews... Thank you all so much! I honestly never thought when I started writing this that it would have such a great reception, so thank you to every one for making this story such a fun and worth while write!**

The air base located in the Nibel Mountains was smaller than average with an air tarmac that would only house maybe ten to fifteen air crafts at maximum, and barely enough personnel to keep the place running smoothly. When Cloud, Zack and Angeal disembarked early the morning after commandeering a ride on an airship, the air base seemed next to deserted with only those willing to brave the cold moving about the outer areas of the base preparing for the next day.

A sense of nostalgia ran through Cloud as he looked up at the mountains he had once called home. They looked no different from the few delivery visits he had made in the years previous to the Darkness, but he knew that the quaint little village he had grown up in would still be there, as would his mother, a young Tifa, and all the people who had once looked down upon him because he was different.

With a small breath, Cloud forced all emotion and memories to the back of his mind and made his way across the tarmac towards the start of the foot track that would take them directly to Nibelheim. Zack and Angeal shared a concerned glance before following their blond companion.

"Uh, Cloud?" Zack asked looking around as they moved closer to the edge of the base, "Aren't we gonna get a truck or something?"

"No, the only driving tracks take longer as they need to go around the mountain." Cloud answered.

"Around the mountain? Why?" Zack asked.

"Direct tracks are to dangerous to safely travel, and the vehicles need to be careful to avoid the dragon nests."

"Dragon nests?!" Zack exclaimed, earning a dry chuckle from Cloud.

"Yeah, dragon nests. The mothers tend to get very grumpy when a machine of any sort goes too close to their nests. Humans don't bother them as much."

"Well, how long will it take to get there?" Zack wondered.

"Relax Puppy, it's only a few hours walk." Angeal answered, ruffling Zack's hair as they left the tarmac and the boundary of the base and began their trek up the mountain.

The first few hours were spent in relative silence, the only conversation being when Zack would ask about certain areas or things that caught his attention as they passed and Cloud or Angeal answering. It was obvious that Cloud knew the terrain exceptionally well, and he was able to guide them past any trouble that they were likely to encounter with ease. The blond had even decided to take a small detour at one point to show Zack one of the Dragon nests not to far from the main track that he had once stumbled upon himself.

Around midday the trio stopped for a small break under the shade of a rocky outcrop, they were only about an hour out of Nibelheim now and they all wanted to be rested up for any trouble that they could encounter with the prior knowledge that their enemy would be close by.

"They really need to have transport up this way." Zack commented after sitting down, "We would have been there hours ago."

"They do eventually." Cloud said, remembering the track he took while on Fenrir. "But not until they force the dragons out."

"Thank Shiva." Zack muttered. "I never realised how good public transport was until now."

"Stop complaining Zack," Cloud admonished good naturedly "It's just a single mountain."

"They don't have much transport in Gongaga, Puppy." Angeal reminded with a chuckle.

"But it's not all up hill there!" Zack pouted.

Both Angeal and Cloud chuckled at Zack's antics before they all stood up and continued walking. The closer Cloud got to Nibelheim though, the more he found his mind consumed with doubts about what was to come.

XxXxX

When Nibelheim came into view Cloud found himself slowing down to a complete stop. Everything was exactly the same as he remembered it. It shouldn't have been a shock but it still gave him pause. He could see all the familiar villagers going about their daily business as they always had, not the paid 'replacements' that had been brought in after Sephiroth burned the town. It was surreal; knowing what it would look like, and seeing it were completely different concepts.

"Cloud? You ok Buddy?" Zack's voice broke through Cloud's thoughts, causing the blond to focus on the two men standing slightly in front of him with concerned looks.

"I'm fine." Cloud answered softly, "It's just... been a while."

With one last deep breath Cloud adjusted the familiar weight of First Sword on his back and then walked into the small town with the comforting presence of Zack and Angeal on either side of him. Almost as soon as he was in the town limits, Cloud could feel the surprised stares of the villagers there and soon after that the whisperings started. Cloud ignored them as he made his way through the village, having already decided that the first place he would go would be to his old home. To his Mother.

His Mother's house was on the very edge of town, so that meant that they had to walk through the majority of the village to get there, and the sooner the better in Cloud's opinion. Cloud remembered exactly why he had chosen to wear his infantryman helmet when he had returned with Sephiroth and Zack; it meant that he was a nobody and that he wouldn't need to deal with the needless views of the village people who had clearly voiced that they all believed he would die once he left the village when he had first gone to join SOLDIER.

"Cloud?!" The familiar voice cut through the near silence of the town like First Sword cutting through a simple sheet of paper. Cloud froze for a moment upon hearing his name before turning slowly to view the owner of the unmistakable voice.

"Tifa." He greeted silently. Tifa looked as happy and carefree as he recalled from before the fire. She was dressed in the cowgirl-like outfit she had worn when she played the role of a guide for them on that fateful mission as well, causing Cloud's mind to momentarily linger on how he had found her at the reactor after she had tried to confront Sephiroth herself. He quickly pushed the memories down.

"Why didn't you ever write?! Or call?! Or anything!" Tifa demanded, although she was smiling and amusement laced her words. She then surprised Cloud by throwing her arms around him in a hug.

"T-Tifa?" Cloud asked, slightly bewildered as he half returned the embrace.

"You've changed Cloud..." The words were soft spoken next to his ear so that no one else, with the exception of Zack and Angeal with their enhanced hearing, could hear what was being spoken.

Cloud pulled back and he suddenly found it hard to meet her eyes. She was a completely different person from the Tifa he knew, but at the same time she was the same.

"And who would your friends be?" Tifa asked, changing the subject as her deep almond eyes shifted to Zack and Angeal who had been silently watching and listening up until that point.

"I'm Zack Fair, second class SOLDIER." Zack stated proudly, pointing to himself before moving to point at Angeal, "And this is Angeal Hewley, first class SOLDIER."

Tifa raised an eye brow before turning her eyes back to Cloud, who simply returned her look without any visible emotion. The fact that Tifa couldn't see what Cloud was feeling concerned her; she had always been able to tell what the blond was feeling, his eyes had been so open before he left... _What happened to you Cloud?_ She wondered.

"So you in SOLDIER now?" She asked cheerily, her eyes wandering to the sword strapped to Cloud's back for the first time. The thing was as big as him! How the hell was he even carrying that thing?

"Uh... No... Not yet." Cloud answered, slightly apprehensive as he saw Tifa's eyes go to First Sword. Running his hand through his hair, Cloud was only too aware of all the other pairs of eyes on him as well.

"Don't be so modest Spikey!" Zack announced as he threw an arm over Cloud's shoulders, "You're practically one of us already. What's a few tests when we already know the outcome!"

Cloud could only glare half-heartedly at he raven-haired man who had conveniently turned his smile up full throttle and was beaming at him and the people close by. Pushing Zack's arm off him, Cloud turned to Tifa once more.

"We better get going... I'll... Probably see you later." Cloud said, his voice quiet. He was both happy and sad to see Tifa; it was a relief to know that she was fine, but it was also a stark reminder of how much she had been forced to change after Nibelheim burned.

"Oh, yeah sure." Tifa said, her shoulders slumping slightly before she flashed Cloud a quick smile. "No leaving without saying goodbye though, got it?" She stated, before then turning her eyes to Zack and Angeal, "And you two make sure that he doesn't just run off."

Zack and Angeal looked slightly shocked by the firmness in the strange girls voice, but nodded either way. Cloud just allowed a small grin rise on his face as the Tifa he knew best rose to the surface for a moment; the Tifa that didn't care who she was speaking to if it concerned those she cared about.

Sending a small wave of goodbye to his old friend, Cloud turned and once more began making his way through the village with his companions close by. The blond was feeling a mix of emotions running through him at the moment, the combination almost making him feel more numb than anything. How was he suppose to do this? Could he actually face his Mother?

"Cloud?" The deep voice of Angeal brought Cloud out of his thoughts and the blond realised that he had stopped walking. Looking up he saw that they were close to his Mother's house already, the structure looming up only fifty meters away.

Swallowing heavily Cloud found that he couldn't bring himself to move forward. He hadn't felt this afraid of something for a long time. It was no enemy in the house up ahead, but it was the threat of something that could make him happy, the threat of something that could be taken away from him yet again.

"Cloud?" Angeal called again, laying a hand on the blond's shoulder. "Are you ok?"

Cloud's eyes finally focused on the tall SOLDIER standing next to him before flicking to Zack who was hovering with concern on the other side of the blond. Finally taking strength from his friends Cloud nodded before beginning to walk slowly towards the house he had grown up in.

Finally Cloud found himself standing before the familiar door and after one more deep breath he raised a hand and knocked firmly before stepping back and waiting. At first it was silent, with only Cloud's own heart beat filling his ears but then he registered the sound of movement inside and footsteps coming his way.

Finally the door opened to reveal Cloud's mother. She was shorter than Cloud, but not by much and the family resemblance could not be missed. She had the same golder hair, bright blue eyes, and facial features as her son. Ms Strife paused for a moment after opening the door, her eyes locked onto Cloud's, but after a tense moment Ms Strife's face broke out into a wide smile and she pulled her son forward into a tight hug.

Cloud fell into the embrace with more emotion than he intended to show, wrapping his arms around his Mother and holding her close for a moment; breathing in the familiar scent of herbs and spices that had always been around his Mother. Resting his head on her shoulder Cloud could picture the hundreds of times in his childhood that his mother had been there for him.

It was unreal to see her after so long.

"Cloud." Her soft voice rang out next to Cloud's ear, comforting and welcoming, "Welcome home."

Finally pulling back Cloud looked his mother over, glad to see that she was as healthy and alive as he had always remembered. Just as vibrant as his youngest childhood memories.

"Hey..." Cloud finally answered, his voice quiet and almost unsure. "Mum."

Ms Strife's face held a warm smile as she placed her hands on Cloud's cheeks and pulled him down to place a kiss on his forehead.

"It's good to see you Dear."

Zack and Angeal had watched the display feeling like they may be intruding. The two men had seen Cloud's hesitation and saw even now how he fought to keep his emotions down and under control. It was the first time that the two had even seen Cloud this visibly affected by what was happening and it made Zack almost wish that Cloud was returning on better grounds. After a few moments of silence the two Strifes pulled apart again and for the first time Ms Strife's eyes landed on Cloud's companions, giving them both a bright smile.

"Come on in. Any friend of Cloud's is welcome here any time." And with that she turned and moved back into the house, Cloud following behind her after giving Zack and Angeal a nod to tell them that it was truly fine to enter.

Sharing one last look at each other Zack and Angeal followed into the small house, closing the door behind them.

XxXxX

That evening found Cloud, Zack and Angeal sitting around a small table in the Strife household kitchen. The smells of Ms Strife's cooking wafting around the air making everyone in the area hungry.

The house itself was small and modest, but well kept and welcoming. Zack and Angeal had quickly come to like the small woman that was Cloud's mother and both had been able to pick up many of Cloud's traits that he had obviously inherited from his mother.

"I hope you boys like stew." Ms Strife announced from where she stood over the open fire, large spoon in hand as she mixed a large pot of stew.

"Mmm, it is tastes just half as good as it smells I think I'll be in love!" Zack replied enthusiastically, his stomach rumbling loudly as if on cue, causing Ms Strife to laugh softly.

"It certainly smells delicious." Angeal agreed.

"It's Mum's best dish." Cloud piped up quietly from where he sat at the end of the table. Cloud had spent most of the afternoon simply walking around the house and talking to his Mother as memories swelled behind his eyes.

A few minutes later and everyone found steaming bowls of stew placed before them and there were words of thanks spoken before everyone dug in hungrily. Ms Strife soon found herself watching in appreciation as her entire pot of stew was consumed by the three men at her table in record time. She had been overjoyed when she had answered the door to see Cloud standing there. The few months that he had been gone had seemed like years to her, knowing that her little boy was gone out into the world. She had seen a difference in Cloud almost instantly though, he seemed quite... world weary, but Ms Strife soon put it down to being tired from travelling.

"Aww man, thanks Ms Strife!" Zack exclaimed sitting back in his seat and rubbing his stomach.

"Your welcome dear." Ms Strife replied with a soft smile. She was glad that Cloud had become friends with such a vibrant, kind hearted person; it would do Cloud good after being such a quiet person since a young age.

Cloud watched with a small smile tugging at his lips from his seat. He remembered inviting Zack over for dinner once before when they had been with Sephiroth, but it had never eventuated. Needless to say though, Cloud now knew that if it had happened Zack would have loved her stew.

Standing up, Cloud gathered everyone's bowls and took them to the sink, quickly washing them up for his Mother before turning and watching as Zack and Angeal spoke with his mother, no doubt hearing stories about when he was a child.

With a sigh Cloud looked out the window behind him at the darkened village of Nibelheim. With all the memories that the house and his mother and brought up, he couldn't help but get dragged down into his thoughts slightly as he wondered what life would have been like if things had occurred differently...

Shaking his head Cloud made a decision and made his way towards the back door.

"I'm just going for a walk." He announced, grabbing First Sword and leaving before anyone replied.

Zack, Angeal and Ms Strife looked on in concern, Zack getting up to follow his friend before Ms Strife's soft words stopped him.

"He just needs time to think." She said, her eyes on the now closed back door, "He has always been like this."

"But..." Zack protested weakly.

"He knows this area well, if he wants to be alone I doubt you would find him anyway Dear." Ms Strife continued.

"Ok..." Zack relented, feeling slightly dejected. He hated the idea of Cloud being alone right now, but Ms Strife had a point.

"Good. Now," Ms Strife cut in cheerily as she stood up, "How about I make you two some beds to sleep in for tonight?"

Once outside Cloud took a deep breath before starting to simply walk. He was so happy to see his Mother, yet somehow he knew that even though she was alive that things couldn't go back to how they once were.

It was a heart wrenching thought but true none-the-less. Cloud wandered aimlessly for a while, simply taking the village in. Most people had retired to bed by now, allowing him to walk the familiar terrain in peace. How many times as a child had be walked these streets and the surrounding mountainside to simply escape the world?...

A while later Cloud looked up from his wandering and found himself facing the Shinra mansion of all places. Its old wood and grand design sent shivers down his spine and echoes of the past made their way into his mind. He was about to turn away when a thought struck him.

Vincent.

The dark haired gunman had suffered a worse fate at Hojo's hand, and it had taken years for him to really allow anyone to be even considered close. Of all of them, perhaps it had been Vincent who had gained the most in the future; he had been able to move past everything that had happened to him and allow himself to join their mixed 'family' of sorts.

Cloud felt a stab of guilt at the fact that Vincent would have lost all that and would most likely once again be so withdrawn as to keep others completely away. Maybe... Maybe Cloud could wake him once more, if not to obtain his help and comradeship once again, then to simply, hopefully, help Vincent begin a new life once more.

Walking over to he mansion door Cloud only hesitated a moment before pushing the door open and moving inside. The interior of the house was dusty and smelt of musk, yet it still held a small visage of the grandness it no doubt held when it was first built. Yet Cloud hated it. He hated this place and the suffering it represented with a burning passion. Not only his own life had been forever altered here, but the lives of countless more.

Moving quickly but silently Cloud made his way up the stairs on the right side of the entry room and upon reaching the landing of the second floor he turned right once more and moved into the familiar room down the hall that connected to the room with the hidden stair case down to the basement.

Once Cloud emerged in the cold, dank and dim area of the basement he was hit with a barrage of memories and phantom pains, all of which he quickly suppressed before moving along. He was here to help a friend, not wallow in the memories of his own weakness.

Cloud made his way over to the door that he knew led to Vincent's coffin, only to be stopped halfway by a few of the local monsters. They were hardly a challenge and drawing First Sword Cloud was able to take them all down within seconds, pocketing the items that they dropped in their defeat.

With a deep breath Cloud opened the door and walked in. The smell of decayed flesh hit his senses first, but he ignored that and moved further into the room. Like the whole mansion the room was dusty and covered in spider webs, and under the rotted flesh smell the ever present musky smell permeated everything.

Cloud's eyes quickly landed on the coffin that he knew would hold his friend. For a moment he faltered, second guessing his decision to come here. This time he couldn't claim a fight against Sephiroth to find an ally within the mysterious man. Would Cloud even be able to get Vincent to completely awaken when he had been so adamant to sleep last time?

Looking at the top of the coffin, Cloud decided that it wouldn't hurt to at least attempt. He owed Vincent that much at least.

Moving cautiously over to the side of the coffin, Cloud placed his hands of the wooden top. With one final moment of indecision Cloud pushed the lid of the coffin to the side. He would have expected to find a sleeping Vincent as they had last time, but what he did not expect was to find Vincent wide awake and a very familiar gauntlet now wrapped brusingly around his throat. Abandoning his hold on the lid of the coffin Cloud brought his hands to the gauntlet in an attempt to lessen the tightness. Vincent had never reacted like this before! What was different this time?

Gasping as the grip tightened momentarily Cloud's eyes finally met with the glowing crimson eyes of his old friend. Cloud figured that his eyes would also he glowing in that moment as adrenaline rushed through his system.

Suddenly the eyes below him widened slightly in surprise and the grip on his throat loosened just as dark spots began to dance across his vision. A second hand moved up and gripped his shoulder as Cloud took in a thankful gulp of air, stagnant as it was. The hand surprisingly steadied him as the gauntlet moved away, leaving small trickles of blood running down the sides of Cloud's neck where the clawed tips had broken the skin.

Cloud leaned down against the side of the coffin and the steadying hand as he got his breath back, despite what had just happened Cloud found it hard to be uncomfortable around the well known presence of the gunman.

Finally Cloud once again looked up to see Vincent now sitting up in the coffin and watching him with, what Cloud was able to detect only from knowing the man for so long, concern. The blond frowned in confusion, nothing so far was happening like he expected.

The last time he had come down and woken Vincent the man had simply warned them to go away and it had only been through mentioning the silver haired general that they had convinced the gunman to join them, and throughout the whole thing Vincent had not reacted violently at all.

Now, this time, he had nearly choked Cloud without recognition, and now he was helping to steady the blond and acting... strange, as if...

"Cloud." The single word shocked Cloud to the bone. How would Vincent know his name already? They technically hadn't even met yet in this time period!

"What's happening?"

Cloud could only look into the crimson eyes next to him in confusion as a million thoughts raced through his mind...

_How was this possible?_


	10. Demons

Cloud moved back a few steps as his mind attempted to comprehend exactly what he was seeing and hearing. It couldn't be right... He had seen Tifa and Zack... They didn't remember him at all. Cloud watched as Vincent stepped out of the coffin completely; the man moving with a grace and poise that was the unnatural result of Hojo's experiments.

"What do you remember?" Cloud asked, finally being able to get a coherent thought through his mind. Vincent met his eyes again, confusion mirroring his own just visible in the crimson eyes.

"Heading into the Midgar ruins." Vincent replied, only serving to confuse the blond more.

"How?" Cloud asked softly to no one in particular, his voice nearly inaudible.

"What happened Cloud?" Vincent asked, his smooth voice masking any emotion the gunman was feeling.

Cloud shook his head to try and straighten his thoughts out. How was he going to explain this? It was hard enough to tell Zack and Angeal, but this was a whole new different kind of hard. How do you tell someone that they were suddenly back in time? Vincent seemed to notice a few things first though.

"You look... Younger." The gunman stated, eyes narrowing as he looked at the blond. It was odd to see Cloud in clothes other than the black, sleeveless turtle-neck and cargo pants that he had grown accustom to, but under the uniform clothes that the blond was currently wearing he could tell that Cloud was not as tall as he had been, and it seemed like the blond had also lost some muscle tone.

"I... Am..." Cloud answered hesitatingly, "In a way."

It was then that Vincent's eyes grew wide and for a second Cloud was left wondering what was wrong or if he had said the wrong thing somehow, or maybe his friend simply did not believe him. All those thoughts were quickly shoved from his mind when a single word escaped the gunman's lips.

"Chaos..."

"Vincent?" Cloud asked after a moment of silence. He was concerned about Vincent as he seemed to stare off at nothing, not registering anything around him; something that the ex-Turn would not allow to happen under normal circumstances. Cloud took a step closer to the man, still getting no response as he raised a hand and rested it on Vincent's shoulder.

"Vincent?" He repeated, this time a bit louder. It seemed to finally get though to the gunman as crimson eyes snapped to meet his own.

"We are back in the past." Vincent said, the words more of a statement than a question. Cloud nodded either way, unsure what had just transpired that gave Vincent that knowledge.

"Chaos... Resides in me once more it seems. He informed me of what he knew of the situation." Vincent said after he noticed the confusion in Cloud's eyes.

"I still don't understand how you remembered though..." Cloud muttered turning his eyes to the floor, it was then that his own words to Zack only two days previously came to mind. _I'm not sure, but I think that the future couldn't be fully erased from the past and that creatures or.. entities, like the Darkness, remained aware of what was, or is, meant to happen._ Could that mean that Chaos was one of those entities. It would make sense as Chaos was a powerful being born of the Planet, no matter if it was from tainted Life Stream or not.

"It is Chaos that has allowed me to... retain my memories." Vincent informed, confirming Cloud's thoughts.

Cloud nodded, as of now he was unsure what he was going to do next; the last thing he had expected upon walking in here was this situation, yet Cloud was also profoundly relieved that he had an assured ally in Vincent once more, and an ally that already had extensive knowledge of the future none-the-less.

"Are you here to be rid of Jenova?" Vincent inquired. Cloud shook his head.

"No, not just yet. Hojo needs to be taken care of first; he represents far to much of a threat now, and if Jenova was destroyed first it would only attract his very unwelcome attention." Cloud explained, his bitter hatred for the scientist surfacing for a moment. It was a welcoming feeling for the blond, to be able to talk freely with a companion without the fear of what consequences may possibly arise from the information he gave.

Vincent nodded, understanding Cloud's reasoning. The gunman hid it well, but the thought of being able to kill Hojo again, with the possibility of a more... creative death, was appealing. Yet Cloud's words raised further questions; why had the blond swordsman come to Nibelheim then? Was it just to wake him? See his Mother? Tifa? Somehow Vincent doubted it, from Cloud's reaction the blond hadn't expected him to remember anything, and Vincent knew the blond well enough to know that he would not willingly come to a place for sentimental reasons, not when it may draw unnecessary attention.

"Why are you in Nibelheim?" Vincent asked eventually as the two made their way out of the dank room and towards the basements exit.

Cloud sighed heavily before answering, alerting Vincent that he was not going to like the answer.

"The Darkness has been toying with me." Cloud answered bitterly.

Vincent stopped walking as his crimson eyes landed on Cloud with an intense gaze.

"The Darkness is active?" He questioned. Cloud could just detect the hint of concern lacing the words.

"Just barely." Cloud replied, "It seems to be working through people and creatures instead of directly. It is weak and hasn't been able to do anything on the scale of when we... left... our time period, but it is still bent on having the Planet weakened."

"It has been attacking you personally then?"

"Yeah..."

Vincent fell quiet for a moment as he thought over the information he had been given. The gunman could only hope that Cloud was really ok; it was a hard enough task to face the past, but to have everything undermined by a threat that is both new and old... It would have been a difficult experience.

Looking over the blond with a critical eye, the gunman could easily see the added tension that Cloud was under at the moment.

"Does anyone else remember?" Vincent finally asked. He noticed Cloud pause for a moment, seeming to figure out how he was going to answer, and for a moment the gunman entertained the idea of one or more of the others remembering.

"No." Cloud finally answered, "I've only seen Tifa so far and she has no clue... But there are two that have knowledge and are helping me."

"Knowledge?" Vincent echoed.

"I told them." Cloud replied simply, offering no more in way of answer. This surprised Vincent slightly, Cloud was not usually one to speak freely of a matter such as this, nor was he one to seek help. Yet that was not the hardest to understand either...

"They believed you?" Vincent voiced his thought.

"Yeah." Cloud nodded once, "It took a bit to convince them, but the circumstances were in my favour I think."

Vincent nodded in reply, he would find out who and how later.

The two began walking again, both heading up the stairs in their own thoughts when seconds later a scream split through the still, stagnant air of the mansion. Neither man hesitated before sprinting the remainder of the stairs and out of the room above.

When Cloud and Vincent reached the landing above the entry foyer they were able to look down to the source of the scream and what they saw had Cloud's hand reaching for First Sword and the mako burning through his veins.

Below them stood a smirking Razor with a squirming Tifa held in his grip, cussing at the man holding her and attempting to land a solid blow.

"Razor!" Cloud snarled, his anger evident in the single word. Tifa's eyes snapped up at the sound of his voice and she looked about to say something until her eyes landed on Vincent and she froze.

"Hey Cloud." Razor said, his voice casual as though they had simply met on the streets of Midgar, his obsidian eyes locking onto glowing crystalline blue.

"Let her go." Cloud said, his voice low and dangerous.

"Oh, but I was on my way to see you, when I saw her following you into this lovely mansion. So I thought we would come to see you together." Razor drawled in an overly friendly voice.

Cloud didn't bother with a reply and simply leapt over the railings to fall to the ground floor, where he landed with grace and already had First Sword out and pointed towards Razor.

"Feisty!" Razor remarked with a smirk, something that Cloud was starting to really dislike.

"Let her go." Cloud repeated. Razor's smirk only grew.

"How about you take her place then?" Razor offered, an unpleasant gleam in his eyes.

Before Cloud could respond to the question in any way a splitting bang cut though the air from above, and a split second later Razor stumbled back, releasing Tifa in the process as he brought a hand up to his shoulder where one of Vincent's bullets had torn through the skin and muscle. Cloud waisted no time in grabbing Tifa and moving her behind him.

Razor's eyes snapped upwards to where Vincent stood with Cerberus still honed on its target, his obsidian eyes shining with rage. Razor glared at Vincent a moment more before his eyes once more came to rest on Cloud. Slowly, as though looking at the blond was the cause, the rage died from his eyes and was replaced with a calm arrogance that concerned Cloud more than any violent emotion that Razor could have thrown his way.

"Oh, and nice reaction time by the way." Razor commented out of the blue, "I didn't expect you to make it into town until tomorrow at the earliest."

Cloud hadn't expected Razor's words and kept his face completely blank despite his confusion. It hardly seemed important that he had managed to make it to Nibelheim as quickly as he did.

"For that," Razor continued despite Cloud's lack of response, "Nibelheim will be spared."

"What?" Cloud asked, his confusion only rising further. This time Razor laughed before taking several steps towards the blond who in return stepped back, making sure to keep Tifa behind him.

"We were never going to burn Nibelheim Cloud," Razor said, a huge grin plastered on his face, "We just wanted to test you. After all; what damage can we do compared to the silver haired General himself?"

Cloud's anger towards the obsidian eyed man before him only grew with each word and it took more effort than usual for Cloud to keep his emotions locked up and off his face. There was no point in letting the enemy know how much it had effected him.

"Although I was more surprised that you would bring Zack up here. Oh how the memories must haunt you!" Razor practically sang, "I mean; after all, it was to get you out of this very building that he died." The last sentence came out with a mix of mock sympathy and accusations.

Bringing First Sword to the ready Cloud launched himself at Razor, the blond had had more than enough of listening to the obsidian eyed man and at that moment had decided that it was time for him to shut up. Bringing First Sword down hard in a large arching swing, Cloud was only slightly surprised when the ring of tempered steel sounded in the still air of the mansion as Razor brought up two twin katanas to parry the blow, the man didn't even flinch at the pain he must be feeling in his shoulder from Vincent's bullet...

"Vincent!" Cloud called, knowing that the gunman would be otherwise be looking for a quick way to join the fight by assessing their enemies skill, "Get Tifa out."

There was no verbal reply from Vincent, but none was expected and soon after a small sound of protest sounded from Tifa, letting Cloud know that Vincent was doing as asked. Ignoring any further sounds, Cloud focused his attention on Razor as they both exchanged fierce blows. Cloud had little problem fighting against the two blades of his foe and for now left First Sword fully assembled; blocking and re-directing blows with practised ease while dealing blows of massive power that eventually began to drive Razor backwards. However no matter how far Cloud drove the obsidian eyed man backwards, the infuriating smirk on the others face never once left.

"Why don't you just give up?" Razor asked, seemingly truly curious.

"Why don't you just leave me alone?" Cloud retorted, the words clipped but calm.

"Heh, that wouldn't be any fun." Razor replied with a smirk, "Although sending you across the country _was_ fun. And seeing your face when I mentioned poor little Zack Fair was priceless as well... You do know that we will use him to get you, don't you?"

Anger coursed through Cloud once again at the words, and even though he knew that Razor was doing it to get a rise out of him he had had more than enough, and in response Cloud moved back across the room in a quick leap and began to gather together the power running through his veins. First Sword began glowing and soon became wreathed in iridescent blue flames that intensified quickly until First Sword was completely encased in the spirit energy flames.

For the first time in any of their fights, Razor showed an almost anxious caution as he hesitantly waited for what Cloud was doing, but the blond no longer cared about what his enemy was feeling and was focused solely on the expulsion of his power. Cloud lifted First Sword high above his head and for a moment Razor's mind silently compared the blond to an avenging angel as the light from the spirit energy lit up the planes of Cloud's face from above and his eyes glowed a brilliant blue-green.

Cloud brought First Sword down in a sweeping arch; the result being a large beam of pure energy sweeping from the blade and straight towards Razor, who for once stood frozen at the sight before him. His master had never warned him of this power.

The Beam Blade would have hit its target if not for a large shape detaching itself from the shadows off to the side and launching itself into the path of the beam where it was killed instantly, but succeeded in protecting Razor. Cloud looked on with eyes blazing like blue flame, in truth he was not surprised that the Darkness would come to Razor's defence, but it did serve to raise his determination to end this tonight. The blond swordsman readied himself for a follow up attack only to have Razor flee into the shadows with only echoes of the obsidian eyed man's words left behind.

"You caught me off guard Strife, it will _not_ happen again..."

Cloud refused to lower his guard for several minutes as he waited to see if any further threat would present itself, soon enough though it was obvious that Razor was indeed gone, at least for the moment anyway, so Cloud let his physical guard drop.

The blond found it increasingly irritating how Razor was constantly attacking since the first fight in the dorms what felt like more than a few days ago. Where ever he went, it seemed that the enemy was following and not allowing him a moments peace to continue with the true task at hand, and while he acknowledged that it was likely for that very reason that the Darkness was doing this it did not make it any less annoying or troublesome.

Sheathing First Sword Cloud took the time to look around the room; it was now still once more with only the floating dust motes still dancing around from the fight. Other than that the room was relatively untouched, with only a blackened line across the floor to show where the Blade Beam had travelled.

Figuring that Vincent would have taken Tifa outside the mansion, but not to far away, Cloud made his way to the exit and out into the cool night air. Sure enough Vincent stood to the side of the garden holding a very pissed off Tifa as she struggled and cursed him for 'leaving Cloud with a monster'. Cloud could see that Vincent was about as happy as Tifa at the idea of not helping; the gunman was visibly tense and one hand always stayed close to Cerberus where it sat in its holster.

Crimson eyes settled on Cloud as he walked over and quickly assessed him for damage and, only upon seeing him unharmed, did the gunman relax at all.

"Cloud Strife!" Tifa yelled, turning angry brown eyes on him, "What the hell just happened back there?! Who was that creep?! Who is _this_?" Tifa gestured wildly at Vincent before taking a breath to continue. "How the-"

"Enough." Cloud said, his voice soft but still carrying power as he interrupted Tifa's flow of questions. "This is Vincent Valentine," Cloud continued, nodding to Vincent as he addressed the simplest question first, "He is a close friend, _and_ he just saved your life."

The anger in Tifa's eyes faltered for a moment before settling on simply looking very pissed off.

"Fine then. What about the other guy?" She questioned harshly, "Another Friend?"

"No Tifa, he was not a _friend_," Cloud replied, suddenly feeling very tired, "He was the person who would have killed you without hesitation to get to me."

At he bluntness of Cloud's words Tifa faltered again, the final vestiges of anger fading from her gaze. Cloud almost felt guilty for being so harsh when she was just scared and confused; after all this was not the seasoned fighter who had stood by him in many hopeless battles, this was a young woman who was still finding herself. Cloud pushed the guilt down, now was not the time to be gentle.

"Why?" Tifa asked, the fire now gone from her voice leaving behind something close to desperation. Desperation to understand. "Why is he after you?"

Cloud sighed mentally at the question and at that moment really wished that the Tifa standing before him knew everything that they had already been through; he wished she was the friend who had helped him piece together his shattered mind, the one who had agreed to care for two children who were not her own, the one that understood who he was now.

"It doesn't matter." Cloud replied, looking away and meeting Vincent's knowing crimson eyes. "It's something that you don't need to worry about..."

Vincent had caught the look in Cloud's eyes; the sorrow and the seemingly ever present self-condemnation and guilt. Releasing the hold he had on Tifa's shoulder now that the girl was calm, the gunman simply stood sentry, waiting for if he was needed.

Cloud expected Tifa to begin hounding him for answers to her questions; he expected her to demand that she know what was going on and why, but she surprised both men by suddenly lurching forward and throwing her arms around Cloud.

"You stupid chocobo!"Tifa said, her voice choked with tears that she hid on Cloud's shoulder. Cloud had no idea what to say to her so he just waited for his childhood friend to calm down, rubbing small comforting circles into her back. If anything he knew that the Tifa he loved as a sister was here still; it always had been. This part of Tifa took hold of what she wanted and cared for and refused to let go no matter how hard she was pushed away.

After a while of silence from Tifa, Cloud gently placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back, where he looked down kindly at her tired brown eyes. It had to be late by now, and Cloud knew that if it was discovered he was the one with her at this time of night he would surely be

blamed and shunned as he had been when he and Tifa were kids in the mountains.

"It's late Teef, let's get you home." Cloud said, smiling slightly at red-ringed chestnut brown eyes.

Tifa did not complain or resist as Cloud led her from the Shinra Manor gardens and out into the silent streets of Nibelheim with Vincent following soundlessly behind as a comforting presence for the blond. The three walked in silence and soon reached Tifa's home, and after a quick fare well the tired girl quietly made her way inside.

Once Tifa was gone and the streets were completely quiet Cloud let out a small sigh, while he was glad that Tifa had not asked too many questions tonight he was pretty sure that she would be back full force another day. She simply was not the type to move on from something like that if she thought that it affected those she cared about.

Cloud led Vincent to his place in silence, the two men both lost in their own thoughts about what had transpired that night and, in Cloud's case, hoping that it would at least be some time before he saw Razor again.

The house was quiet when Cloud opened the back door that led into the kitchen so he figured that his Mother had gone to bed and that Angeal and Zack would at least be in one of the spare rooms, he doubted that they would be asleep. Cloud was therefore surprised to see a flash of gold hair as he walked inside and turned to find his Mother sitting at the kitchen table waiting for him. Cloud froze mid-step as he remembered all the times his Mother had done this very thing when he was younger; he was constantly leaving at random times through he day to be alone and would often be gone for hours at a time as he explored the mountain or hid around the village. Yet he would always come home to see his Mum waiting for him in that exact seat, no matter the time of day or night.

It sent a flash of raw pain through his heart to see it once more.

"...Mum..." Cloud said after a small time of just standing there, once he finally got control of his body Cloud walked the rest of the way into the kitchen, leaving the door open for Vincent. Ms Strife smiled warmly at her son and stood up to give him a quick embrace.

"Welcome home." She said for the second time that day. Her eyes raised to look over Cloud's shoulder where she saw Vincent enter the open door but she didn't so much as bat an eyelid at the appearance of the caped man. Cloud pulled out of the embrace and looked to his friend.

"This is Vincent," He said to his Mother, "He's a friend of mine who's helped me through... some tough times."

"Hello Dear," She said to Vincent, smiling brightly and surprising the gunman with the open, friendly look on her face, "Make yourself at home. Any friend of Cloud's is welcome here."

At those words Cloud sent a small smile over to Vincent, he could see the shock in the man's eyes at how easily his Mother had greeted and welcomed him; something that very few people had ever done given the reclusive nature of the gunman. The cape and cowl usually dissuaded people as well.

"Cloud!" Everyone turned to see Zack Fair smiling at he entrance to the kitchen with Angeal just behind him, "'Bout time you got back Spiky! We were just about to send the search party... Which would have been Me and 'Geal of course."

Ms Strife chuckled at Zack's cheery energy while Cloud simply shook his head in amusement. He doubted Zack would ever change. Cloud noticed that Angeal was looking at Vincent who still stood just inside the door, and while the tall First showed no outward signs of hostility he certainly looked cautious and ready to act at the slightest moments notice.

"Zack, Angeal," Cloud said, deciding to get introductions out of the way now, "This is Vincent Valentine. He's a close friend." Cloud then turned to Vincent. "This is Zack Fair and Angeal Hewley."

The recognition in Vincent's eyes was well hidden but Cloud caught it, especially since those crimson eyes locked with his with a burning intensity that quickly passed on all the questions that were running through Vincent's mind. Like everyone in their group Vincent had learned about Cloud's past and the death of Zack Fair and a rough timeline of the events that led up to it, so now at the introduction of the vibrant raven-haired man, Vincent had immediately made the connection. A small nod from Cloud confirmed it.

Vincent looked back over at the two men and straight away he felt respect and gratitude towards Zack for all that he had done; even if the man himself did not know it. His eyes then focused on Angeal who still watched him cautiously, something that the gunman was more than used to. He knew the name of Angeal Hewley but had never had anything to do with the man himself, he was glad that the taller SOLDIER had chosen to stand by Cloud.

"Well," Ms Strife said, breaking through Vincent's thoughts, "I think that it is time we all went to bed and got a good night sleep. We can all talk and meet properly in the morning when we are all well rested."

Vincent allowed the corners of his mouth to turn up slightly behind his cloak as he compared Cloud to his Mother. It was easy to see where the blond had gotten many of his traits and already it was easy to see that Ms Strife had played a large factorial role on the attitude and outlook of her son even if Cloud was nearly as much of a recluse as he was.

When Cloud had first stopped in the door way, Vincent had feared that something was wrong but then the blonds near silent word had not only put those fears to rest but also completely surprised the gunman. Cloud had only rarely mentioned his Mother before and the thought of meeting her was actually a very pleasant one for Vincent.

Tomorrow Vincent would have to get Cloud to tell him all that had happened so far. It was bound be interesting...

XxXxX

It was well into the afternoon the next day before anyone sat down to discuss what was happening, Cloud had told Vincent everything that had happened since he woke up during the morning, although he still needed to try and explain exactly who Vincent was to Zack and Angeal. Cloud had decided that morning that he would take them all up into the mountains for the day, hoping to discourage any further attack from Razor within the town limits while also giving them all privacy. Cloud had spent the night wide awake and had come to the decision in the early hours of the morning to show his companions one of the places he used to frequent as a child when he wanted to get away.

So now they all sat atop a large rock outcrop that gave a stunning view of the surrounding lands; it was an hour or so walk from Nibelheim when walking at a fast pace but Cloud had led them there confidently despite having not been there in years. The outcrop was a fair way above ground and they had all had to climb in the end, but no one had said a word in complaint.

"So what is happening Cloud?" Angeal asked. The tall First figured that something had happened after Cloud had left he house the day before, but so far Cloud hadn't said a thing about it.

Cloud took a moment to think about what he was going to say as he sat and looked out over the mountains below. Zack sat next to him as he thought, something that Cloud found very comforting and calming while he arranged his thoughts.

"Well," Cloud eventually started, "There are a few things I need to explain first..."

Vincent, who had stayed further back on the rock looked at his blond friend, he knew about Cloud's hesitancy to say too much and he wondered exactly what was going through the blond's mind then.

"Do you remember when I said that I was a member of a revised group of AVALANCHE?" Cloud asked.

"Sure, you said that it was different to the current terrorist group and that the members from your time were still too young." Zack answered, his voice a strange mix of both cheerfulness and seriousness. Cloud nodded in response.

"Yes I did, but there was one member who is a bit of an exception to that." Cloud said carefully as his eyes rose to meet Vincent's for a quick second before resuming there gaze outwards.

"You mean Vincent?" Angeal asked, picking up on the glance. "He is already part of AVALANCHE?"

"No." Cloud quickly assured seeing Angeal's suspicion growing, "Well, yes he is the exception, but no he not already part of AVALANCHE..."

Cloud sighed and ran a hand through his hair, in some ways this was more difficult than telling them that he was from the future. This time there was no evidence to back up what he was about to say, nor did they, or at least Angeal, trust Vincent. Finally Cloud figured that he would just have to say it however it came out and deal with the repercussions later.

"Vincent had the... misfortune of being one of Hojo's experiments. The first time I met Vincent was a few years after escaping from the labs; I found him here in Nibelheim in the Shinra Mansion in a... sleep-like state." Cloud decided to leave out the part about Vincent being in a coffin for now, "Eventually he agreed to join us in our... quest at the time and later we became close friends. I went to the Mansion last night to try and wake him early, I wanted him to have a life, something that does not come easily to those who have experience with Hojo. Thanks to those very experiments though, Vincent was able to remember the future and knows everything, if not more, than I do."

Cloud fell quiet for a while to let this sink in. Looking up to meet crimson eyes, Cloud was glad to see only a quiet support from his friend. Cloud knew that Vincent was not fond of people knowing the intimate details of his past, so he had tried to explain as best as possible without going in too deep.

"Ok, so Vincent, due to Hojo's experiments is able to remember everything that happened in the future?" Angeal asked, wanting to make sure that he understood what Cloud was trying to say. Cloud nodded in response, but despite how much Angeal trusted Cloud, it was difficult for him to believe this story about the strange man. "That seems very... hard to believe Cloud." Angeal admitted truthfully.

"I know it isn't easy to believe... but it is true." Cloud said, meeting Angeal's eyes straight on.

"How though?" Zack said, finally speaking up from where he sat. There was a look of concentration on his face as he thought, "I mean, there are so many people out there, so how could even Hojo manage to influence Vincent that badly that he could remember without the Planet's intention?"

Cloud had to admit that it was a fair question, although it only made it even harder for him to explain. Once again Cloud looked up to Vincent, but this time the gunman would not meet his eyes and Cloud was left wondering what exactly was going through his friend's mind. While Cloud knew that he had the knowledge of what had happened to Vincent, he refused to share it. He knew, more so than most, what it was like at the hands of the twisted scientist and he knew that he would never want his own experiences spoken by another...

"Chaos." Cloud looked up to Vincent, who had spoken for the first time since they had gotten there, in surprise, but the gunman was still looking away and he couldn't see his eyes. The blond hadn't thought that Vincent would be willing to share anything.

"Pardon?" Angeal asked, looking over at Vincent.

"Chaos." Vincent repeated. "The Soul wrought of Terra Corrupt."

"You mean like the legends?" Zack asked, confused but more willing to listen than his mentor. Vincent nodded once before continuing.

"It is hardly a legend. Chaos resides within me, one of four demons that were placed within my body and moulded to my soul by Hojo. If not for Chaos who is born of tainted Life Stream, I would not recall anything."

"He put... demons... _inside_ you?" Zack asked, sounding shocked and disgusted at the idea.

"Yes."

It was only then that Vincent raised his eyes and looked between Zack and Angeal. Zack's face held reserved curiosity, while Angeal's face still held guarded suspicion. Vincent's eyes met Cloud's then and Cloud could easily see the silent question.

_Should I show them?_

"Could you control him?" Cloud asked in response to the question that was never voiced. Vincent thought on it for a moment before nodding.

"Yes."

"Ok then, be careful though."

Cloud stood up from where he had been sitting with his legs over the edge of the outcrop. He knew that Vincent had control of his demons, but it was extremely rare for any of them to be let out without being in a battle situation, much less the one that he figured Vincent was planning on using.

Vincent who had already been standing, closed his eyes and stood completely still for a moment, Zack and Angeal who figured that something big was about to happen waited patiently. Cloud watched Vincent closely, looking for any sign that the gunman may loose control, but soon enough Vincent's eyes opened once again.

Only this time they shone a brilliant gold instead of the usual crimson. Other than that Vincent retained his usual form and Cloud allowed himself to relax slightly. Those gold eyes scanned over the others before finally resting on him.

"Chaos." Cloud said, wanting to break the silence and lessen the intensity of the stare from the demon. He was aware of Angeal and Zack watching them both closely.

"... The one named Strife." The voice that replied was not Vincent's, instead it was deeper and held a hollow echo to it. Zack stood up and moved to stand next to Cloud, but the blond stopped him from moving too close, making sure that Zack stayed behind him. Chaos had been serious trouble in the past, and while Vincent held control and Chaos was showing no outward signs of hostility now, Cloud still did not trust the demon.

"You are right to be cautious young leader, if not for my Dear Host I would enjoy toying with you and breaking you slowly." Chaos said, seeming to read his thoughts.

While Cloud did not flinch he felt Zack tense beside him and saw Angeal do the same from the corner of his eye. Cloud simply shook his head in response.

"You already know that will not happen Chaos." Cloud said, his voice confident.

"My Dear Host will not forever control me." Chaos said, a dangerous glint to his eyes, "You have already seen this. Next time I will not waste my time, next time my Host lets his guard fall I shall make sure he is the one caged within this body whilst I am in control, and then you will taste your own blood and feel my-"

Chaos was abruptly cut off for seemingly no reason, but Cloud knew that Vincent was once more taking control and sure enough the gold faded to be replaced by crimson as Vincent pushed Chaos down again. Cloud didn't realise just how much he had tensed up at Chaos' words until he relaxed upon Vincent taking back control.

"That... was... unpleasant." Angeal commented quickly getting a quick agreement from Zack.

"Chaos is a violent being." Vincent said simply.

Cloud looked over to see that while Angeal was still clearly not comfortable with the idea of Vincent he seemed to at least believe Cloud now.

Cloud moved his gaze back over to Vincent then and sent the gunman a look of gratification. Vincent nodded and allowed a small amount of emotion to pass his eyes to let Cloud know that he was fine.

"Is... Is it hard to control them?" Zack asked hesitantly, moving up next to Cloud to look at Vincent. The gunman looked at Zack for a moment, but Zack refused to back down under the crimson gaze.

"At times." Vincent answered, and Cloud hoped in that moment that perhaps Angeal and Zack would come to accept the reclusive man as he had, although he was pretty sure that Zack was already getting there.

XxXxX

The four of them stayed on the rock outcrop for a few more hours, in that time Cloud filled Zack and Angeal in about the attack from Razor, something that both men admonished him for, saying that he should have never walked off alone, but Cloud belayed their fears after a while. Eventually Vincent wandered off into the surrounding area to be alone for a while, something that came as no surprise to the blond and not long later Angeal had decided to explore one of the nearby caves and, after a few quick warnings from Cloud, left Zack and Cloud alone.

Cloud took a seat at the tip of the outcrop with his feet hanging over the edge once more, dangling over the ground far below. Zack sat next to him soon after and the two took the chance to simply enjoy the others company.

"You know what Spiky?" Zack asked a while later. Cloud looked over to him with curious blue eyes. "This place isn't as backwater as I thought it would be."

Cloud allowed a small chuckle to escape him at those words as his mind wandered back to the now two times when he had met the raven-haired man and they had both said the others home area was backwater.

"Gongaga isn't so bad either." Cloud admitted.

"Wait, when did you go there?" Zack asked, looking confused and very puppy like.

"I've been a few times over the years." Cloud replied, he figured that now he would have no problems in letting Zack know that he had indeed been to Gongaga.

"Did you visit me often in the future?" Zack asked hopefully.

Cloud faltered a little bit for a second at the question. He still had no idea if he would, or could, tell Zack that he had died in the future, but after a second he nodded. While he didn't visit Zack the way he wanted to, he always made time to visit Zack as closely as he could. Atop the cliff on the outskirts of Midgar.

The two fell into a pattern of idle chatter as they watched the sun near the horizon and they sky turn a brilliant orange hue highlighting the surrounding mountains. Zack couldn't help but notice the way the setting sun lit up Cloud's hair and eyes and outlined the planes of his face. It was a picture of beauty and in that moment Zack wanted it to last forever. Soon brilliant crystalline blue eyes turned to meet his and Zack smiled widely.

Carefully sliding his hand over, Zack took hold of Cloud's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze before turning his gaze back out to the setting sun. The two sat that way for a long while, even after Vincent and Angeal returned from their wanderings.


	11. Turbulence

**Well, with end of year exams finally out of the way I can focus on getting another chapter out and about. I apologise it took me this long though, but I have been very very busy lately! My original plan to get a chapter out as soon as exams were over ended up going out the window due to travelling plans to see the family and then being roped into a theatre production last minute :) **

The next few weeks were spent around Nibelheim as Angeal and Zack had insisted that they stay when Cloud had suggested going back to Costa. Both SOLDIERs had claimed that the mountains were a nice change, and something different from both the beaches of Costa and the deserts of Midgar so it was still a holiday and, if anything, a better one than before.

There was not an idle day around the small mountain village though, as Cloud had quickly decided that he would train in the surrounding mountain; the range of creatures proving to be great challenges, especially the Nibel Wolves with their powerful pack attacks, while the rough terrain tested stamina and endurance.

Angeal had quickly put Zack on the same routine.

Vincent spent the majority of his days with Cloud, and later on Zack, in the mountains while he once again adjusted to having the prominent presence of Chaos within his body. While the demon was being surprisingly civil since Vincent woke, he doubted that it would last so he made sure that his mental walls were strong and ready to repel any unexpected take-over attempts.

Currently the stoic gunman was watching as Cloud and Zack worked together to defeat a rather large group of monsters; the two twisting around each other in such a way that they looked like they were dancing instead of fighting as they both defended and attacked in such coordination that Vincent almost felt sorry for the monsters who had absolutely no chance of landing so much as a scratch on either of the two swordsmen. Soon the two finished their practice battle and with a small flourish they both sheathed their large swords at the same time and Vincent saw them both send a small smile to the other.

Vincent had been surprised to learn about the connection between Cloud and Zack, but he had instantly approved of the positive effect it had on Cloud. It had always been rare to see the blond smile, but it seemed to be something that happened quite commonly around the young SOLDIER and the gunman's respect for Zack had sky-rocketed.

"Yo, Spike!" Zack yelled from where he was checking out a small pouch that one of the monsters had been carrying. "Check this out."

Cloud moved over from where he had been cleaning First Sword off and looked over Zack's shoulder at the small pouch. It contained a small pile of materia, all glowing softly within their leather confine.

"Good find." Cloud observed as he watched the gentle glow of the different materia. He could point out at least two fire materia, several cure and a few blizzard, each at different levels. He strongly suspected that who ever these had belonged to was most likely a traveller and not a fighter as it was common for serious travellers to keep useful materia in stock for common uses such as lighting a fire, while fighters would usually keep a wider ranger of materia that would generally include both attack and defence materia such as thunder and barrier.

"You bet Spikey!" Zack replied enthusiastically as he stood and attached the small pouch to his belt.

Cloud looked up at the sun slowly setting and sighed mentally, they would have to head back into Nibelheim soon if they didn't want to get caught out in the frigid nights that the Nibel Mountains experienced. Cloud knew that they would have to leave the small mountain town soon and head back to the crowded, over polluted city of Midgar and the Shinra compound therein for the SOLDIER exams... A thought that provoked yet another mental sigh.

The exams were something that had been coming to mind more and more often lately, it seemed that for every step he got closer to his goals there was a new obstacle and despite having known that he would undertake the exams from the start there seemed to be more questions and issues concerning them than ever before...

Cloud pushed the thoughts from his mind before they could properly take root and instead focused on his surroundings as he headed back to Nibelheim with Zack and Vincent. Somehow despite the complete absence of attack from Razor since the incident at the manor, Cloud still found himself remaining on alert for any sign of the Darkness and its followers.

Upon arriving at the Strife residence Zack, Cloud and Vincent met up with Angeal who had spent the day in town stocking up a few supplies for their return to Shinra. Ms Strife had apparently been busy in the kitchen as the house was filled with the delicious aromas of several different foods that instantly had Cloud remembering his childhood in vivid detail. It was like a step into the past, only put on fast forward as all of Cloud's favourite childhood dishes were identified one by one as each smell registered in his mind.

"Good, you're back." Angeal commented as the three of them took up places around the small kitchen area; Zack taking a seat at he table with Angeal while Cloud and Vincent each took up places leaning on the walls.

"Yeah, we were kickin' ass 'Geal! And I scored a bag of materia as well." Zack said, grinning like the boy who stole the cookie from the cookie jar and got away with it.

"Well done." Angeal replied, a soft smile gracing his face. It never ceased to amaze him just how much Zack could learn and just how fast the young raven-haired man was constantly getting better and better.

"Well I hope you boys are hungry." Ms Strife said pleasantly from her place standing by the old wood-fire stove where she was stirring the source of the delicious aromas filling the kitchen. Cloud smiled softly to his Mother while Zack replied with an eager 'you bet!', causing Ms Strife to chuckle lightly.

The group fell into a comfortable silence then with the soft sounds of food cooking mixing with the smells to create a lovely atmosphere. There was some idle chatter for a while as Ms Strife served the food she had made, something that turned out to be quite the feast, and everyone ate until they couldn't eat any more. After wards Cloud got up to help his mother clean up while Angeal and Zack continued to talk, soon enough though Angeal decided to address everyone...

"We will be heading back to Midgar tomorrow." Angeal informed them all, "The exams are due to start in a few days and it will be better to have a few days for rest and last minute training." Angeal added the last part as more of a formality really, it was more than obvious that Cloud would have no issue at all in passing the exams.

Cloud looked over at Vincent after Angeal finished speaking, he had been wondering if the gunman was planning on accompanying them back for the last few days and he had a feeling that Vincent had also been pondering the same thing. While Cloud knew that Vincent would have no issue sneaking into the Shinra compound with them, it would be difficult for Vincent to actually move around in Shinra with such an active Turk group. Aside from that, Cloud doubted that the crimson caped man would actually stay within the city with his dislike of large groups of people.

"I will be joining you for at least part of the way." Vincent said after a moment of consideration, answering the blond's unspoken question. Cloud nodded in response, having expected the answer.

"We will leave at sunrise tomorrow and try to get a descent day flight back towards Midgar." Angeal informed everyone, he was hoping to be back to Shinra before nightfall so that he could sort out a few things that had been worrying him after the attacks in the cadet dorms, but he would need time to get his tasks done and the sooner he could get started the better...

XxXxX

Everyone was up and ready before sunrise the next morning, including Ms Strife who had decided to walk the four boys to the edge of town despite the early hour. Ms Strife had been watching her son over the last few weeks and had noticed that he was different. Dramatically so compared to when he had left; gone was the slightly arrogant boy who had both shunned and craved friendship and had therefore gone off to make a name for himself, he had been replaced with a man who had seen more than he should have and who carried more regrets that the average person accumulates throughout a life time. She had worried at first, but had soon come to see that while Cloud was not the same, he had become who he _needed_ to be.

Ms Strife had been sad to hear early the day before that they would be leaving and had therefore planned dinner accordingly with all of Cloud's old favourite meals in mind. She was sad to see her son go yet again, but she had an unexplainable feeling that it was a gift that was never fully deemed to be given. She was glad that everyone had enjoyed the feast that she had lovingly prepared the night before and had slept well with full stomachs.

Cloud walked next to his mother as they moved to the edge of town, he would miss his mother after having seen her for the first time in years, something that was all the more special considering she had been long dead in his original time, but he knew that it would be easier now that he knew that she was alive and well and that he would have to come and visit her again. He was also glad that despite his initial misgivings about facing the past for this particular portion of his life, that he _had_ faced it.

The small group made their way to the edge of town as the first rays of the sun began to shine on the mountain top and just at the edge of town they all stopped. During their time there Angeal and Zack had come to view Ms Strife as an adopted family member and both would miss her greatly, even Vincent had come to like the small woman, something that rarely happened in such a short time period but he had instantly appreciated how the blond woman had not judged him at all upon their first unorthodox meeting and it had grown from there.

Cloud took a moment to steel himself before turning to his mother with a soft smile, getting one that was nearly identical in return.

"Be careful out there." Ms Strife warned as she pulled her only son into a firm embrace, "Don't forget that whatever you are going through, you have friends that will stay by your side."

Cloud could hardly be surprised that his mother at least suspected something was amiss, and while he took the advice to heart he already knew that his friends would stand by him. It had taken him many years to work it out the first time around, and he would not make the same mistake again.

"I know Mum." He replied softly, pulling back from the hug to look at he woman that had nurtured and raised him after his father had disappeared. "You be careful as well... Things are constantly changing, and it is not always for the best." Cloud wasn't sure what had brought the thought to mind, it had originally been Nanaki that had told him that, but just then it seemed appropriate.

Ms Strife smiled and nodded her head in acknowledgement before turning to Zack and Angeal.

"I am glad that Cloud found you two, I don't think he could get better friends... Please watch over him while he is so far away from home." She said, the words carrying a heavier meaning than even she herself knew.

"Of course." Angeal promised solemnly. "I swear it on my honour."

"Yeah, Spikey will be fine with us!" Zack added with a small fist pump to add emphasis to his words.

Finally Ms Strife turned to Vincent, who had taken up a place slightly separate from the group.

"I know that I do not need to ask you to take care of him," She said, her blue eyes twinkling with a hidden knowledge, "I have a feeling that you have been watching over Cloud for a long time, even if I don't know where the feeling came from."

Cloud, who had been feeling almost uncomfortable with his mother talking about him as though he wasn't there, was surprised by the words and turned his eyes to his mother once more. There was still a knowing look in her eyes that reminded him of Aerith for a moment and he was left wondering how much she actually _knew_ and how much was instinct. Or perhaps even intervention for the flower girl herself.

Ms Strife then proceeded to go to Zack, Angeal and even Vincent in turn and gave each a hug and a small bag of home made treats. Everyone had been surprised when she had hugged Vincent and the gunman had allowed it, even Vincent himself had been slightly surprised.

Cloud smiled at the sight of his friends and his mother and could only hope that this was something that would happen again, and after one more quick embrace from his mother the small group got ready to leave.

"Wait!" The voice rang through the quiet mountainside village, halting the group after only a few steps. Turning to see who had called out to them, they saw Tifa running towards them at full speed. She soon caught up to the small group, and after a failed attempt at speaking due to loss of breath she had to take a moment to rest with her hands on her knees.

"I...I just _knew_ that you were leaving today..." Tifa said finally, still short on breath but good enough to speak now. "Why... Why didn't you come to say goodbye?" She asked, her chestnut eyes raising to meet Cloud's.

To be truthful, Cloud had spent a lot of his time avoiding his childhood friend after what had happened at the mansion. He knew that Tifa was not the sort of person to run away from an unpleasant experience, but he had been unsure about how much she would push him to explain the event.

"I didn't want to disturb you..." Cloud hedged softly, looking away from Tifa's gaze. The words sounded hollow even to him. Tifa stood up straight at the words and placed her hands on her hips, her eyes narrowing to glare at him.

"That has to be the worst excuse ever!" She grumbled. "Look Cloud, I don't care what happened at the mansion, all that mattered was you kept your promise! So don't avoid me because of it."

Cloud's eyes had snapped up to meet Tifa's at the mention of their promise, made so long ago for him. The promise that he would come for her if ever she was in danger had always been something that Cloud had regarded as yet another failure, another fault of his own making because he had been to cowardly to even show his face in his home town.

"Sorry Teef..." Cloud apologised, running his hand through the back of his hair, it was so like Tifa to get right to the point.

For the second time since he had arrived in Nibelheim Cloud found himself in a tight hug from the young woman.

"Just don't do it again." Tifa said with a sigh. A moment of silence passed with Tifa holding Cloud close before she pulled back and smiled at him. "And come back in one piece."

Cloud nodded once and dug up a small smile for her sake. After that Cloud, Zack, Angeal and Vincent finally turned around and began their downhill trip to the air strip at the base of the mountain, with Tifa and Ms Strife standing watch from the edge of the town as the morning sunlight slowly spread its warm fingers over the surrounding land until well after the the small, motley group was of sight.

"What do you think will happen?" Tifa asked softly, remembering Cloud's actions at the mansion, the sorrow and knowledge... the _age_ that had shone in his eyes.

"I don't know..." Ms Strife answered, "We can only hope that he is strong enough to face whatever it is..."

With those words the two women turned around and headed back to their homes, both without thoughts of the blond man they had watched grow up...

XxXxX

According to Zack, the trip _down_ the mountain was comparatively better than the trip _up_ the mountain and the group made good time in reaching their destination. They arrived at the air base not too long after midday and were quick to charter a small air plane for the trip back to Midgar and were in the air within the hour.

The first half of the flight ran smoothly with the occupants of the small plane each occupying themselves with their own thoughts. Vincent had chosen to remain near the back hatch, his usual habits of scoping the area and keeping an exit close by still very prominent in his behaviour. Vincent had taken the first hour or so to thoroughly check and clean Cerberus. Angeal was sitting next to Zack on the seats in the middle of the plane on the left hand side and kept himself occupied by going over his plans for everything that he needed to do once they arrived at the Shinra compound, Zack had been dozing for a while, more than likely storing up excess of his usual energy, while Cloud sat across from them with his mind in the past yet again.

The only sounds other than the whirring machinery of the plane was the soft voices of the two pilots in the cockpit, both had stepped up to fly the group to Midgar despite the short notice and had been friendly and professional in their manner of work; something that is hard to come by in remote areas like the Nibelheim air base.

But alas, the silence was not to be as it was suddenly shattered when a gut-wrenching, bestial cry rang out through the skies, causing everyone to jump and come instantly to full alertness as the sound faded from the sky leaving an uneasy feeling within each person aboard the plane in the resulting silence.

"What he heck was that!?" Zack exclaimed and everyone reached for their respective weapons.

"Something that can't be good." Cloud answered as he stood up and moved towards the cockpit. He only made it part of the way before the plane shuddered violently and he was sent tumbling forward to the ground as the loud shriek of tearing metal rang through the hull and was soon followed by the same bestial roar as before, now only much louder and much, much closer.

"Dammit!" Cloud cursed under his breath as he quickly got up and regained his balance before moving to the cockpit where the pilots were frantically trying to keep control of the plane as several alarms sounded and warning lights flashed for specific areas of the plane.

"What the hell was that thing?" One of the pilots yelled out as he desperately scanned the skies for any sigh of what had attacked them.

"What did you see?" Cloud asked upon successfully reaching the cockpit. He was in no mood to dance around the subject.

"This huge, damn, flying lizard!" The second pilot answered as his hands flew across the controls around him, trying to stabilise the craft. Cloud was about to ask for more details when a shadow caught his eyes ahead of him.

Upon fixing his eyes on the creature flying directly towards them Cloud knew they were in some serious trouble. The creature was much like the pilot had described it; it was very lizard like in appearance with a large, long body ending in a tail, four large leathery wings sprouting from its back and four clawed legs all poised for the next strike. It was definitely not a dragon, yet it looked as though it could almost be a cousin of the dragonoid species, the creature was easily three times bigger than the plane and it knew it had the advantage as it charged directly for them with no hesitation. The worst thing that Cloud saw however, was the brightly glowing red eyes that practically screamed '_Darkness'_.

Cloud quickly figured out that there was no way to fight off the creature as it closed in on the plane at an almost painful speed and he doubted that they would be given the chance of a third strike to the plane. If it hit now, and it was going to hit, then they were going down.

Turning and sheathing First Sword, Cloud barely had time to shout a harried warning to his companions before the creature hit its target and he, along with all the other occupants of the plane, were violently thrown into unconsciousness.


	12. Heartache

**As a way of apologising for the delay of the last chapter, and for the cliffhanger ending :), I've decided to get this one out ASAP despite being quite busy.**

**So enjoy!**

In his mind Cloud could hear the laughter of his enemies as he floated in the blissfulness of unconsciousness, it seemed strange to him that he could hear anything at all, and in a disconnected way he realised that it was nothing more than his own imagination.

Nothing made sense to him as his mind attempted to piece together the tattered feelings that were still racing through his mind from his last conscious moments; he felt fear but could not understand _why_, he felt a sense of urgency but could not figure out what _for_, he felt a rising panic and concern but could not figure out _who_ it was for...

_Cloud, you need to wake up..._

The voice that floated to him was far away, and for the moment Cloud was tempted to think that it was once again his imagination that was attempting to drag him from his slumber. There was urgency in his mind, but it made so sense and it was easy to ignore.

_Cloud..._

The voice called again, this time managing to stir some form of awareness within Cloud's mind, but almost as quickly as the awareness came it was being threatened by the lure of blissful nothing.

_Cloud, awaken!_

He was so close to the surface now and it would only take a slight effort to rouse himself from sleep... But why should he?

_Dammit Cloud, _wake up!"

Crystal blue eyes slowly appeared as Cloud was finally able to drag himself from unconsciousness, they focused quickly on Vincent crouching next to him, signs of concern visible in the depths of those crimson eyes. The memories of the crash came back quickly as Cloud looked around; the plane had obviously come down hard and had sheered a path through a thick copse of trees leaving a long crater in its wake. The plane had come to pieces under the creatures attack and hadn't had a chance of holding up in the resulting impact, leaving large chunks of metal and mechanical equipment lying around and most likely being the reason as to why he was laying in the open.

Smoke rose in lazy black drifts but any fires that had once had once burned were now either dead or dying leaving nothing but char and embers behind. The sky above was coloured orange, purple and pink, indicating an incoming sunset.

Turning his inventory inwards, Cloud assessed himself for injury before attempting to move. He was stiff and sore, and there was a tight pain in his left leg but upon stretching it he figured that it wasn't anything too bad.

Sitting up gingerly, Cloud turned his attention to Vincent. As usual the gunman seemed unharmed despite the destruction that surrounded them, something that had to do with the healing properties of his demons and the natural skill the gunman possessed.

"I am fine." Vincent stated upon noticing Cloud's assessment. Cloud nodded his acknowledgement and slowly sat up casting his eyes around the immediate area for Zack and Angeal and upon not seeing them he could only hope that they were not to far away and that they were ok.

With a sigh Cloud looked down at his leg and saw that there was piece of shrapnel embedded just above his knee, causing him to groan slightly. It was a small injury considering the nature of the crash, but it was in a place that would be quite painful while moving. Deciding that it didn't matter and that he needed to find Angeal and Zack, Cloud reached down and pulled the metal from his leg without emotion, he then proceeded to tear a long strip from the bottom of his shirt to bandage the wound and stem the flow of blood.

Vincent watched for a moment before turning to scan the area, it wouldn't do to let an enemy sneak up on them now while they were separated from the others. When the creature had successfully launched its second attack the gunman had been holding position at the back of the plane and had managed to brace himself by digging his claw into the metal beside him. Vincent had watched as the others were thrown roughly around the plane as the air craft spiralled out of control and began a sickening descent towards the ground a few hundred feet below. It had been through sheer will that Vincent had held tight as the creature tore into the hull of the plane and began attempting to claw its way inside.

A well placed bullet form Cerberus had put an end to that.

The creature had disappeared with one eye less, but still alive as the plane made first contact with the ground; resulting in a bone shuddering crash that practically tore the hull in half. Using the skills that he had learned from his time in the Turks, and calling on the immense power of Chaos, Vincent had propelled himself from the out of control craft. He would have much preferred to help his companions but even he wouldn't be able to find the balance to ride out the sickening jolts of the plane to get to them.

After that it had been a fairly easy, yet still daunting task of locating the others. He had come across Cloud first who was the closest to the lowly burning remains of the cockpit and at first he had feared that the blond had been seriously injured. Thankfully after a quick inspection he had found that while his friend was littered with cuts and bruises the extent of his injuries had been a piece of metal embedded into his leg, something that would heal quite quickly due to the Mako and Jenova cells running through Cloud's body.

"Have you found Angeal or Zack?" Cloud asked, bringing Vincent's full attention back to the blond.

"No, not yet." Vincent answered, he wouldn't verbally admit it, but he had been much more concerned for Cloud, as there were very few people that Vincent counted as a true friend, and the blond swordsman was probably the first one that had ever fully accepted him in their motley group.

Cloud nodded once, scanning the area once again for the slightest sign of his friends. His eyes fell upon the remains of the cockpit and he figured that it would be a good idea to check on the pilots and see if maybe Zack or Angeal had ended up in that area of the plane.

Standing up slightly stiffly, Cloud was grateful to find that First Sword was still in its sheath on his back. Moving over to the remains of the cockpit, Cloud had to move several large pieces of damaged sheet metal to actually gain access to the pilots area.

All that remained of the pilots was a bloody, tangled mess. Their fronts looked as though someone had put meat grinders to the skin and exposed the organs within. The windshield was completely non-existent and all the machinery was completely shot. A quick scan told Cloud that Zack and Angeal were not, and never had been, in the cockpit area...

Thankfully.

Moving away from the cockpit, Cloud turned to Vincent who was still waiting where he had woken up.

"Both pilots are dead." He relayed, having no issue with seeing death after so many years of it, "We need to find Zack and Angeal though, we have no way of knowing what enemies are in the area... The were most likely thrown from the plane before I was." Cloud continued thoughtfully.

Vincent nodded as they both looked down the distance of the crater, and in an unspoken agreement the two moved to opposite sides and began to walk, looking for their missing companions both in the centre of the crater and along the outskirts.

Now that Cloud actually had time to think he realised just how foolish he had been; he should have anticipated the attack well before it ever happened; they were vulnerable in the air and there had been no way that Cloud could have expected these pilots to know how to handle an areal assault; after all, they were most certainly not Cid. Cloud knew that if anything had happened to either Angeal or Zack that he would never forgive himself... As it was, he now had the two pilots to add to his ever growing list of failures...

Vincent was also occupied with his own thoughts and self-imposed duty of scrutinising the slightest details of his surroundings. Much like Cloud, the gunman was currently berating himself for not seeing the attack coming, and Chaos, who was quite enjoying the show that was unfolding, was taking it upon himself to 'help' his host in his quest for self damnation.

They found Angeal first, the tall First was laid up on the edge of the crater on Cloud's side, but he had almost been missed due to a large piece of debris coving the majority of his body.

"Vincent!" Cloud called upon finding Angeal. The caped gunman made his way over quickly as Cloud threw the large sheet metal away from Angeal. Both men were pleased to see that aside from the expected bruising, cuts and scratches, Angeal seemed to be in good condition.

The First Class SOLDIER woke fairly quickly and after mumbling something along the lines of 'damn bird shit', proceeded to take awareness of his surroundings before scanning Cloud for serious injuries, something that both men put down to a friendly reaction, but even Angeal found it odd that he held no inclination to see if Vincent was ok. Angeal's second response was to look for Zack and upon not immediately finding him he turned to Cloud, planning on grilling the blond until he had some answers, both on the whereabouts of his student and the attack that had brought them down.

"We still need to find Zack." Cloud said, anticipating the questioning and deciding to derail it before it started.

"Fine, but I would still like some answers soon." Angeal responded as he stood up. Cloud nodded his agreement, but offered up no further chance at conversation as he began moving once again.

The longer Zack was missing for the more concerned Cloud became; the raven-haired man was strong and resilient, but if he was seriously injured then even the mako wouldn't be enough to keep him alive, and with the chance that another attack may come at any time it would be bad if he was cornered alone.

Both of these situations and more ran through Cloud's mind causing the blond to quicken his steps in the hopes of finding his companion sooner. After a while of walking Cloud began to fight a rising panic. The thought of losing Zack once again after all they had been through since he had come back was heart-wrenching, and it reminded Cloud exactly why he had closed off from all those close to him in the first place. It would be his fault again; he would fail the man he was now pretty sure he had quite deep feelings for, a second time... It would be his fault, his own stupidity... his own _fucking_ fault!

Cloud hadn't realised that he had wandered farther away from the edge of the crater until he felt a hand land on his shoulder, succeeding in snapping him from his out of control thoughts and bringing his mind back to the present. Looking over he found Vincent standing behind him, his crimson eyes once again holding that hidden concern that only time had taught Cloud to read.

"We will find him." Vincent said softly. He, like the rest of AVALANCHE, knew how the death of Zack had nearly destroyed Cloud the first time; how it had -in conjunction with the mako addiction- nearly destroyed his mind and very identity to a point that he had very nearly not come back from. He could almost sense the blond's thoughts, even if outwardly Cloud had automatically put up a mask of indifference.

"Vince..." Cloud said softly, looking away. The blond wanted to express his thoughts, but he didn't know _how_.

"He will be ok." Vincent assured, hoping to Gaia that he was correct.

Anything that Cloud would have said in reply was cut off when Angeal walked over. It wasn't that Cloud didn't want the man to know what was going on in his mind; it was simply the fact that he wasn't ready to let the tall First in that far yet.

"Everything ok?" Angeal asked upon reaching the two. Vincent had removed his hand from Cloud's shoulder now, but a subtle tension was still in the air.

"It's fine." Cloud answered before beginning to walk once again. His thoughts were now under better control as he moved through the remains of the trees along the edge of the crater.

Only minutes later a soft noise reached Cloud's ears and he paused, not sure whether or not he had actually heard anything. The noise sounded again, this time slightly louder and Cloud recognised it as a groan. Moving quickly towards the source of the sound Cloud came across a sight that would haunt him for years.

Zack lay in a small clearing of trees, looking quite battered and bruised; something that would have come from being thrown from the plane so soon after initial contact with the ground. The raven-haired man was pale and a sheen of sweat covered his skin, and a large gash was open on his forehead, leaving blood to matt in his hair and coat the side of his face a sickly crimson colour.

But the worst part was the large branch of a tree that was firmly impaled in Zack's lower stomach.

For a moment, Cloud's heart stopped beating.

When another shuddering breath passed through Zack's lips though, Cloud was finally able to move. Quickly moving to Zack's side he began to assess the damage, pushing all thoughts from his mind and simply moving on auto-pilot. The branch was embedded deep into Zack's lower abdomen and had likely punctured something vital. Cloud knew that he would need to remove the branch, but in doing so he could also cause more complication. The branch itself was splintered and severely broken, meaning that there was likely to be several large splinters in Zack as well.

That added to the risk of Zack bleeding to death, both outwardly and internally didn't bode very well.

Cloud was at a loss as to what he should do. Either he leave the branch in and watch his friend. No his loved one. Die slowly from internal injuries, or he removed the branch and watched Zack bleed out.

Quickly looking around, Cloud was surprised to see that Angeal and Vincent hadn't followed him and were most likely still looking else where. Once again Cloud's thoughts threatened to overwhelm him, and his mind itself threatened to crack beneath the weight of his despair.

Oddly enough, one of the threats that Sephiroth had once made came to mind:

"_Shall I give you despair?"_ The silver-haired demon had asked, and if he had been here to ask that question once again in that moment, Cloud would have replied that he wouldn't have needed to give it. He already had it.

"S-Spike?" The broken voice only just registered in his mind, but once it did Cloud could focus on nothing more that he slight sliver of mako blue-green eyes that slowly appeared.

"Z-Za..." Cloud just could find a way to speak past the lump that had formed in his throat. The situation was just to similar to that day on the cliffs near Midgar...

"Don't look like that Buddy." Zack said, his voice soft but surprisingly strong. Cloud could only avert his eyes. "Listen..." Zack continued, his eyes wandering slightly towards the reason for his pain, "...Get it out."

"But..."

"Please..."

As Cloud looked down on his friend, he knew exactly what Zack was doing; like every SOLDIER, Zack understood death and he knew his options, none of them had the equipment necessary to help him so he was left with a prolonged death if the branch was left in, or a quicker, less painful death if it was removed.

Cloud hated both with a passion. He hated the feeling of helplessness that was consuming him; spreading from his heart outwards. But Cloud also knew that he could no more ignore Zack's request than ignore the fact that his own damned heart was still beating.

So it was with a heavy heart that Cloud placed one hand upon Zack's stomach near the wound, and the other on the branch. He took a few breaths and slowly counted to ten before wrenching the branch from his friends body.

Zack's pained gasp cut through his heart like a knife and he found his eyes stuck on the now freely bleeding wound for only a second before he was instantly trying to stem the flow of blood using his own hands.

Cloud could almost see the life being drained from Zack's body, yet he could do nothing. He could only sit and watch his friend slipping away from him for the second time.

Shifting slightly closer to Zack in an attempt to put more pressure on the wound, Cloud's knee came into contact with something that made a small _clink_ when hit. His eyes were drawn downwards to see that the bag of materia they had found the day before was still attached to Zack's belt.

In a flash of hope, Cloud quickly pulled the bag open and emptied its contents onto the floor next to him. There had been healing materia in the pouch! If there was any way that he could possibly save Zack it would be the materia.

Quickly locating and snatching up two of the healing materia Cloud wasted no time in channelling his will and energy into the small orbs, despite the fact that he had not equipped them in the conventional method of a weapon or brace the power began to flow and the green healing light began to stitch itself into Zack's wound.

The process was painfully slow for Cloud, and incredibly draining but as he watched the blood flow began to slow and the flesh began to stitch back up. The materia was shinning brightly and it was almost scalding to touch, but Cloud didn't ease up at all; instead pushing himself further.

After what felt like an eternity the green healing threads receded from Zack's body and the shine died down from the orbs. Cloud's body felt drained and tried, but as he looked upon Zack's sleeping form, now free from pain he knew that it was worth it. Never before had Cloud felt quite so relieved as he did in that moment.

Letting his hands fall down from their position above Zack's body, he allowed the two materia to fall from his grasp.

"Not this time..." Cloud whispered to himself, "Not again..."

Cloud wasn't sure how long he sat beside Zack for but eventually the sounds of someone moving through the bushes roused his attention enough for him to look around in time to see Angeal and Vincent move into the small clearing.

Both paused upon seeing the two before moving over quickly.

"Cloud?" Vincent asked warily. He could see the blond's exhaustion, more mental than physical and for a moment he allowed his own doubts to prevent him from fully assessing the situation and he feared Zack was dead.

"I'm fine Vince." Cloud answered, his voice was ragged but calm. Focusing his full attention on the situation this time, Vincent saw the evidence of Zack's wounds; the blood surrounding him and coving Cloud's hands, he also saw the materia scattered around Cloud and a bloody branch that lay not far away. He knew exactly what had happened then.

Angeal, who had moved instantly to Zack's side felt his own waves of relief washing over him. Zack was still pale, but he definitely seemed to be ok. He wasn't sure what he would have done if Zack hadn't made it.

Angeal had seen Cloud wander off earlier, but had decided to continue checking down the length of the crater first. It had only been when he had reached the end and looked around that whole area that he began to grow truly concerned. Vincent had followed him down, checking the other side of the crater, but when Cloud hadn't re-appeared for a length of time both men began to suspect something was wrong, so they went in search of their blond companion as well as their raven-haired companion.

"It won't happen again..." Cloud said, his voice almost to soft for the tall First to hear. Looking up at the blond, Angeal could see that Cloud was distracted and obviously out of it. Turning his eyes to the darkening sky, the tall First knew that they wouldn't be going far tonight.

Getting up Angeal moved to gather some of the brambles that the crash had destroyed to prepare a fire, and it wasn't long before there was a small blaze going next to Zack and Cloud. At some point the blond had either laid down, or had fallen and was now laying on his side next to Zack.

The look of dried blood, or drying in some cases slightly disturbed Angeal, but he knew that it would be something to deal with in the morning. It would be a tedious night and he cloud only hope that no further attack would come while they were two people down, as it was Vincent and himself would have to remain on watch to be ready.

Vincent, who had remained nearby standing watch could only try to anticipate any attack that may come their way. As it was he could think of several different scenarios that would leave them at a distinct disadvantage. The biggest factor for concern was that Cloud was, for the moment, lost within himself. It wasn't the first time the gunman had seen the blond like this, but he had certainly hoped that it would be the last, yet he could also fully understand the reasons behind it as well; Cloud had adamantly blamed himself for both the deaths of Zack and Aerith, but it had been Zack's death that had affected him the worst, so to come so close to loosing the raven-haired man a second time would have had an extreme mental effect on Cloud, and that coupled with the physical strain of using unequipped materia to such a high extent would leave Cloud simply drained.

Vincent could only hope that their situation would improve in the morning...

XxXxX

It was indeed a very tense night, but thankfully no attack occurred and after what seemed to be an age, the first beams of light began to wind themselves into the world, painting the sky brilliant colours and lightening the hearts of the occupants of the small clearing.

Zack had woken late during the night, he was sore but now in good health so Angeal had given him the small amount of food they had as the fall First knew that it would be important for Zack to have some proper energy for whatever may lay ahead, after all the process of healing with materia was not only exhausting for the person doing the healing, but also for the one being healed.

Cloud had spent the night plagued by nightmares every time he closed his eyes and had eventually given up on the idea of rest and simply sat there looking into the flames of the small fire that Vincent and Angeal kept burning through the night.

Now that sunrise was well and truly on its way, the small group decided that they should probably put some distance between them and the crash site, knowing that if anyone undesirable was looking for them they would look there. The group had next to no supplies; something that each person was accustomed to, but also not looking forward to.

They were perhaps a day or two away from Midgar if they moved at a fast pace and hoping that they would be able to bypass the Forgotten Forest and head straight for the desolate desert areas that took up a majority of the land leading to Midgar.

Right then Cloud wished he had Fenrir.

The group moved at a steady pace and by midday they had left he forest area behind them and had began to trek over a large grassy plain with rolling hills taking up the most of the visible horizon.

There had been minimum talk between the four companions throughout the morning, and what little talk there had been had been between Angeal and Zack. Cloud hadn't spoken a word since the confusing sentence the night before and as usual Vincent didn't have anything important to say and therefore saw no need to speak. Zack, although still more pale than usual and lacking his normal bounding energy had attempted to brighten the mood several times but received no response other than half-hearted returns from Angeal.

Cresting the top of one of the larger hills on the plains the group came to a stand still as they viewed the way ahead. In the distance and to the far right the shadowy outline of the Forgotten Forest stood eternal sentry, anything to the left of that became nothing more than blurred lines.

Vincent looked upon the Forest, still so small and far away in the soft afternoon light, and almost wished that he could retire there for now; it was a place that he had spent much time in after joining Cloud and his group in their hunt for Sephiroth and the iridescent trees had become a home of sorts when he was alone, the Forgotten City within stood as a testament to the past and all its wonders.

The group continued to walk...

It was nearing nightfall when Angeal decided that it was time to begin looking for a place to remain for the night; they had encountered little more than the odd beast throughout the day, but even he knew that travelling at night was a dangerous prospect.

The best that the group found in terms of a shelter for the night was a large fallen tree, rotten and hollow with age. It seemed to be luck really, when one considered that fact that any trees on the plain were few and far between.

"This will have to do." Angeal said, breaking the silence that had befallen the group over that past few hours.

"Home sweet home..." Zack muttered sarcastically, surveying the tree. The raven-haired man didn't want to admit it much, but he was exhausted and couldn't wait to simply rest for a few hours. They were close enough to the desert plains for the air to be fairly dry, making the once green, fresh grass now dry and brittle.

Once again the group set about collecting any burnable material to make a camp fire for the night, this time they were forced to use mostly quick burning grass as the bark on the tree had since fossilised from years of sunlight and wind.

By the time darkness fully descended over the group, there were all seated around a low burning fire, each feeling the effects of a long day with no food or drink, but also glad to be close to the final leg of the walk home. Eventually Vincent went in search of some more sustainable fuel for the fire, although Cloud suspected that the gunman was also scanning the area and simply having some time to himself; it had been a common occurrence from the first time Vincent had travelled with him. Soon enough Angeal allowed himself some much needed rest after his night vigil the previous night, leaving Zack and Cloud to themselves for a while.

Zack was worried with the fact that Cloud still hadn't said a single thing; he was worried that it was his fault, that his request for Cloud to pull the branch out had hurt the blond somehow. Looking over at Cloud, Zack could find no outward form of any emotion whatsoever as the blond looked into the fire, much like he had been doing the night before when he woke up.

"Hey, Cloud?" Zack called softly, hoping that he could both get some answers and relay his concerns. The only sigh that Cloud even acknowledged him was a quick flash of cerulean blue eyes looking in his direction before focusing on the fire once more.

"Common Spike, talk to me here." Zack said, and upon getting no verbal response he continued with his thoughts anyway, "Look man, I'm sorry if I did something wrong or if what I asked last night hurt you, but..." Zack sighed, not knowing how to continue.

"It wasn't you." Cloud said when Zack stopped. His voice was flat; emotionless, and his eyes didn't move from the fire. It was the truth as well, Cloud's thoughts had been firmly on how he was going to kill Razor the next time they met as his anger at himself and the Darkness bubbled beneath the surface. He didn't like to admit just how much Zack had scared him the day before, but the feelings that had come over him had been all to familiar.

"That what's wrong?" Zack pushed, not quite believing that he wasn't the cause.

"It wasn't you." Cloud repeated and paused before sighing and deciding to continue, "It was just a situation that was... far to familiar to me."

Cloud knew that with that one sentence he would be stepping into dangerous territory, but he couldn't really help it either; how was he suppose to explain that Zack's death had destroyed him once and coming so close to a second time had threatened the same dark abyss? How was he suppose to explain that he was angry with himself? Angry with the Darkness for the pain it had put him through? Angry with fate for being so cruel as to take such a pure soul as Zack's so early the first time, and the threat of taking it yet again, only this time even sooner?

"What do you mean?" Zack asked, wishing at that moment that he could read Cloud's mind just so he could have an idea of what was truly going through the blond's mind.

"I've lost... a lot of people close to me." Cloud evaded smartly.

"I'm sorry Spike," Zack said, moving to sit next to Cloud, "I promise I won't do that again..."

This time Cloud did look at Zack, the raven-haired man was completely serious and it both warmed Cloud and scared him even more.

As Cloud settled down on his side planning on at least faking sleep and staying close to Zack, he knew that he wouldn't sleep well for a while yet, and as he once again stared into the dying flames of the fire an unwelcome thought ran through his mind;

_Don't promise something you know you can't keep_...

XxXxX

The next day the group wasted no time in pushing past the last of the grassy plains and heading onto the desert areas that would eventually lead to Midgar. Of the group Vincent was probably the more knowledgeable regarding the area, having spent many years simply exploring the lands. Cloud would be a close second, having first done deliveries all over the land and therefore travelled through, and then having spent a large majority of his time in the desert and the deserted slums after contracting Geostigma.

Between the two, they were able to really push on and by mid-afternoon they had their first sight of Midgar in the distance. Everyone, even Vincent, was looking forward to food, drink, a shower and a nice warm bed. Angeal had already made it perfectly clear that Zack and Cloud would both had to get checked by the medical staff when they arrived at Shinra. After that the atmosphere surrounding the group was considerably better with the end of this particular journey nearing an end.

Within the hour the group took their first steps into the city limits and began their trek towards the Shinra compound. At some point Vincent had simply melted into the crowd with only Cloud seeing it. The blond knew that the gunman would be heading off in search of a place to stay with minimal people interaction involved.

When the remaining three finally reached the Shinra compound they finally allowed themselves to relax a little bit as they approached sustenance, a nice warm shower and a soft bed.

Later that night as they were all sitting in the cafeteria after getting a clean bill of health from the medical staff, Angeal and Zack both regretted loosing the food that Ms Strife had so lovingly made them...

**Well, a nice long chapter within a few days is always good :) I hope you all enjoy. **

**And wish me luck, for the theatre production** **I have a role in is happening tonight! **


	13. Speculation

The exams were closing in, yet Cloud's mind was more preoccupied with other matters. The matter at the front of his mind at this particular time however was the raven-haired man that was seated across from him in Zack's little kitchen.

As a good luck celebration Zack had invited both Angeal and Cloud over for dinner to wish Cloud good luck in the beginning of the exams the next day. The tall First had been unable to make it due to a last minute meeting for the First Class SOLDIERS who would have to make an appearance at the assembly preceding the exams.

Since they had gotten back from their little 'holiday' Cloud had been quite distant, something that Zack was still hoping would pass quickly, but over the last three or so days there had been little improvement, and Zack was getting concerned. He hated seeing the blond so far away, especially from him, and now that he had the blond alone for a while he was determined to either snap Cloud out of it or find the reason behind it.

Cloud listened as best as he could to the light hearted chatter that Zack offered up during the meal, and he tried to find the correct responses for what was expected in everyday conversation. His mind however, was occupied, as it had been for the last few days, on how he was going to proceed after the exams were over. He had no doubt that he would be able to pass the exams, in fact he knew he would have to hold back to avoid attracting to much attention considering the large body of people who would be studying the cadets' movement for people of interest.

After that Cloud knew that he would have to make his move on Hojo if he was ever going to escape the issue of the mako treatments, something that he by no means wanted to go through considering how his body usually reacted to large amounts of mako. If he could have he would have taken Hojo out before the exams, but getting to Shinra's head scientist while in the position of cadet would be next to impossible without causing severe consequences, so he hoped that by passing the exams and entering the bracket where it was expected to have regular dealings with the man, he would be able to kill the man and slip away without even the notice of the ever vigilant Turks.

"Hey, Spike." Zack said, bringing Cloud back to the present once again, "You know this is your celebration right? So relax and have some fun!"

"Yeah..." Cloud replied half-heartedly, bringing his full attention to Zack. The raven-haired man had a serious look to his eyes despite his light tone, and Cloud knew then that he was wasn't going to get away without talking.

"Look, Spike..." Zack sighed, showing just how much Cloud's vagueness had gotten to him. "What's up? I thought you would be ok after we spoke on the way back from Nibelheim, but nothing has changed. It this still about the crash?"

Cloud was slightly surprised at first by the question of the crash, but he realised that he had been vague even when first explaining what had been on his mind when they had spoken, so now he could only blame himself for the questioning that was once more being pointed his way.

"No it's not that." Cloud replied honestly, "I've been trying to figure out how to go about things after the exams..."

"After the exams? Seriously, that's what you've been so quiet over?" Zack asked not expecting such a straight forward answer.

"It gets more complicated after the exams are over. When I pass, as you know, I will be expected to begin the mako treatments... Something that I have absolutely no inclination to do again."

"I guess, I suppose that it would also mess you up a bit since you already have mako in your body."

"Yeah," Cloud nodded, not bothering to go into the fine details, "I also need to figure out how I am going to make a move on Hojo."

Zack nodded, and thought on the subject for a moment before shrugging.

"I'm not to sure how you're going to do that one Spike, the man is well protected... _But_, tonight is suppose to be a good luck for tomorrow! So no more of this doom and gloom Mister! It's time to relax a bit and have some fun before tomorrow." Zack spoke sternly, his wide smile the only indication that he was faking the seriousness in his voice.

With a soft sigh, Cloud managed to push all his thoughts aside for the first time in days and give all his attention to the man sitting across from him, who was now eating quite happily given his obvious success.

Cloud had to wonder when the last time he had ever been so thoroughly wrapped around someone's little finger was... If there was ever a time...

The rest of the meal was spent with contented chatter as Zack was sure to milk every drop of conversation from the blond. Afterwards the two congregated towards the lounge where Zack turned on some comedic show that neither was really interested in; right now all either of them could think about was how little time they had truly spent together since the night in the hotel at Costa, and Zack was planning on making good on his promise to corner the blond once again.

Cloud wasn't overly sure how it happened but he soon found himself under attack from an over sized puppy that was interested in more than a simple scratch behind the ear. And who was Cloud to deny him that?

A light-hearted tackle match soon began between the two men, with both attempting to grab a hold of the other. This time it was Cloud who eventually won the match and managed to get a hold of Zack; admittedly, discovering the raven-haired man was ticklish did help his cause, and soon the two were locked in a heated kiss that only scratched the top of what they felt for each other in that moment.

Cloud gasped into the kiss when he felt Zack's hands sliding down his chest only to find the bottom of his shirt and pull upwards. The kiss was only disconnected for seconds as the shirt was quickly discarded. From there all Cloud could do was attempt to continue holding himself up as he hovered over the raven-haired man as Zack's hands softly explored his chest, stomach and back. With each old scar that Zack located with his fingers he would take the time to gently caress each one, something that Cloud found sent shivers down his spine.

Zack was loving the reactions he could coax from the blond and as his hands continued their exploration he worked to relay the love he felt for Cloud into each touch as their kiss continued, only breaking every once in a while to allow them both to breath.

Eventually Zack withdrew his hands, he knew that tonight was not the night to go further, so the two settled for simply resting together on the couch. They stayed that way for a little while, the room nearly silent with the exception of the television and their own now calm breathing.

"You know," Zack started softly, breaking the silence, "You never did tell me how you got all those scars..." Cloud was silent for a while before answering.

"I've been in many fights over the years, they are the results of that." The blond said eventually.

"But... you seem so young, yet you seem to have lived a full life already." Zack pointed out.

"For the most part my body was returned to the age it was when I first came to Shinra in this time... My mind is still as it was before I came back, and for reasons I'm not sure about my scars also came back with me..."

"That's a bit unfair..." Zack said, and Cloud could practically hear the pout in the raven-haired man's voice.

"Not really..." Cloud confessed, "Each one has meaning I guess; each was gained in a fight for victory, or in a fight that I was not strong enough to win."

"That's hard to imagine." Zack said, "I hard to picture you being unable to win..." Once again, Cloud was silent for a period of time before he spoke up again.

"I wish that were true..." Cloud said at last, "But if I could have done that, I would have been able to save all the people I lost..." _I would have been able to save you..._ He added silently.

"You've said that before... Who did you lose?" Zack asked hesitantly, he knew that he was probably asking something that he would get no answer to but he felt compelled to ask anyway. There was an almost silent sound from Cloud that could have passed as a snort.

"At first I lost everyone I ever cared about, back when I was too weak to even protect myself... It was actually the experiments that Hojo did that eventually gave me strength... Yet it also destroyed me."

"Destroyed you?" Zack questioned softly, prompting Cloud to continue talking.

"For a long time... I lost who I was; I became someone else entirely, and I lived that way for a few years... It took another crisis to eventually bring me back, and even now I still struggle to remember everything I once was." This time it was Zack who was silent for a moment as he processed all that Cloud had told him; and as he pondered those soft spoken words, he felt an anger stir within his soul. He hated that there would be anyone who would hurt the blond that he now held close in his arms.

"Why are people like that?" Zack asked after a while... "Why are their always those who have to destroy all that is good and precious?"

"I wish I knew the answer to that Zack... But I don't." Cloud replied, his own thoughts going to when Zack had been gunned down by the very company that he had been devoted to, the very company that had condemned him to four years of torture, but had been unable to break him. His thoughts then turned to Sephiroth as he had been before JENOVA, it was not often that he pondered on the man that had threatened Gaia more than once, but he had to wonder if maybe Sephiroth could have continued to be a good man if that fated mission had never taken place...

"Its just not... right..." Zack mumbled into soft blond spikes.

"It is always like that; it is always the best people that have to be sacrificed in order for others to finally make a move and defend what needs defending..." Cloud said softly, remembering first Zack's death, and then Aerith's, along with countless others who had been so bright and full of life, and yet they had been forced to die early.

Silence once again fell over the two like a comforting blanket as the demons of their talk were chased away by the comfort of each other. Eventually Cloud looked to the clock and sighed when he saw that once again he was well past curfew and would have to sneak back into the dorms yet again...

There were a few soft kisses good bye and a hushed 'good luck' before the door closed and Cloud was moving back to the cadet dorms, hopefully for the last night.

XxXxX

The next morning came quickly and the cadet dorms were soon filled with the excited chatter of nervous cadets and the expected sighs and grumblings of instructors that had come to give last minute advice to their students before sending them to the test that would decide their futures. After today the recruits would be divided into the career that would make up the majority of their lives. Only the best would qualify for SOLDIER and those that failed would be assigned positions in either the infantry, foot mobiles, clerical, or maintenance sectors and their individual branches.

Cloud stood near the back, leaning against the wall with his arms folded over his chest, simply hoping that the day could just begin so that this mile stone in his mission could be passed... And yet he knew that there would be another hour or so before the cadets would be moved to the hall bordering the fields where they would be given speeches and such from the First Class SOLDIERS and a few Seconds to encourage the cadets to push through the gruelling day... Either that or scare them off.

"You know, you could act like you care about what is happening." Cloud didn't outwardly react to the familiar voice that came from the darkened hall that he stood by.

"Isn't it a bit risky to be sneaking in now of all times Vincent?" Cloud retorted easily. There was a soft huff from the gunman.

"There may be Turks around, but even they have nothing on my experience and skill." Vincent stated. Cloud knew that his friend was in no way boasting; he was simply stating a fact, as was normal for the stoic man.

"So where have you been the last few days?" Cloud asked, not concerned about being heard over

the din of the other cadets.

"Looking for answers." Vincent replied. Cloud had guessed as much.

"And?"

"Nothing I wasn't expecting."

Cloud nodded, once again not surprised by the answer; he had known Vincent for a long time now and the gunman's natural nature, his experience with the Turks, and his intelligence often meant that he was able to foresee many things before they happened, or he was able to figure out the reason behind something before anyone else.

"So, did you come to wish me good luck?" Cloud asked dryly, knowing that Vincent would have other reasons for being here on the exam day when the security was so tight.

"If the Darkness is going to make a move on you, it will be today during all the commotion." Vincent answered, understanding Cloud's intentions behind his words.

Cloud nodded, not needing to reply to give his thanks to his friend for watching his back once again...

"Yo, it's the blondie from the edge of the training field." The all to familiar voice of Reno cut through the noise like a knife through butter, effectively silencing any further conversation between himself and Vincent. Cloud looked up to see the red-headed Turk sauntering over in a way that only Reno could pull off. "You know, I had a feeling that you would make it to the exams."

Cloud simply raised an eyebrow in question, right now he wasn't interested in whatever Reno was after.

"Well you just had that look about you, y'know?" Reno elaborated as he took up a position against the wall next to Cloud.

Cloud made a mental note that the damn Turk seemed to gravitate towards him to annoy him naturally and not just as a life goal as he had thought in the future.

"Heh, don't feel like talking this time either?" Reno asked, nudging Cloud in the arm once with a coy grin. "Aww common yo! You're about the only person in this room who isn't all 'whoopde-do' over the exams."

"And?" Cloud asked, his voice void of emotion as he kept his eyes cast outward into the crowd of cadets.

"Security sucks yo! I need someone descent to talk to." Reno complained. "And I mean, come on, who the hell would sneak in today of all days?"

_Typical Reno..._ Cloud thought, and he almost had to hold back a grin when he thought of Vincent who was most likely still within listening range. Cloud simply raised an eyebrow at the Turk again, he was careful to keep a blank mask up around this man.

"Have you ever thought about joining the Turks?" Reno asked out of the blue.

"Why would I?" Cloud retorted coldly, although he was at least relieved to find out exactly what it was that Reno was after.

"Well I can tell you that a few of the higher-ups have been watching your progress, and they are very interested in you yo! They think you could go real far."

Cloud was suddenly reminded of a conversation with Zack and Angeal on the training field only the night before he had met Reno, in the conversation Zack had claimed that they would make the Turks jealous when SOLDIER got Cloud. _Looks like he was right..._ Cloud thought, amused by the situation.

"Not interested." Was all Cloud said aloud.

"Damn..." Reno muttered just as the call rang through the room for all cadets to move off to the training field hall. Cloud moved from the wall and went to follow when a firm hold on his arm prevented him from moving. He turned back slightly to look at Reno who had hold of him.

"You might want to be careful though blondie, the higher-ups don't always let people they want simply walk away... So just, keep an eye out yo." The red haired man said, his voice lower than usual until it picked up in volume on the last sentence. The normal jesting look about Reno's eyes was also absent for a moment before the Turk released him and turned and walked away as though nothing had happened.

Cloud watched him leave for a moment before turning and following the last few cadets out the door and towards the training field hall where Cloud knew he would have to face one of the few people that had caused so much pain in his life, yet was once one of the good guys... Even if that particular person had been socially inept and unable to understand emotion...

The training hall came into view all to quickly, and the process of lining up and entering also happened far to fast for Cloud as he was slowly but surely pushed towards one aspect of his past that he would rather run from than face. Thankfully Cloud was able to secure a spot at the very back corner, a place that would hopefully afford him some cover and leave him unnoticed. Hopefully.

The beginning of the meeting was just as Cloud's vague memories recalled; boring and full of the expected speeches regarding Shinra policy and the importance of every position within the company. Or in other words it was Shinra's way of saying that many of the cadets would fail in their quest to become a SOLDIER, but they were still expected to be happy with whatever demeaning position they were allowed.

About halfway through the last speech, movement from the side of the stage caught Cloud's attention and he looked over just in time to see the three 'legendary' First Class SOLDIERS enter onto the stage and move to three placed seats.

The first was the familiar figure of Angeal, the man walking onto the stage with dignity that spoke of respect and self-confidence. In that moment the tall First looked more the part of the imposing First Class SOLDIER with a reputation for a level head and fierce protection of others than any other time Cloud had seen him.

The second was a man with shoulder length red hair and angular, almost feminine features. Unlike Angeal who wore the traditional uniform for SOLDIER, Genesis Rhapsodos wore a long, red leather coat that was specially fitted and most likely would cost a fortune. The SOLDIER was famous for him incredible skill with materia and how he could easily manipulate its power to his liking. Other than that the First Class SOLDIER was popular among both male and females for his looks, and also for his love of the theatre 'LOVELESS'.

The third and final one to step out onto the stage was the one that had Cloud's blood running cold despite the lack of a current threat. Sephiroth walked out looking every bit Shinra's best. His hair fell perfectly around his shoulders, his leather coat being exactly the same as Cloud remembered. Sephiroth's eyes, now the normal glowing green that lengthy exposure to mako caused, lacked the cat like slit that Cloud had grown accustomed to as the man scanned the crowd with disinterest.

Cloud's hand had unconsciously come up to his stomach, just below his ribs, where the Masamune had first impaled him in the Nibelheim reactor, and it was only with conscious effort that Cloud returned the hand to its normal position by his side.

Cloud barely registered when the original speaker finished off his speech with a respective round of applause from the cadets. As had been the case for the last few years, his nerves screamed at the thought of Sephiroth, and his body wanted nothing more than to go on the attack.

When the luminescent green eyes of Sephiroth locked with his, Cloud's body froze. There was no emotion behind those eyes, but in that moment Cloud's mind was working pretty hard to replace the current calm image with the hate-filled images of the past.

Cloud very nearly jumped when a hand landed on his shoulder, but it thankfully allowed him to drag his eyes from the SOLDIER seated at the front. Looking to the side, Cloud found himself looking into the concerned eyes of Zack, who was silently asking him if he was ok. With his attention off of the silver haired man at the front, Cloud finally realised that Angeal was now giving his speech on 'protecting ones honour as SOLDIER', and that while his breathing was outwardly calm his heart had picked up in pace and his fists were clenched so tightly that he had broken the skin of his palms.

Knowing that now was not the time to draw attention to himself Cloud took strength from the firm hold that Zack had on his shoulder and with more effort then he would like to admit, Cloud forced himself to calm down and to stay in the present. When his heart rate calmed slightly he was able to unclench his fists and once again focus his attention to the front, but from then on he made it a priority to tune out all that was happening in front of him. Although he was unsure as to why Zack was there in the first place he was more than glad that the raven-haired man had shown up when he did, and to Cloud's relief, Zack stayed close by for the remainder of the meeting.

"...And that, cadets, finishes your last assembly as the runts of Shinra. It will be today that makes you the men you were meant to be. There will be a 30 minute prep period before each of you are expected to report to the appointed meeting place for the beginning of the exams. Dismissed!" As soon as the speaker said those last few words, Cloud found himself whisked away on a tide of excited cadets. Only once he was outside did the blond manage to escape the rushing horde of over excited teenagers. Within minutes Zack was there and was pulling him aside.

"Cloud, man, what the hell happened in there?" Zack asked bluntly once they were far enough away from any other ears. "You looked... on edge to put it mildly."

Cloud sighed but at first didn't reply.

"Look Spikey," Zack continued, "When I got a message from Angeal saying that you looked like you needed help, I wasn't sure what to think... So I just came straight here. Just look at your hands-" Here Zack grabbed one of Cloud's hands and lifted it to see the now half healed nail marks, "-You were tense enough to put a damn brick wall to shame... What happened man?"

"Sephiroth." Cloud said, giving in to the seriousness in Zack's voice.

"Sephiroth?" Zack repeated confused. "What does he have to do with anything?"

"A lot... In the future..." Cloud answered, in that moment he felt more mentally drained than he had in a long time and he was simply ready to pile it onto someone else for once, and in that moment he knew he could trust Zack...

"What happens to Seph?" Zack asked, now slightly worried. It was hard to imagine the top SOLDIER being killed or anything.

"JENOVA, is what happens to him..." Cloud replied quietly, looking away from Zack's gaze, "He becomes probably Gaia's biggest enemy..."

"No... Not Seph. I mean, sure he isn't to good with emotion, or people for that matter, but he wouldn't _try_ to hurt anyone."

"It was JENOVA... On the Nibelheim mission... It all went wrong at the reactor... Sephiroth went crazy... the JENOVA cells in his body reacted to the close proximity of the calamity herself... He destroyed the town... He hurt Tifa... He hurt... You..." Cloud explained, the pain obvious in his voice. "I thought I could handle seeing him like this, but the memories... They are hard to keep back..."

Zack was shocked into silence for a moment as he listened to Cloud's explanation. His mind fought to deny it, having seen Sephiroth in action and working with him a few times... Yet Cloud's body language; his reaction, all forced Zack to remember that Cloud had lived through this and he already knew that the blond hadn't told them everything yet.

"Ok... So maybe... maybe it can be stopped this time?" Zack questioned, simply trying to gain an order to his thoughts, while Cloud hadn't exactly made sense, he got the meaning behind it all, and it was not a positive meaning.

"I can only hope so..." Cloud replied. A warning siren called then, indicating that there was only five minutes left of the break. "I promise to explain everything later... But right now I just... I need your support Zack..." Cloud knew that he was asking a lot of the raven-haired man, hell he was asking a lot of himself to rely so completely on another like this. It was something that he hadn't allowed himself to do in many years.

Zack's confusion quickly melted away to be replaced with determination and understanding.

"Ok, while I don't understand exactly what happened, I know that I trust you... And I will always support you however I can." Zack said, a warm smile breaking out onto his face, "I swear it."

With a deep breath Cloud looked up to meet Zack's confident eyes and he allowed all the tension in his body to disappear in that moment.

"Thank you Zack. You have no idea how much that means to me..." Cloud said, before turning away to head to the meeting point for the beginning of the exams. Seeing Sephiroth had seriously shaken him, but right now he was calm and collected.

He was ready to face not just the past but the future...

**Well another chapter! I hope everyone had a happy Christmas and New Year! Hehe enjoy :) Also, if any of the readers on here are fans of Kingdom Hearts, be on the look out for a new story under that category from me where our dear Cloud will play a large role with the gorgeous Leon! The first chapter should be out in a few days. :)**


	14. Exams and Relocation

**Heh, I hope everyone has enjoyed the story so far :) And I apologise for not replying to reviews very much lately, but my current internet access is mostly limited to my mobile phone so I can check the reviews, just not respond to them. By the end of the month I will be able to continue replying normally again. :)**

**Well, on with the exams!**

After leaving Zack, Cloud quickly made his way to the meeting point at the far edge of the field where the rest of the cadets were mostly already assembled. Cloud was among the last few to arrive, and only minutes after taking a place in the group of cadets the lead instructor stepped forward to address them all.

"Welcome to the beginning of the exams." The instructor said, his voice deep and carrying. "This will be a gruelling day and many of you will not make the final test. However, it is what you all have trained for since you began your Shinra experience some months ago. From here on out, you are no longer cadets." There was a large pause as the instructor cast his eyes over the group before him, letting his words sink in.

"The first test in the exams will be a test of your endurance. Indeed this aspect will be ultimately tested throughout the entire day, so this is but a warm up. You will follow Third Class Kunsel," Here a man stepped forward next to the instructor, he was dressed in the usual SOLDIER uniform, including a helmet that worked to conceal his facial features, "in a ten mile run out and around the Shinra compound. You are expected to be able to maintain whatever pace is set for you. Those of you who succeed will meet me straight afterwards for the next stage of the exams."

With that the lead instructor stepped back, silently giving control to the Third Class that stood before them. Cloud was sure that Zack had mentioned Kunsel before, but he quickly pushed the thought aside as the group began following after Kunsel at a steady beginning pace.

All around Cloud, the cadets gave off different feelings as they began, many looked nervous or even slightly afraid as they kept their eyes solely on the Third Class SOLDIER before them, others looked doubtful of their own ability to make it, and a small few looked arrogant and cocky that they could last through the day and prove themselves better than any other. Cloud simply kept an emotionless face and kept his place near the front of the group, he could have run ten miles even before Hojo's experiments; an advantage of coming from a mountain community.

Kunsel made a point of changing the pace often, something that challenged many of the runners as they found themselves constantly having to speed up and then slow down. Sure enough by the seven mile mark, many of the would be SOLDIERs had fallen back, or were only just maintaining an acceptable pace, leaving only a small group of about fifty or so. By this time, Cloud found himself running at the very front, and had to remind himself to show at least some weariness as he moved; so he occasionally allowed himself to slow down and let another take front for a while before seeming to gain energy back and moving up again.

Soon enough the group had run the full ten miles and ended up back at the meeting point where the instructors awaited. The group number had fallen from fifty to around thirty, something that Cloud knew had to do with the constant change in pace; it was something that wasn't taught in training for this very reason; many people could boast being able to run miles without stopping at a constant pace, but few could actually muster the strength to run at intervals of different speeds without rest. Cloud had first hand experience that many missions would require that kind of endurance.

Cloud remained standing while most of the cadets fell to the ground in an attempt to get their breath back, he just made a small show of deep breathing for a while as he knew that there were eyes on the whole group and himself.

"Wow, that was a good run." Cloud turned to see Kunsel standing just a little ways away smiling at him. "I was watching at times, and I saw you at the front for a lot of it." The man praised.

"I come from a mountain area..." Cloud said with a small shrug, not willing to accept the praise.

"Still, good job. You're Zack's friend right? Uh, Cloud?" Kunsel asked as he came to stand next to Cloud. The blond nodded, but otherwise didn't say anything.

"He did say you were good. Well, good luck with the rest of the exams." Kunsel said with a small wave before heading off to whatever task he was assigned next.

Barely minutes later the lead instructor made his way over to the group.

"That was an excellent run from all of you." He said, his eyes travelling mainly over those who had stayed near the front. "But the day is far from over. Those who did not pass will remain here to be assessed from other positions. The thirty eight of you will follow me to your weapons assessment." With that the instructor turned sharply and began moving. There were a few groans as people stood from their sitting positions, but for the most part the exam takers were eager to continue.

Cloud followed the group to the far corner of the field where a large weapons assessment had been set up with sparring areas interspersed every ten meters or so to allow multiple assessments to take place at once. There was already several other instructors there, each one standing by a station ready to watch over the tests.

Without being told, the group of exam takers made their way to the weapons tables and lined up in two long rows of nineteen per row without touching any of the weapons. The lead instructor walked along the line, his gaze meeting each pair of eyes as he passed.

"Now the real test begins." He stated, "Skill. It will be the skills displayed here that will tell us just how far you will go within Shinra; how great you will become. These weapons," he gestured at the tables behind him, "will become your _life_. They will become who you are. From this point on, there will be no going back."

As soon as the lead instructor moved aside, a second man stepped up. This man began calling each would be SOLDIER up in alphabetical order of last names to collect their weapon of choice and move to their assigned area.

Cloud spent his time waiting by watching those that went before him. It was easy for him to pick those that the instructors would likely watch, and it was easy to pick those that had a lowered chance of passing. From this test onwards the results of each persons efforts would be totalled, meaning that the running had been a quick and efficient way to thin the numbers before the real test began.

"Strife, Cloud!"

Upon hearing his name, Cloud moved up wordlessly and picked the closest blade to a broad sword that Shinra was willing to offer the cadets. Unlike in training, these swords were not blunt or dulled, and while they were not to his personal preference of upkeep they were still deadly. Already more than one exam taker had been carted to the infirmary from injuries. The blade that Cloud held was no where near as long nor wide as First Sword, but the principle was the same in the wider than normal blade, and two handed grip that could also be wielded one handed when the wielder knew how.

Making his way over to his assigned sparring area, Cloud took up his stance without word to the instructor before him. The man was not one Cloud had seen around, but he also knew that it was common for Shinra to employ outside instructors for exams to prevent bias.

Cloud allowed the instructor to make the first move, and in the single downwards slash he read the intent to not hold back from the instructor. Perhaps even an intent to kill if the student was unwilling to meet his standards.

Cloud blocked the attack easily, and with a quick turn of his blade, brought his own blade around to rest just shy of the instructors neck. The man, who had clearly underestimated him and not expected such a move flinched sharply and began spluttering with disbelief.

Cloud merely waited for a few more seconds before lowering his sword and disengaging. The instructor to his left, who had watched the extremely short bout was nodding to himself as he wrote his observations down.

Without further preamble, Cloud turned and placed the sword back on the training table before making his way to stand near the group of finished cadets, many of whom were watching him with wide eyes.

The last few eventually finished their assessments and the group was soon on its way towards one of the large buildings that bordered the training field. Once there each person took an assigned seat, where they were promptly handed a thick booklet and the necessary writing equipment. The lead instructor wasted no time in telling them that they had two hours to complete, to the best of each persons abilities, the strategical manoeuvres booklet that they had been given.

With a soft sigh Cloud opened his booklet with the rest of the cadets in the room and began work on the problems that were set before him...

Outside the building Zack stood waiting against the wall, wishing he could go in to watch Cloud. It wasn't that he doubted the blond at all but after what Cloud had said earlier, the raven-haired man was anxious to be filled in, and although he wouldn't verbally admit it he also just wished that he could stay close to him.

"Zackary." Zack looked up at the monotone voice to see none other than Sephiroth approaching him. For a moment, Zack panicked but he soon reminded himself that the person before him was just Seph, the famous General that he loved to annoy most days.

"Hey Seph!" Zack greeted cheerily after he was completely calm. "What brings you all the way out here?"

Sephiroth frowned at the callous lack of respect, but decided to not act on it today. Angeal's pup had always been like this after all.

"Angeal asked me to find you, he reported that you have not completed your tasks for the day." Sephiroth answered sternly. If not for the fact that Angeal had taken his responsibilities regarding the exams Sephiroth would have never agreed to find the over-active pup.

"Yeah... About that..." Zack said bashfully, rubbing the back of his head and not looking at the stern man before him.

"You are to report to your duties immediately Zackary." Sephiroth stated coldly.

"Aww! Common, Seph! I need to be here... I gotta wait for a friend." Zack whined, cupping his hands in front of him in an attempt to appeal to any empathy that Sephiroth may have deep down.

"Not acceptable." Was the harsh answer.

Ok, whatever empathy is deep, _deep_ down...

"Please Seph!" Zack pleaded, putting on his biggest puppy dog eyes.

"Zackary." Sephiroth said warningly, completely unaffected by Zack's pout. With a dejected huff Zack gave up and began trudging his way past the silver haired man muttering something along the lines of 'party-pooper'.

Sephiroth only raised an eyebrow at the boys antics and followed silently, his own mind occupied by puzzling thoughts of crystalline blue eyes...

Cloud finished the booklet with nearly 45 minutes to spare, the book had asked for him to detail a range of different infiltration tactics in different situations, and that included troop placement and supply management. Cloud kept to book strategies for this test, not wanting to really let on just how much he knew of real life strategical movements.

For the remainder of his time Cloud acted as though he was going over answers and double checking everything multiple times. When the instructor finally called for time up, Cloud was quite happy to close the assessment book ans hand it over to the instructor than came around to collect the booklets. Around the room there were several cadets who looked as though they wished to break down and cry, while some seemed to be content with their work. The remainder just sat in their seats with uncertainty written over their faces.

They were soon lead back out onto the field and instructed to do several round of sit-ups and push ups, with 100 reps each rounds. From then on the day became one large test of strength, endurance and skill, with tests ranging from pure skill, strength or endurance like specific weapons testing, or a mix of the three in situations like obstacle courses.

By the time the exams finished just before sunset, the group of thirty eight had shrunk to just under twenty due to cadets dropping out, collapsing or needing medical attention. Of those that were left, Cloud knew that maybe ten would actually pass the exams and be admitted into SOLDIER, and that was if Shinra was being very generous.

By just after dark, every cadet was once again in the hall regardless of if they passed or failed in the early tests of the day. Once again the speaker who had led the meeting in the early hours of the day was on stage with the lead instructor and a few of the more involved instructors.

By now it was likely that they had all the finished results from the days toils. The opening speaker made a big speech about how each person had done the best they could, but that it was now the time of a select few to shine within the boundaries of Shinra Electric Power Company. Soon the lead instructor stepped forward once again.

"Congratulations!" He called through the hall, "We have watched your progress throughout the day and we are pleased to say that this years exams have proved to be one of the most impressive in years. Tonight, none of you will sleep in the cadet dorms, for each of you have progressed to the next stage in both your lives and careers. However, there were a select few that stood out among the rest, and they are the ones that have passed the exams today... The following people have passed the SOLDIER exams..." From there the instructor made a large show of calling those who had made it past the exams. Cloud was the last to be called, indicating that he had scored the highest, and he was soon among seven others that had passed. "It is these few that will become the future of Shinra. Within the next week, these men will begin undergoing mako treatments with our head scientist and his team, from there they will begin training to be the best of the best." After that the small group was lead from the room amidst thundering applause from all present.

To Cloud, who had once dreamed of being where he was currently standing, he could only look onto the future with uncertainty as the main milestone he had been aiming for was finally put behind him.

XxXxX

Not even an hour later Cloud found himself standing in the foyer of the SOLDIER building as the complex floor plan was explained to the small group. He already knew about it after spending so much time with Zack, who had decided to explain it all during one of their many trips to the VR room.

After the lobby, there were several floors designated to to the science and medical wards that dealt directly with the SOLDIER program. The next couple of floors were full of offices for the lower ranking members that aided in Shinra's running. The next floor was the SOLDIER floor, the one that held the VR room, briefing room, training room and a few areas for the SOLDIERs to rest. The next four or so floors were comprised of offices for high ranking members, with the offices of the First Class' being located there along side the President's office itself.

After that the rooms for SOLDIERs began, with two floors being assigned to the Third Classes, who had their own apartment-style rooms, as they were the biggest group. The next two floors were for the smaller group of Second Class SOLDIERs, their rooms held a bit more than than the lower floors, but over all they were the same. Finally the First Class floor took up the top floor of the structure, this was a single floor that could not be accessed without the correct identification. The rooms there were spacious and full of luxury, something that came with being the 'best of the best'.

Cloud and the others were told that while they had not yet begun their mako treatments, they would still be relocated to the Third Class floor to allow for an 'adjustment period'. Within this period they were expected to learn as much as they could and completely familiarise themselves with their surroundings.

"All your belonging have already been moved up to your rooms. You are to retire to there for now and wait for further instructions." Was their final instruction before their guide promptly turned and left, heading off to whatever he needed to do next.

The small group was left alone, and most of them crowded closer as they inspected the large foyer before them. Cloud only waited for another moment or so before moving towards the elevator; he wasn't over interested in listening to the gushing and excitement of the teens who thought they were going to join the Planet's best company... If only they knew.

Besides that, Cloud wanted to grab First Sword from where he had left it in Zack's room, he hadn't wanted it to be handled by anyone but himself, especially the sneaky Shinra members who would most likely report his sword 'missing' if they had been the ones to move it to his new room.

Stepping into the elevator without preamble, Cloud soon found himself surrounded by the other new SOLDIERs who had followed him the moment he took a step. Cloud sighed inwardly as he resigned himself to listening to excited chattering during the long ride up to the rooms.

Eventually they made it and when the doors opened to admit them onto their floor, Cloud had to almost literally kick them out of the elevator in order to get out himself as they all just looked around in awe. Making his way past the group, Cloud took a look at a board listing the room occupants across the hall. He was pleased to find himself across the hall from Zack, something that was either the result of Zack or Angeal, or just plain good luck.

Leaving the group behind him, Cloud made his way down the familiar hallways towards what was now his room. Walking in he found it to be the exact same as Zack's, just flipped around. He quickly located his small pile of belongings near the small two seater lounge, and moved to put them away.

A short while later a soft knock on the door interrupted Cloud's exploring of the small apartment-like room. Walking over to the door he opened it to see Angeal standing out there with a soft smile on his face.

"Well done today." Angeal congratulated as Cloud moved aside and allowed the tall First to enter.

"It hardly counts." Cloud said with a shrug, closing the door behind Angeal.

"Whether you believe it counts or not, it is quite an achievement. It is something that many people dream of passing." Angeal responded with a soft chuckle.

"I know..." Cloud muttered, moving to the small kitchenette in attempt to find something to drink. Angeal frowned at the sullen response and followed the blond.

"What do you mean 'you know'?" Angeal questioned lightly, moving to sit in one of the chairs. There was a moment of silence, and the tall First wondered for a moment if he was even going to get an answer as he watched Cloud standing by the kitchen counter.

"I was once one of those people." Cloud eventually answered softly, "I once looked at the SOLDIERs, at men like Sephiroth, and wanted to be like them. Hell, I wanted to _be_ them..."

"What happened?" Angeal asked, wondering if maybe the blond would allow him a glimpse into his past.

"I failed of course." Came the reply, Cloud had no trouble saying this now after coming to terms with it years ago, "I was deemed mentally unfit to undergo the mako treatments. From there I fell into the Infantry."

"Mentally unfit? That doesn't happen very often." Angeal commented.

"Apparently my unstable metal state showed enough for the instructors to request a mental examination. I had no idea what was happening during the evaluation, just that I needed to answer each question that I was asked... Apparently my answers weren't what they were looking for." With that Cloud shrugged and moved to the fridge, offering Angeal a bottle of water as that was all he had.

"You know, you should get your uniform soon." Angeal stated after a moment of comfortable silence.

"Today?" Cloud asked, although in his mind he was thinking that if he had his way, he wouldn't be staying in the uniform for very long.

"Yeah." Angeal said with a nod, "You will need it for tonight." There was a slight twinkle in Angeal's eye that made Cloud wonder if he should even ask what was happening later.

"And why would that be?" He asked anyway. He knew he had been right when Angeal smirked slyly.

"Oh just an initiation party of sorts for the new members of SOLDIER." The tall First responded casually. "It happens every time an exam is held."

Cloud fought the urge to groan.

"How big will this party be exactly?" He questioned, hoping it would be just a few people.

"Not many, just the newest SOLDIERs..." Angeal said, his smirk turning into a full blown grin, "And every SOLDIER that is not on missions, along with the president and other important figure-heads of the company."

This time Cloud did groan as he glared at the now laughing Angeal.

"Any one _else_?" Cloud ground out.

"Uh, just some important delegates from out of town?" Angeal said, his laughter only increasing at the blond's growing irritation.

Cloud really wanted to bang his head against a wall...

As if sounding on some silent cue there was a second knock at the door, forcing Cloud to get up with a visible show of effort and move to the door. Opening it he found one of the many servicemen standing there holding a small bundle of cleverly folded clothes with a sealed envelope on the top.

Cloud wondered it he would get in much trouble if he were to slam the door in the serviceman's face?

Taking the bundle with a soft, carefully restrained 'Thank you', Cloud quickly retreated back into his room wondering if this evening would get any worse. Opening the envelope, Cloud found a letter that told him exactly what Angeal had already informed him.

Just as he put the clothing and letter on the table, his door burst open to reveal a grinning Zack who had just finished all his chores.

"Spike! You _have_ to be my date tonight!" The raven-haired man yelled, rushing forward to give the blond a bone crushing hug while Angeal laughed in the kitchen.

As Cloud was swung around in a manner reminiscent to that of a rag doll, he figured that this evening couldn't be all that bad, because right now he was with two people that he could trust his life with, and they were both laughing and smiling...

**Well, that concludes the exam chapter! I hope it was ok, and met everyone's standards for the exam part? :)**


	15. Rose Coloured

**A huge thank you to everybody who reviewed the last chapter, I'm glad that you all enjoyed it so much!**

**On Another note, I am now back at school so my recent run of fairly good update times will probably decline again... Either way this year is a fairly shot one, but really important none the less for me schooling wise, so please bare with me :)**

Cloud decided that he hated parties; especially ones where there was so much attention on himself. Being part of such a small group meant that every damn person there managed to find a way to try and interact with him. Being the highest scoring exam taker didn't help either.

Aside from that, Cloud had to put up with being in the same room as the people who had more or less destroyed his life... Even if they hadn't gotten around to doing it yet. Thankfully Sephiroth was more anti-social than he was and hadn't bothered to so much as look at him since he arrived. Hojo on the other hand waisted no time in starting to circle him and the other new Third-Classes like a hawk with new prey. _Although,_ Cloud thought darkly as he watched the deranged scientist, _to him we are probably just that; prey..._

Not for the first time that night, Cloud wished that he could simply leave and walk away. This sort of social interaction was more along Tifa's line, or better yet; Yuffie, but not him. Since he had been back at Shinra he had been forced to interact with more people than he had in years and a party of this scale was _really_ testing his patience for the very company he was attempting to more or less bring down from the inside... Too bad there was so much security... Although, Cloud was tempted to see if he could beat them all and kill Hojo in the one night...

As he was pondering this Zack made his way over after a round of talking to the various people that had taken an interest in his own SOLDIER carrier.

"Cheer up Spike, it's your party and you look like you just want to go on a killing spree." Zack said cheerfully, earning a heated glare in retaliation.

"I do." Cloud answered honestly.

"Well that's just tough." Zack chirped happily, "You can't, so just enjoy."

Cloud knew that there was no point in attempting to explain his aversion to large groups of people when they had already had this argument several times earlier that afternoon as they were getting ready. It hadn't worked then and it had a 'slim to none' chance of working now.

So, Cloud decided that he was simply going to ignore the raven-haired man for the time being, if only for the very fact that he was so damn happy and comfortable in such a social environment.

Zack, having instantly recognised the 'cold shoulder' that he was getting from the blond couldn't help but laugh. It never ceased to amaze him how one person could be so damn comfortable while battling his way out of impossible situations, but if he was placed in a room that he had to actually act civil... Then everything went straight to hell.

At the sound of his friend laughing at his discomfort, Cloud's scowl only grew darker, which thankfully for him scared off the next lot of people who had been coming to scope out the 'up and coming star' of the new SOLDIER generation.

"What have you done to annoy him now Puppy?" Angeal asked upon walking over to where he had seen his student and Cloud standing and drawing a lot of attention from the surrounding crowd.

"Nothing 'Geal, I swear." Zack said through his laughter, "He did this one all on his own."

Angeal merely raised an eyebrow at the blond, who decided then and there that simply ignoring everyone was in his best interest until he was away from people who talked too loudly and smelt to strongly of either wine or faux expensive sprays.

"You sure know how to pick them my friend." The smooth baritone voice of Genesis washed over the three from just behind Angeal as the red-headed man made his presence known. "You have one who is much too cheerful, and now another who is far too quiet."

Cloud wondered for a moment if Aerith would hurt him much if he committed suicide...

"I suppose you're right Gen." Angeal replied easily to his childhood friend.

Genesis moved around the taller First to get a closer look at the boy that had held so much of Angeal and his Pup's time over the last few months. He had to admit that the smaller blond struck an imposing figure; it was easy to tell that the blond was lean but well muscled, a trait that was always shown off when one wore the SOLDIER uniform, aside from that the blond simply gave off an air of annoyed confidence that could have possibly rivalled his own at that moment, and the eerie blue eyes that glared resolutely out at the world looked too hold knowledge far beyond his young years...

"Have you ever thought of stage work?" Genesis asked pleasantly, knowing that he wouldn't get an answer from the pissed-off blond, "I can definitely say that you would fill the role of one of the three friends from LOVELESS quite well from looks alone."

Cloud raised an eyebrow at the statement, not believing the man for even a moment.

"Oh god Gen, not now. He looks about ready to rip into the nearest person as it is. Don't go quoting the play now." Angeal mock-begged in a voice that clearly said that he was setting both Cloud and Genesis up for a fall.

Cloud simply glared at the slightly smirking First Class SOLDIER but otherwise continued to ignore the world. Genesis smirked and did just as his friend suggested; he went into an animated one-man telling of his favoured play without so much as a glance at the small book that he always carried with him.

By the end of it, Genesis and Cloud had become the centre of a small gathering of people who had become entranced by the smooth talking First Class as he weaved a story for all to hear. The only one who was both uninterested and unaffected by the passionate display was Cloud himself, who had instead taken to coming up with several strategies to kill every person in the room who had managed to annoy him that night; with possibly the exception of Zack, Angeal and Genesis... Those three he would take his sweet time with and torture accordingly to how much they had annoyed him during that time.

In the end, as the small crown dispersed, Genesis took the time to study the irate blond once again before turning to Zack and Angeal.

"He has a stunning ability to ignore those around him that could possibly even match Sephiroth's..." The red head muttered.

Zack just chuckled, but knew that Genesis was wrong, even when Cloud was at his most distracted he tended to have a very good idea of just what was happening around him. And he knew that while the blond was most likely plotting all their murders, Cloud had also probably listened to Genesis' whole speech.

Despite the amount of fun it had been torturing the blond, Zack did kind of feel guilty now that he had been so cruel... Perhaps he could make it up to Cloud after the party... The raven-haired man couldn't quite keep the smile off his face as he thought about the ways he wanted to make Cloud smile and forgive him.

A small while later, after it had been deemed a long enough period of time for mingling, Mr Shinra himself called for the attention of the room; his large body making it easy for all those in the large room to see him. Cloud noticed with slight amusement that Rufus Shinra stood behind his father, attempting to look proud and strong, but failing while amongst the group of Turks that acted as body guards for the head, and founder of, the Shinra Electric Power Company.

"Welcome Honoured Guests!" Came the snide and guttural voice of Mr Shinra, "Today we celebrate yet another successful exam, with the best of the best from our ranks stepping up to take their first steps in becoming the elite of our society."

_'And of course for you all to spend hundreds of gill for me as well', _Cloud thought mockingly, attempting to mimic the man in thoughts alone. He decided after a moment of pondering that it was impossible for him to sound as rough and ugly as the man that stood before them.

As the speech continued Cloud took to people watching more than listening, and it was with a spike of hatred that his eyes landed on Hojo where he stood in one of the corners of the room, talking in hushed voices with a few of the people around him.

Almost as though he knew that there were eyes on him, Hojo turned and looked directly back at Cloud, a wicked smirk slowly creeping onto his wrinkled face that sent shivers down Cloud's spine. They stood like that for what seemed like an age; Hojo staring at him with a look that almost screamed a kind of objective hunger, and Cloud finding himself unable to look away from those cold, calculating eyes as though held under some spell that refused to release him.

It was only when Shinra's speech was over and the resounding thunder of all those gathered applauding sounded in his ears that Cloud was finally able to drag his eyes away. He felt as though he had just come up for air after being dragged deep under water, and he found his hands shaking and small beads of sweat running down the back of his neck. There was a dull roar in the back of his mind and it was hard to think.

Therefore when the crowd began to mingle again, Cloud wasted no time in winding his way through the crowds towards the nearest exit to the outside world, leaving a confused Zack, Angeal and Genesis behind.

Pushing past the large doors, Cloud found himself standing on one of the many balconies that overlooked a large majority of the Shinra compound far below. Leaning on the railing and closing his eyes as a soft breeze ran over his face and through his hair, Cloud allowed his mind to slowly cease its constant whirring and forced his thoughts into a coherent order once more.

He wasn't sure exactly why it had affected him so much, but when Hojo had met his gaze like that... Cloud had seen flashes of memories that had haunted him for years, and felt the phantom pain that the twisted scientist had forced upon him.

With a deep breath Cloud pushed any and all remainders of his past from his mind for the time being. He wouldn't be able to freeze up like that when the time came to kill the man, hell he would have to be much closer before he could even get a chance at killing him.

When the door behind him opened Cloud turned to see who had followed him out and honestly almost stopped breathing when he saw Hojo himself standing between him and the only exit from the balcony.

"You have the strangest eyes boy." Hojo said, his voice calm and his demeanour pleasant as though the situation was no more odd than commenting on the weather, while his eyes raked over Cloud's body as though he was already dissecting a specimen in his lab.

"And?" Cloud asked, voice calm as he slipped into a neutral expression.

"I would very much like to have a closer look at what could be the cause of such a brilliant colour." Hojo replied simply, the implications behind the sentence sending a chill down Cloud's spine.

"My _eyes_ have nothing to do with you." Cloud responded curtly. Wishing once again that he had First Sword with him in that moment so he could cleave the horrid man in front of him in half.

Hojo just smiled that demented smile of his and stepped closer to the blond, who took a step back in response only to be met with the railing at the small of his back.

Cloud's mind was racing, and for a moment he thought about simply jumping from the balcony, but he quickly dismissed the idea as he knew that at such a height he shouldn't be able to survive the fall, and that if he was to land unharmed as he knew he would, it would cause more trouble and suspicion than it was worth.

All too soon Hojo stood far to close too Cloud, who was standing with fists clenched as he tried to keep his emotions under firm control and to not lash out and hurt the man. There would be a time and place for that, and it was not the time nor the place yet.

Or so Cloud had to keep reminding himself.

"Hmm, you are a fair subject indeed." Hojo muttered, running a hand up the side of Cloud's face before the blond violently jerked his head away. It was hard enough for Cloud to deal with Hojo being in the same room, let alone right in his personal space _and_ touching him.

"Leave. Me. Alone." Cloud ground out evenly, attempting to move just that bit further away.

Hojo looked about ready to say something when the sound of a throat being cleared caught both of their attentions. Looking over Hojo's shoulder, Cloud wasn't sure if he wanted to be happy or horrified that it was Sephiroth standing there looking down imperiously at Hojo.

"Ah, Sephiroth. What brings you out here?" Hojo asked pleasantly, acting as though he hadn't just been harassing anyone.

"You have been requested inside." Was the stoic response. Hojo sighed heavily before turning back to Cloud for a moment.

"Well, duty calls boy. We shall continue this another time."

"That won't be happening." Cloud said quietly, his voice strong and deadly in its calmness. Hojo merely chuckled and made his way inside without a second glance back.

Cloud stood where he was, his body tense as he remained on high alert as he stood watching the silver-haired man that had yet to move.

"You should be cautious of that man." If Cloud had expected anything from Sephiroth, it wasn't a helpful warning like he had been given; even if it had been said in the most stoic voice any human being could manage.

"Uh... I figured that..." Cloud replied softly, forcing himself to remember that the man standing before him held no ill-will to the Planet or himself. That the man that stood before him was still the man that he would have once trusted with his life.

Mako green eyes turned directly on him for the first time, and for a moment a glimmer of something close to amusement shot through them before it disappeared to be replaced with a cold indifference. Nodding once to the blond man, Sephiroth turned and made his way inside, planning on keeping an eye on the man that had practically raised him...

Cloud was left outside, alone once more with thoughts racing through his mind as he struggled to find a common ground between what he knew would one day happen and what he knew hadn't yet come to pass. For so long he had viewed Sephiroth as his worst enemy; as the man that had destroyed not only his own life, but had attempted to take away everything that was once bright and good in the world by twisting it and fraying it at the edges. Now he was forced to more than simply remember that the silver-haired General had once been a good person, he had to experience it first hand once more. It brought back memories that he had long ago locked away, memories of his adoration, memories of his dreams to be just like him...

On the flip side, Cloud was also forced to once again live in fear of Hojo, made all the worse by the fact that the twisted scientist seemed to have taken an interest in him. Taking a deep breath, Cloud steeled his will against the fear that Hojo stirred within him and focused instead on preparing to make sure that the pain and suffering him and Zack had experienced would not occur again.

"I won't watch you die again..." Cloud whispered quietly to the wind.

And this time he could believe it. This time he had something to fight for, and this time he had the strength of both body and mind to truly back up his words.

Either that or he would die trying.

XxXxX

Cloud stood outside for an indiscernible amount of time, simply lost in thoughts of how different his life was at the moment. And how different he hoped it would continue to be. The cool breeze continued to play with his hair and run over the exposed skin of his arms and face like a gentle caress, working to calm his nerves and ease the tension in his body.

"Spike?" The questioning voice sounded worried behind him, so Cloud turned to see Zack standing just outside the slightly opened door, with the soft sounds of many voices talking floating out to meet Cloud's ears. "You ok?"

Cloud nodded and allowed a small smile to grace his lips as Zack moved out onto the balcony properly, closing the door behind him and moving to stand next to Cloud.

"You've been out here for ages." Zack commented, wondering if his blond friend was truly ok.

"I'm not surprised." Came the soft reply. "I've had a bit to think about."

"Oh," Zack said, tilting his head the slightest to the side in an inquisitive manner, "What about?"

"Everything..." Cloud answered truthfully. "You, me, Hojo, Sephiroth, the Darkness, and about all the things that are both the same and yet so... different for me right now." He continued, feeling an uncharacteristic urge to explain himself in detail.

"You know, you still haven't told me exactly why you reacted so strongly to Seph earlier." Zack noted, phrasing the question as lightly as he could.

"It's not really the place to discuss that here." Cloud noted with a light smirk. He hadn't forgotten his promise to finally explain everything to Zack, but he knew that if there was even the slightest chance of unwanted ears hearing such a conversation, then everything he had already gained would be put in serious danger.

The two continued to talk lightly for close to half an hour, simply taking the time to forget absolutely everything about their enemies and their allies alike. They instead spent the time simply talking about each other. Slowly the dark night before them seemed to brighten just that little bit and the future seemed to be just that little bit clearer...

Until the peaceful moment was shattered when there was an ear piercing scream. Even as the two men turned and raced inside the lights flickered once, twice, and then went out. Plunging the room into darkness.

And then the chaos started.

Neither Cloud nor Zack could see what was happening, but there were several other screams that filled that air as people began to panic and soon everyone was pushing against everyone else in an attempt to get out. Try as he might, Cloud couldn't tell if the person pushing past him at any given time was friend or foe.

In the uproar Zack and Cloud were separated, and Cloud was left feeling very vulnerable considering he had no weapon to use due to the restrictions of the party, and every second longer that the room was in darkness was a second longer that himself or someone he cared about could get hurt.

The calming, uplifted feeling he had been holding onto only moments before was suddenly and irretrievably gone.

Cloud gasped when hands came from no where and wrapped in a bone breaking vice of a grip around his throat, effectively lifting him off the ground and leaving him struggling as he tried to pry the hands from his windpipe.

There was suddenly a breathy laugh in his ear, and a second pair of hands laid gently on his shoulders as he fought desperately for breath.

"I told you that you would pay for the little stunt you pulled in Nibelheim, Cloud..." The voice of Razor whispered softly into his ear. "As we speak, many of my little _pets_ are tearing the guests of this little party to pieces. And it's. All. Your. Fault."

"N-No..." Cloud gasped, beginning to feel the tug of unconsciousness on his mind. The was a scream right next to him and a thick layer of warm liquid coated his face and arms. Cloud didn't need light to tell him that the liquid was blood.

"Master has had enough of waiting. You will be his." Came a cold reply and the hands at his neck tightened just that little bit further. Effectively leaving Cloud thrashing around in an attempt to gain even the slightest bit of precious air.

Just when Cloud's struggles were slowly beginning to die down and he was sure that he wouldn't be able to cling to any form of coherent thought there was the familiar sound of a blade slicing through the air and seconds later the grip around his neck was gone.

Cloud fell to the ground on his knees, drawing in air in large gasps, and hearing Razor grunt as a second slice of a blade cut through the air above his head and must of at least nicked the shadow.

Only moments after the second slice, a blinding light filled the room from the back corner. In the revealing brightness, Cloud saw Genesis standing by the wall in front of both Mr Shinra and Rufus, with a ball of materia shining with the power of many suns, and showing an amazing ability of control as he lit up every corner of the room.

Standing above Cloud with sword drawn and in a defensive position was none other than Sephiroth, his blade poised delicately at the throat of Razor.

The scene around him was one of a bloody massacre. Every where Cloud turned his eyes there were dead and mutilated bodies. His eyes saw the torn open remains of the other recently appointed Third-Classes and he felt sick. Growing puddles of blood heralded the death of many of the aristocrats and wealthy. Cloud calmed only slightly when he saw Zack standing a little ways away, Angeal standing with blade drawn next to him. Cloud figured that if it were not for the three First Classes and their allowance to carry a weapon when they pleased many more would be dead...

"What were you trying to achieve here?" Sephiroth questioned stoicly, keeping Masamune in position at the intruders neck. All the other enemies had seemed to melt into the shadows themselves upon being slayed. Razor merely smirked and looked down at Cloud.

"Remember this Strife; It is not over." And then Razor seemed to melt away into the shadows, leaving the room in a frozen silence. No one moved.

Cloud couldn't think.

He was deprived of oxygen, the sight of so much blood that was inadvertently caused by his unwillingness to submit, the fact that the very man that had tried to kill him numerous times was now the one who had saved him, and the fear he had felt when he had lost track of Zack and he had been at the complete mercy of the shadows that hunted him was enough to drive him that last little step into unconsciousness.

The last thing Cloud recognised before his mind completely left him was the strong arms that prevented his head from colliding with the freshly painted rose coloured floor.

**Well, once again I apologise profusely for such a long wait. But the attempt to get back into the school routine, coupled with a crazy work load this year was quite stressful. I hope you all liked the chapter and I look forward to hopefully hearing your thoughts :)**


	16. Nightmare

**Gah! I can't win the last few weeks! It's that bad I think I'm having withdrawal symptoms from not being able to write or even read much. Is that even possible? **

**Oh well, I am soooo sorry for such a delay in updating, and I _have_ been trying to write but by the time I have had spare time to write I just can't seem to get the chapter as good as I wanted and have restarted several times... Sorry...**

**So without further adieu, let the chapter finally commence!**

_Slowly the darkness that began as an all consuming wave, died away to real a familiar bright field covered in beautiful flowers. Cloud knew this place well, even though when he woke up and put his mind to it he could never put an adequate name to it... It was simply that nothing he could come up with was fitting for such an ethereal, amazing place. _

_He had spent much time here over the years as he struggled with wars and battles from both within and without. Cloud strongly suspected that the main reason, or reasons, for his peace here came from the two who were often waiting to greet him. _

_Since returning to a time before Sephiroth went mad, contact with Aerith and the Life Stream had been limited. Still there, but limited. So this time upon opening his eyes to the bright fields of grass and flowers that faded to white, there was a dampened foreboding that crushed any sense of peace or comfort that he would usually have._

_The moment that Cloud sat up he felt the presence of Aerith behind him, and turning his head slightly he was able to catch that small glimpse of the flower girl._

"_Cloud... How are you?" Aerith asked, her voice more strained than usual, but still bright and welcoming. _

"_What's happening Aerith?" Cloud asked, not bothering to dance around the subject. If he was here then that meant that things had either gone incredibly wrong or he was getting some much needed answers that he had been seeking thus-far with no result._

"_Things are not... going as She planned." Aerith said with a soft sigh. Cloud knew that 'She' was in reference to Gaia._

"_What do you mean?" Cloud asked, already having a feeling that he knew this answer; after all, he had been thinking the same thing for a while now._

"_You were suppose to come back unnoticed, and the Darkness was not suppose to be strong enough to move against you even if it had wanted too." Aerith said quietly, her voice taking on a tone that Cloud rarely ever heard._

"_That doesn't matter now." Cloud said confidently, "My goal is still the same and I'm not willing to give up now Aerith..."_

"_Right now Cloud, you are in a very difficult situation..." Aerith said slowly, trying to think about how she could accurately describe Cloud's predicament without endangering him further. "You are-" _

_Whatever Aerith had been about to say was interrupted when a sharp, strong pain ran through Cloud, beginning in his chest and spreading outward at an alarming pace. Cloud soon found himself unable to hold his body weight up and he soon fell back onto the grass and flowers. Aerith was by his side in a flash, but Cloud couldn't even focus enough to look at her properly._

"_Cloud, you _have_ to get out of there..."_

_Those were the last words to reach Cloud before the green field and its comforts was literally ripped away for what had to have been the first time ever; leaving Cloud in a haze of pain as he drifted somewhere between consciousness and the realm of sleep that still kept a tight hold on him..._

XxXxX

Vincent Valentine cursed himself mentally for allowing himself to be distracted. When the shadow beast had appeared in the middle of the court yard he should have recognised it for what it was; a distraction, but instead he had figured that it would be a trap to make him step out into the light where there would undoubtedly be a group of SOLDIER or Turks conveniently walking by. And now they were all paying for it.

The moment the sounds of commotion started in the large hall several floors above his hiding position Vincent had recognised exactly what had happened. He had been fooled not just once, but twice in the same instance. And looking back a moment later the gunman hadn't been surprised to see that the shadow beast that he had been debating over how to kill, was long gone.

Utilising one of the many advantages of having Chaos within his body, Vincent had launched himself up the side of the building like a bat out of hell.

But he had arrived too late.

The windows had been ominously dark, and the sounds from within spoke volumes about the carnage taking place inside. Knowing that rushing in would not be a very good tactic, Vincent had moved onto the balcony that, unbeknownst to him, Cloud had been standing on only moments before hand. Vincent then moved to the side of the door way and attempted to look through what could only be an unnatural darkness.

Deciding that there was nothing he could no but go in, Vincent very nearly took that one step that would put him into the middle of the fray as well, but as luck would have it a blinding light took over the room at the moment of his decision and he was able to safely pull himself into the shadows of the door frame before he was noticed.

Looking in, the gunman had felt like his heart stopped for a moment as he saw Cloud on his knees on the ground at he feet of Razor with none other than Sephiroth standing over him with sword drawn and pointed at the agent of Darkness.

Although the silver haired general was attempting to question Razor, Vincent found his attention drawn instead to the face of his blond friend.

Cloud was extremely pale in that moment, made all the more noticeable by the crimson blood running down the side of his face, but it was his eyes that truly concerned the gunman. The brilliant blue orbs were currently shining with an inner flame that if someone paid close enough attention would surely raise questions, but it was the haunted look that they gave off as they scanned the carnage around the hall that concerned him the most.

Vincent had only seen those eyes a few times in his long life, and only once had he seen them on the blond warrior. And that had been an experience he had no wish to ever repeat. After seeming to determine that certain people were safe, a form of strained relief washed over Cloud's face.

It was short lived though, when Razor focused his attention on Cloud and spoke seven small words that rang as a death sentence to Vincent;

"_Remember this Strife; It is not over."_

And then Razor was gone and seconds later Cloud collapsed. Zack and Angeal moved forward at the action, and indeed Vincent barely held himself back as he watched Cloud's form go limp and seem to fall in slow motion.

It was Sephiroth who caught the blond. It had been an almost casual action, but it spoke volumes for a man such as Sephiroth. Much like everything in this twisted parody of the past, the general was also..._ Different_. Maybe not good, maybe not changed enough to completely alter the future; but different enough that he would actually catch the blond man.

That was everything that lead Vincent to this moment as he stood with bated breath and waited to see what would happen next. The room had fallen into a frozen silence once more as the normal lights once again flickered on and Genesis allowed his arm to slowly lower as the light materia dimmed out.

Zack and Angeal stood, each frozen mid-step as they looked at their friend. It was only those two who knew the significance of what had happened and they were doing extremely well to keep even that seemingly simple fact hidden.

Finally the silence and stillness was broken by none other than President Shinra.

"Some one better tell me what the _hell_ just happened. Immediately!" His voice rang out piggishly in his fear and anger as he looked between the hand full of survivors in the room. When no once came up with an answer for him he continued; showing the ruthlessness of his nature that had allowed him to become one of the most powerful men on Gaia.

"You," He pointed to one of the Turks, "Get my son out of here now. Clean him up." When the Turk had left, a shell-shocked Rufus Shinra being led away, the President then turned his eyes to another group of Turks. "I want this... Mess. Gone immediately! I do not want to find a single trace of what happened here in the future. After that come up with a story that will not compromise the company and ensure it is the story that reaches the ears of the people."

The remainder of the Turks, minus two who stayed close to the President in case of further attack, moved to follow his orders.

Finally President Shinra turned to the SOLDIERs.

"Get that boy to the medical ward. Make sure he is fine. I want him _detained_ though, with no chance of escape. One of you is to be there at all times, and I want to be informed the moment he wakes up. Whatever his role in this; good or bad, I want to know."

And with that final order the President of the Shinra Electric Company marched from the room as though he was not needlessly walking through the blood of his subordinates and the people he had invited to ensure his company got more funding.

Vincent had to watch with gritted teeth as Sephiroth calmly sheathed Masamune before picking up Cloud's limp form and promptly leaving the room to carry out his orders. A worried looking Zack and Angeal followed after him as soon as they could, soon followed by Genesis.

Vincent wasted no time in moving away from the door as more Turks and Shinra 'special' personal entered the room. Jumping from the balcony Vincent landed soundlessly on the ground far below, his mind was racing as he pondered exactly what he should do...

"_My dear Host, there is nothing you _can_ do."_ The voice of Chaos called mockingly through his consciousness.

XxXxX

Zack was panicking.

Well, he was panicking quietly and privately at least, but he was panicking none-the-less. What should have been a good night, and had indeed started fairly well considering everything, had turned into a living nightmare; and not just for the people who ended up being gutted by shadows come to life.

The way Zack saw it was simple;

They were all officially and totally _screwed_.

If Cloud was in custody then there was likely to be many questions that Shinra wanted answered. And while being in custody it would be all to easy for the blond to be targeted from both the demons within Shinra and without.

Zack was currently following Angeal and Sephiroth as the latter carried an unconscious Cloud towards the top level SOLDIER infirmary. From his position behind Angeal, Zack could just barely see the tips of Cloud's spikes past Sephiroth's arm, and it chilled his blood to see that many of the usually blond spikes were covered in a vibrant red.

Zack stewed quietly in his own thoughts for the remainder of the trip up to the infirmary and it was only when a gloved hand came to rest on his shoulder from behind that he remembered the presence of Genesis.

"Stop worrying so much." The elder said gently, showing an uncharacteristically soft side. "I am sure the young man will be found completely innocent in all this."

Zack just nodded and kept his eyes forward. His mid was already chaotic with worst-case scenarios, and he didn't need any more.

It wasn't long before Cloud was administered into a room, and as soon as he was deemed unharmed but for severe bruising around his throat, he was then tied down to the bed as though he was some mental escapee or perhaps a lab experiment... Zack quickly shook the thought from his head; it would do no good to think like that now.

"Although it seems pointless, I will take the first watch." Sephiroth said. His voice completely blank as he looked as the other SOLDIERs in the room. "Angeal, you and your pup will take the second, and Genesis; the last."

No one argued.

No one moved.

Zack didn't want to move from his friends side. Didn't want to leave him here with people who didn't, who _couldn't,_ know what was happening. There was just so much going through Zack's mind at the moment that it was amazing that he managed to keep it all from showing in his face.

Not that it helped to convince anyone that there was nothing wrong; after all Zack's usual smile and joking manner was no where in sight.

"Come on Puppy. We will need to rest and organise ourselves."Angeal said, making sure to use a voice that would broke no arguments from his student. While Angeal was able to easily cover his thoughts and emotions, it wasn't as easy for the younger raven-haired man. They would need to figure out exactly what they needed to do as well.

Zack finally gave a small nod of acknowledgement, but other than that his eyes stayed on the slumbering blond.

How many times had he seen Cloud like this? Thinking back he could only really remember when Angeal and himself had found the blond in the forests around Wutai. But there had been no blood then. Just an unconscious man that looked far to vulnerable to leave there.

And yet Cloud had proven to be stronger than probably any of them...

With a small sigh, Angeal grabbed Zack's shoulder and led him from the room. He knew it was hard on the young man, but he also needed to get Zack somewhere where they could talk freely about the events that had just occurred.

Genesis soon left the room as well, planning on doing some investigating of his own for a while. Sephiroth, once alone, took up a position against the wall of the room. Intent on destroying any threat that may or may not enter the room.

XxXxX

"What are we going to do 'Geal?" Zack all but pleaded the moment the door was closed behind them. They had ended up going to Zack's room, as it was the closest at the time and the most practical if either of them was needed.

"I don't know Pup." Angeal replied with a sigh. He had also been wracking his brain for some time now in an attempt to think of a way to help their blond companion. However, aside from simply vouching for him from a SOLDIER standing there seemed to be nothing much they could do.

"Damn, can't we just... I dunno, break him out?" Zack asked, his voice admitting that he already knew they couldn't do that.

"No. If we do that then it will only make things worse. Shinra would likely hunt him down..." Angeal replied, "That option can only be considered if we have no choice whatsoever."

"It may yet come to that." Both SOLDIERs jumped at the unexpected voice and spun around to see Vincent standing against the wall by the surprisingly open window.

"Don't... Do that!" Zack said, the look on his face almost comical if not for the fact that he had been ready to attack only seconds before. The gunman seemed entirely unaffected.

"What do you mean?" Angeal asked, quickly getting over his own shock.

"There has to be more going on here than what we have seen." Vincent replied simply, his own mind had been nagging him about it for a while, "For a full on assault, the enemy backed off too easily. I believe the aim of the attack was for Cloud to be brought to the notice of Shinra."

Angeal nodded, his own mind racing as he took the information in.

"And of course, Shinra would act as he did. By viewing Cloud as a threat and making sure he was restrained." Angeal continued, realising the truth of his own words.

"But, even now Cloud isn't alone. He is under constant guard, _and_ that guard is SOLDIER, so it wouldn't be that easy for him to be attacked, right? So... What next?" Zack asked, once again displaying a thoughtfulness that many thought he lacked.

"That is true." Angeal agreed, "An infiltrator perhaps?"

Vincent nodded, but there was no one he could immediately think of that would have the clearance to make a move whilst Cloud was in this position. The only ones that had access to the blond at this time was the four SOLDIERs and the President himself, and somehow, Vincent doubted the President would be a threat by himself.

"Who then?" The gunman said, voicing his thoughts and seeing that the other two had also been pondering this as two pairs of mako eyes met his own with the same unsure look.

They could only hope that whoever was planning on making a move was also planning on waiting for the blond to wake up.

XxXxX

_There were images. _

_There were _always_ images._

_Memories._

_In the darkness they became points of light that he couldn't take his eyes off of. The flew past him and spun around him, making him dizzy but not allowing him to look away. _

_They came one after another, never stopping. _

_Familiar faces that he had lost, their eyes in death staring at him with accusing ferocity._

_Faces that he still held close became twisted and mauled as though he had lost them._

_And then he was alone. _

_Only the darkness was his companion as it entwined around his body in a twisted caress. It offered freedom from pain, and a chance to break away from the cycle of death around him. It offered the power to determine the fates of others. To destroy the people the way he had been destroyed. _

_It was a lullaby that Cloud had heard before. A sweet whisper against the mind. Only this one was different from last time, there was no efflorescent green tinge to the thoughts; no tendrils of light that threatened to consume his body in raging fire that would have him thrashing against his bonds. No, this was a subtle darkness that had been worming its way in ever so slightly each time it broke through his mental barriers when he slept. It had began as nightmares, and now it offered peace instead of pain._

_Could he take it?_

_Could he truly end the suffering he had felt for so long?_

_Reaching out he tried to find the light that usually guided him. But a pain that bloomed in his chest reminded him that the light, like everything else, had been ripped away from him._

"_Rest..." The voice was deep. It carried with it alluring, dark promises. _

"_No." He responded. He had wanted to rest once; but now he desired more than rest, he desired safety for not just him, but those around him. Even those he had yet to meet._

"_Let go of pain..." Again the voice held such promise, and already his mind wanted to waver. Wanted to accept the unseen hand outstretched to him. _

"_I can't." There was more fighting to be done, more pain to endure before he could do such a thing._

"_Turn from fear..." The power behind the words struck home. He was scared. He was _always_ so scared. But it was not his own life he feared for, no, he feared more than anything that it would be his own blade that would pierce the heart of those he loved._

"_End their pain and fear..." _

_This time the voice had lost some of the grip it held over his mind. The words were wrong. They held an empty promise, and even in a weakened state of mind he could see the true lethal intention behind the words. He could see the twisting of what would usually be a comforting promise, a contortion of the true intent designed to take him._

_Finally Cloud realised that what he had thought was a comforting blanket of kind blackness, was really sharp chains digging into his skin; trying to break him with sweet promises. Trying to lure him in the larger cage that was far to close for comfort. _

_Once more the voice called to him, promising an easy way out for everything he could ever want. It _

_took everything he had not to be drawn under again._

"_Aerith." Cloud called, he knew that the seek of darkness planted in his mind was what had prevented him from reaching her. But with that one word, the chains binding him loosened. _

"_Zack." Before him the darkness conjured the image of his best friend lying in a pool of blood, taking his last breaths. Cloud simply swiped it away with his mind and replaced the image of his broken friend with the images of Zack's smiles; of times when they had been unburdened by this unseen war._

"_Angeal." This final name surprised even him slightly, but the taller SOLDIER had become a constant point of strength for him. A tower of wisdom and comfort that held tall and strong despite the flow of dark waves that attempted to rip it down._

"_Vincent." The final name. A friend that had suffered just as much as he had. A silent guiding hand that both helped pull him from, and relied on him to be pulled from, the darkness of memories and pain in times past to help face the future and breach the walls that contained the brightness of the days to come._

_They were relying on him. _

_With each word the sharp binding surrounding him loosened just that little bit, until there was nothing but weeping holes where they had once tainted his skin. This infection was soon cast aside with a final vow;_

"_I will not lose."_

_And then Cloud broke through to the surface of both the darkness in his mind and into consciousness where only more demons from both past and future awaited him..._

**This chapter required a lot of thought in the end, as there are a lot of pieces that need connecting soon. I hope you like it, and once again I am beyond sorry for such a delay in updating, but as I mentioned before; life has not been kind to me lately. **

**Oh well, I hope to have the next chapter up soon, but again I can make no promises; especially with my mid-year exams fast up coming. :/**

**I hope to hear everyone's thoughts!**


End file.
