For the people that may be worried, this is a Cloti. I repeat, this is a s Cloti. Down with Cleris!


Travel only with thy equals or thy betters; if there are none, travel alone.

- The Dhammapada


It all just started on a perfectly normal day. Marlene was doing a puzzle with Denzel in the living room. Tifa was minding the bar as usual, humming and thinking to herself. Meanwhile, Cloud was making his deliveries.

Cloud raced fearlessly on his fenrir through the back road, completely alone. He was at peace with himself, the surroundings, his machine... and the large weaponry that was hidden from view. Or at least, he pretended to be in peace. It's amazing how you can look so worry-free and still be racked with joy, confusion, and pain.

"So many things had happened in the last few years. I am now twenty-seven years old. We've just celebrated Marlene's thirteenth birthday, and Denzel's fourteenth birthday will be in a month. Barret has recently got married and is planning to have Marlene finally live with him and his new wife as a family. Not surprisingly, Vincent and Yuffie are going to tie the knot themselves in less than a year. To top that off, Tifa and Reno are...

Cloud immediately stopped his thoughts. As hard as he tried not to think about it, the fact was still there. Reno didn't deserve a woman like that. Sure, he loved Tifa, but he also respected her decisions. What control did he have over who she wanted to marry?

"Ah, here we are," Cloud said to him. He had reached his destination.
Tifa scrubbed away at a dirty mug in the sink. Her smile seemed to be painted on her face. After all she was getting married.

"Reno will make me happy, I know he will..."

"Tifa!" Marlene shouted. "We finished the puzzle. Come and see."

Tifa finished cleaning the mug and went to the living room. Sure enough, a huge, 1000 pieced puzzle of a castle was lying on the coffee table.

"Good job," Tifa commented. "And it took you all morning..."

"Do you want a puzzle as a wedding present?" Denzel asked. "You and Reno could do one for fun on your honeymoon..."

"Sorry," Tifa apologized. "Reno isn't good with puzzles."

Marlene leaned close to Denzel and whispered, "Of course he isn't good with puzzles. He's a moron!"

"Did you say something?" Tifa asked Marlene.

"Oh, it's just kids' stuff..."


Cloud walked out of the building. He casually strolled towards his bike when his cell phone began to ring. He pulled it out, pushed the answer button, put the phone to his ear.

"Is this Cloud Strife?" a voice asked.

"First," Cloud answered, "I want to know whose calling?"

"It's me, Rude."

"I'm listening."

"I am calling on behalf of my employers, President Shinra," Rude said. "He has job for you that may be of interest..."

"I don't work for Shinra anymore..." Cloud sneered.

"Then call it a 'delivery job' for your business."

Cloud sighed. "Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt..."


"Right this way, Mr. Strife," the woman said.

Cloud followed the woman to the President's office. As soon as he entered the room, he was greeted warmly by Reno. Cloud didn't know whether to congratulate Reno once again on being engaged to Tifa or punch his lights out for it.

"Hey, how's the best man of my wedding?" Reno patted Cloud on the back. Cloud gave out a weak but convincing smile.

"So you finally showed up."

Cloud turned towards President Shinra who was sitting at his desk. Cloud walked closer to him.

"So," Cloud began, "I was told that you had a job for me that would interest me."

"Yes, that."

The president turned his swivel chair around and looked out his of his office window to the streets below.

"You have fought valiantly against anything that has tried to corrupt this world, am I right?"

"Yes sir," Cloud replied.

"Well, I must ask you to step forward and do it again'" the president said.

"What?"

"Mr. Strife, I need for you to find the lost materia of Sephiroth..."


DUN DUN DUN

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