I don't own Final fantasy. This story begins just after Advent Children.

Thanks a lot, guys.

After the last of the kids had been dealt with, Cloud looked around at his friends. He then emerged from the pool of water and stalked by them without a second glance.

Tifa frowned.

"Cloud, what's wrong?"

"Y'know, just when I was feeling better about myself, I find out what cowardly bastards I had for friends. You show up when I need you, then sit back and enjoy the show. Thanks for helping, guys." The tone was soft, but the word 'bastards' showed how angry he was. After two years of living in an orphanage, Cloud now found it almost impossible to curse, despite Cid's best efforts to rehabilitate him.

"Cloud..."

"It was Vincent's idea." Yuffie chimed in helpfully "I was all for helping you, but Vince here forbid it."

Vincent moved fast, but Cloud had actually blurred in transition, with the last of the lifestream's enhancements still available to him, and he was soon pinned to the wall.

"Explain."

"Kadaj...was a Sephir...oth larval form..." Vincent rasped, breathing with difficulty around the iron grip on his throat, "that was...your personal grudge...so I left it...to you..to deal with."

"Thanks a lot, Vince. Don't you understand? I settled that grudge two years ago. Sephiroth is now fair game. I've killed him three times now. First time...I stabbed him in the back...I was lucky. Second time, it took me the White Materia, The Lifestream, all of you and the will of the planet and we STILL almost lost. This time, for the first time, it was a fair fight, and he still almost won. Next time, statistically speaking, he WILL kill me." His tone indicated he wasn't angry any more, just exasperated and incredibly tired.

"Cloud! Don't you ever say that!" Tifa was close to tears. She hadn't realized. None of them had. Continually saving the planet had left its mark on Cloud.

Denzel poked his head in.

"Is everything okay? I heard shouting."

"Fuck off!" Seven people screamed, and Denzel fled.

Vincent sighed. "Look, Cloud, I'm sorry. I hadn't realized."

"No one ever does." Cloud suddenly fell backwards, and might have drowned if Tifa hadn't caught him.

"So if Tifa lets you up, are you going to try to kill me again?"

Cloud looked up. "No...on two conditions."

"And what are they?"

"First, find me a tourniquet in the next twenty seconds before I bleed to death."

Suddenly remembering Cloud'd been shot twice and impaled once only a few minutes ago, Vincent tore some strips from the end of his cloak.

"And condition two?"

"Next time somebody tries to destroy the world, you save it."

Vincent grinned, for the first time in the memory of anyone in AVALANCHE.

"Deal."

- - - - - - - - -

So whaddya think? Don't like it much myself.