For everyone waiting for this story to finally continue, it is! I made a new one from the remnants of what I could remember, and I like it more than this one. I plan to update this one with the new chapters before long, but right now I'm updating to archiveofourown. Same story name and username is the same but with an underscore. If you want the new version of this one, please go read it there since I'm not certain when I'll get around to update this one.

Sorry it took so long. My muses took their time making a greater story. Main pairing will be Sephiroth x Cloud.

Cloud, looking back, was completely ashamed of himself. It was his fault. He should have acted sooner, but he hadn't known just what the man had planned to do – and the kids had been behind him. He thought he would be able to keep them safe. He hadn't thought there would be anyway to distract him from doing that, but that was what the gun had done…

He and Denzel had been sparring. Cloud had picked up an iron rod and Denzel had that iron pipe he was fond of using. Cloud had been teaching him sword forms slowly, but mostly just teaching him how to avoid getting struck. Over the loose gravel and rocks, Denzel was a bit of a mess, but he always adapted quickly.

Just not quick enough to not have his pipe knocked out of his hand. It went flying over their heads and back down to another ledge, where it skidded off with a clang. Denzel said a curse under his breath that had Cloud's eyebrows rising.

Flushed and embarrassed, Denzel vowed to retrieve his pipe and set off. Cloud watched him scamper around the ruins of Midgar to where his pipe had fallen below. They were far enough away that if The Plate dropped nothing would hit them, but close enough to have uneven ground and stacks of crumbled buildings.

Cloud hadn't wanted to teach Denzel how to fight, not at first... But his persistant pleas and Tifa's gentle nudges hadn't finally made him give in.

Denzel...had been surprising proficient for his age with a weapon. But Cloud had yielded only if he practiced for some weeks with Tifa first. He had hoped Denzel would grow bored of it quickly and not want to continue, but no matter how many times Denzel was judo flipped or round house kicked by Tifa, he always came back for more. Cloud could still remember Denzel's determined face the first time Cloud had stepped up to teach him - even if it was just with pipes. They'd been doing this for over a month and Denzel was learning quickly - though Cloud had little doubt he would. He much like a warrior, rather fearless to try new angles.

It worried Cloud, honestly.

Denzel was on his hands and knees below their uneven fighting field, looking over the ledge for where his weapon had gone.

"A little further, Denzel!" Marlene was below, having been watching them. She carried around a lighter pipe but she never actually used it. Cloud was fine with that; he remembered what he had told her once before.

"Sometimes if you just carry a big stick, it won't matter if you speak quietly." Marlene had really liked that, and taken it to heart.

"A little to your left! Your fingers almost got it!"

"Nghn…" Denzel was growing tall and lean for a thirteen year old. He was stretched out on his belly now, fingers stretching to reach his pipe in the crevice.

Cloud was reluctant to head over and help; he wanted Denzel to get used to always being able to retrieve his own weapon if it was knocked aside. Even so, he was moving towards him.

That's when he heard the low rumbling vibration. Pausing, he turned as Marlene did below and saw the oncoming motorcycle coming in fast and hard.

Narrowing his bright blue eyes, he leapt off the building and skid down the wreckage around him, instinctively hurrying over to Marlene's side. She looked up at him as she approached, her brown eyes worried.

"Just stay back."

"Mm."

She moved, heading up an easier patch to where Denzel's fingers were still just a little too short to get a grip on his pipe. He was stretching as far as he dared without falling off the building's ledge.

The motorcycle slowed as it approached now, and about ten feet away it pulled to its side. A man on the motorcycle regarded him behind a dark red helmet.
Cloud couldn't judge his height under the purple cloak he wore and because he didn't get off the vehicle.

Cloud's head buzzed with danger, and instinct made his fingers flex, ready to draw his Fusion Swords from his back should the need arise.

The figure made a slow show of pulling something out from their pocket. It was a Materia, Cloud could easily tell, but he didn't recognize what type it was. It looked…almost clear, but it had purple mist swirling inside of it. It might have been a little smaller than the average Materia as well.

"…"

The figure held it up to where Cloud could see it clearly, then drew back his arm…and abruptly drew a gun from inside his cloak with the other hand and fired twice. Cloud moved to the left and angled his blade to reflect the second shot with ease. But he learned quickly he'd let himself be distracted. The man had thrown the Materia.

Cloud noticed it as it sailed over his head, just above where Marlene was holding Denzel's legs as he pulled out his pipe. It crashed into an iron beam and shattered over their heads. They both looked up as the purple mist started to swarm around where it had struck.

Alarmed, Cloud thought, poison, it has to be poison, and launched himself up the wreckage, leaving his back undefended for an attack that wouldn't come. Before he could reach the kids, the purple haze grew violently strong and there was the sudden sound of a roaring typhoon. Cloud heard Marlene scream, and then Denzel yelled as Cloud rushed into the smoke – it was wet like a mist, and strangely felt…like it was full of electricity.

Almost immediately Cloud felt disoriented inside the plume. He lost his sense of direction and felt like he was being sucked inside of something.

"Cloud!"

Denzel was close by and he reached out and felt his fingers skim Denzel's skin. The smog was so strong around him now, he couldn't see where he was going and lost his footing. Then he was falling down. Much longer than it could have possibly been. Down, down, and down as wind roared against his ears.

Sometime in the chaos, he heard Denzel scream, "Take my hand! Marlene! Marlene!" Cloud couldn't even turn towards their voices before he was spinning into the gloom and felt something strike his head and knock him unconscious.

As his eyes closed, he thought he heard Marlene say,

"I can see Midgar!"

Good, Cloud thought, find Edge and hurry there…get away from here…

Then things went dark…and wet.