Prologue

Sitting there, thinking, yearning for information; Cloud sits there on his bed, his sword is laying across his legs. It has only been two months since he had defeated Sephiroth, but...

"I will never... be a memory."

The words echoed through his head, stress showing on the man's face.

"No!" He yelled out as he stabbed the tip of his sword into the wooden floor. He needed to keep these memories out of his mind, he needed to stay happy for everyone else's sake. But the memories wouldn't let go; they clung to his mind and refused to leave, constantly reminding him of his darkened past.

Knocking on the door, Tifa let herself into the room, taking a few steps in and looking over at Cloud with an expression of worry on her face.

"Are you alright?" She asked as she walked over to the bed and sat next to him. "Something seems to of been bothering you recently."

Shifting away from her, Cloud got to his feet, picking up the sword out of its small indent, he looked toward the door and looked down.

"I'm fine" He said, walking to the door.

"No, Cloud, don't do this again," She said standing to her feet, Cloud stopping halfway to the door. "You're running away from your feelings again, I thought you were over this, you can't keep living like this, it's obvious that it is dragging you down."

He sighed, letting his hands lower down, the weight of the sword pushing itself into the wooden paneling.

"I do not know what is wrong," He said, looking down, "I just... Don't know if it is really over..."

He walked to the door, swinging it open hard enough for the it to bounce off the cabinet next to it, causing it to close to a certain degree.

"Cloud!" The young women yelled after him, but he continued walking down the stairs to the bar, then out the front door into the town.

Cloud walked through the streets, letting the people walk by without notice. He slid his phone out his pocket and scrolled through the many options before hitting the call button on a familiar name... Cid

The phone rang a few times, before finally being picked up.

"What do ya want?" Asked Cid from the other line.

"Cid, do you think you can pick me up in the Sherra?"

A sigh was issued from the man on the other end, "Yea... Whatever, sure, In Midgar are ya? Well then I'll pick ya up by the fountain thingy." The phone connection was then ended from the other side.

Cloud closed his phone, then placed it in his pocket before turning a corner in the direction he needed to go. He knew Tifa was undoubtedly mad at him, but he just needed to know something...

Cloud walked up to the Marble fountain, which replaced the old Shinra shrine It was a huge fountain going about two feet deep, and fourteen feet wide. In the center, was a healing staff in Monument to Aeris. Inside the fountain was the water that had once filled the garden in the church.

Cloud sat down on the edge and peered at his reflection in the water. The scar above his left eyebrow still showed there, reddish pink skin formed around where the wound used to be.

He looked into the water, picked up his right hand and eyed it, wondering why he never took off the black leather glove that occupied the hand. He slid the glove off slowly, letting the cold air attack his hand for the first time in a while.

He lowered his hand into the water, letting the coldness of it shiver up his arm and down his spine. He swayed his hand around slowly, watching the ripples of the water dance around.

The sound of an airship could be heard in the distance and Cloud stood up and placed his glove back on, looking towards the sky with his left hand hovering overhead to block out the sun.

The Sherra darkened into view, getting louder and louder. Before long it was over his head, and a rope ladder rolled down from the air and landing onto the ground with a lot more ladder left inside the huge ball of it.

"Thanks," he stated sarcastically as he pulled himself up the ladder, his sword constantly banging against his back after each step.

He walked into the pilots room, the sun glowing down in through the glass onto Cid whom was standing by it, looking into the sky.

"Really took your time," The man stated, as he turned to face Cloud, a freshly lit cigarette hanging from his mouth. "So, where are you making me take you, because you didn't feel like taking other means of other types of transportation?"

Cloud eyed him for a second, before walking up near Cid, and look into the sky.

"Northern Crater."