The Planet and Lifestream are constantly given the image of being just as bad as Hojo, thrusting Cloud in and pretty much stating "Oh hai, here's a big bag of fucked up shit, add a couple of bucket loads of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and nao you're ready to go save the world. Have fun!" I wanted to change that. Also, no one really changes much about Cloud's childhood, which is something I felt would be really fun to screw around with. Cloud's still going to get his bag of shit, its pretty much compulsory for Cloud, but with some great incentive and a Planet willing to actually help heal him as well, a nice change for the poor traumatized blond.

Hopefully, you'll all enjoy. I do particularly love critical reviews, so please, if you feel the need to be insightful and critical to points, go for it.

88888

Angels and demons circle above my head, cleaving through thorns and Milky Ways

He who does not perceive his calling, does not know true happiness...

-Inner Universe: Origa

Cloud had a personal rule when it came to dreams. The weirder it was, the more likely it was true, or some sort of premonition from the Planet.

"3.5 inches professor; she's peaking." This dream certainly categorised under the heading of FUBAR. He was in a lab, one of the ones he'd discovered between the attacks headed by Kadaj and affair with Deepground, even further underneath the Shinra mansion, to be more accurate. However, gone were the small signs of neglect and slow decay from before; the metal walls were clean and gleaming, the lights remained steady and bright, instead of dull and flickering, and the monsters that had broken out of cages throughout the facility, breed and continued to reside there were replaced by lab assistants and the worst monster to ever plague the world.

"Very good." Hojo's voice and appearance were still as oily and bluntly horrifying as Cloud remembered, with less creases in his forehead. He looked pleased and almost excited, two qualities that were never a good sign in the insane scientist. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the lab assistants glance at him with a look of pure disgust. Some things never changed, and Hojo hadn't lost...obviously gained? the ability to make others look at him with both absolute disgust and absolute fear.

Instead of sending Cloud into a mindless destructive being of anger and old memories, he proved Cloud's theories that this was not just a dream of his mind's invention. The first indicator had been the fact that his cognitive process seemed on par, functioning whilst he was supposed to be asleep, and allowing him to thoughtfully process his surroundings instead of being lead through his own actions as if he merely had a third person perspective within first person actions.

The third indication that this dream was, indeed, not just a dream was the screaming woman upon the table. He had met her only once; insane with grief and despair, a mere fragment of what was once a beautiful, strong woman, Vincent had explained to him sorrowfully. Cloud would have thought Lucrecia Crescent was in the midst of her death throes had it not been for the fact that the blood that covered most of her legs and the bottom half of the table was from a gaping hole between said thighs. She was in the final stages of giving birth and as far as Cloud knew, had only one child derive from her.

"Professor, she needs to be rolled upon her side now," The lab assistant who had looked at Hojo with such disgust stated this calmly, expression blank. "The position she is currently in, whilst beneficial scientifically, may cause problems for her and the child." Child had obviously been the magic word, since Hojo had seemed ready to shoot the young man in the head till that point. Watching the man roll Lucrecia onto her side, Cloud figured pensively that the soon to be mother had either opted to look this up herself, or had the pity and admiration of the lab assistant currently helping her. Tifa, he recalled, almost breaking into a smile, had looked it up herself. He hadn't been sure what was more hilarious; Tifa standing in the middle of her living room swearing to all Hellenistic gods that when this was over, Rude's dick was coming off, or the expression on Rude's face for the next five days afterwards.

And then the screaming started, and Cloud was abruptly reminded as to why he hadn't stayed out the entire birth of his godson. Aside from the typical disturbing fashion that births seemed to have, the tortured screaming triggered other, far nastier images; Dyne's birth had passed with Cloud holding Tsuruji with one hand and gripping the bar stool as both an anchor to reality and a restraint against destroying the bar with the other. The fact that Hojo was in the room made the situation worse, if that was even possible, so Cloud did the only thing that seemed possible in this situation. He used his thoughts to drown out the sights and sounds of his surroundings.

The first thing that needed personal introspection was the question of why, exactly, he had the misfortune to be here. The question of who had brought him here was quite obvious; the Planet, the Life-stream, or Aerith; one or all of the three, since all three had an annoying habit of meddling with his day to day affairs. Cloud would have felt guilty for thinking ill of Aerith, except she didn't seem to get the fact that being dead was generally an indication that your time and influence over the living world had ended. The Planet and the Life-stream were worse, usually attempting to get him to do something for the mere fact of saving the planet and adding several more centuries worth of trauma to his daily life.

But the why...the why was confusing. It could be an indication of Sephiroth's return, but then why show his birth? If Cloud wasn't entirely wrong about the situation, in minutes he would be confronted with the most vulnerable form of the man who had inspired both great awe and great fear. Not a good indication of a future threat. Cloud sighed and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Maybe he needed to wait; as the event unfolded, perhaps it would provide a hint of what its purpose was.

Which was how he was reminded of yet another thing to hate about labor; the waiting. There was a clock on the wall and Cloud watched it tick for three quarters of an hour before stepping over to Hojo and pantomimed strangling the putrid man's neck, since fate was laughing at him and refused to allow him to strangle the object of his deepest loathing. He tried poking the lab assistants, just to see them jump, but it appeared that they didn't feel anything he did, nor the effects of it.

He could touch objects, however, a revelation brought upon by a half hearted swipe at an empty test tube abandoned on one of the side benches. it had flown off and shattered on impact with the floor, resulting in the closest lab assistant, who had been scrawling down notes since Cloud had appeared, being sent out of the room in shame.

And then Cloud resumed watching the clock. Planet, was childbirth boring.

"A head!" The exclamation brought Cloud out of his doze, and he looked up to see Hojo shove the man aside, obscuring the rest of the proceedings from view as a tense silence fell, only punctuated by Lucrecia's labored puffs and gasps of pain. Maybe that's why they called it labor. Cloud's lips quirked at the thought.

"Finally." Hojo's voiced was filled with greedy satisfaction; Sephiroth had joined the world. Anticipation and trepidation coiled in Cloud's stomach like snake made of lead. "A boy, as expected. The J cells have done wonders on him already; he looked several weeks old, not the usual blob of red and purple wrinkles that most human newborns are. Get me the scissors!"

There was a flurry of activity, but when it settled Lucrecia was propped up again, holding her child. God in the making he may be, but apparently Hojo's distaste for small children was greater than his sense of achievement, otherwise Cloud was sure no one else would been allowed to touch the genetically altered newborn for several days. So Lucrecia got to hold her child for the first, and quite possibly final, time. It wasn't difficult to see the heartache in her eyes. From what he knew, Lucrecia had loved Vincent, and was likely still mourning his death at this point. Sephiroth still had a large possibility of being Vincent's child in Cloud's mind, since he was as likely to take Hojo's word for anything as the truth as he was likely to melt down Tsuguri. If he was indeed the child of the ex-Turk, it would make it even worse.

Still, from the moment he had been conceived Sephiroth had been enlisted as a test subject, and to anyone finally realizing the depth of human emotion between mother and child, the realization that your child will live out a torturous existence due to your actions would be a hard thing. He pitied her, knowing that this regret for both Vincent and Sephiroth would slowly drive her to abandoning life and attempting to die far from society. Even in death, she would fail.

Finally getting a look at Sephiroth, Cloud was surprised by how...normal he looked. Several weeks older than he was supposed to, yes, but still...normal. He was silent, staring over at Hojo as if assessing the man who had been the first thing he'd seen since coming into the world. A small tuft of silver had poked through at the very top of his head, and his eyes were the same cat like green Cloud had come to expect, with one difference. Cloud had never forgotten- how could he?- that the man who had almost destroyed the world had once been a sane, uncontrolled being, but he had forgotten how his eyes had looked when they had retained normal pupils.

It was a stark reminder that what he saw before him wasn't the newly formed puppet of Jenova, but the strong, aloof man who would capture the hearts of many people within the nation and bring the rule of SOLDIER to fruitation. And it was this baby who would feel firsthand the experiments that Cloud had been on the receiving end of long after the baby had grown, this creation of sexual activity and genetic manipulation who would be used and eventually abandoned by his mother, cut off from love and emotion, till one day the call of an alien life form pretending to be his mother would drive him to insanity. Sephiroth, the poweful god-like being who, out of all of them, deserved to be pitied and mourned the most, because out of all of them, he was the one who had been the most cruelly used.

"I'm sorry, Sephiroth." He whispered. Inquisitive eyes turned to him, far older than any child's should ever be, and Cloud's heart leapt into his throat at the thought that maybe, Sephiroth could see and hear him.

He bolted upright in his bed, heart still pounding painfully as he attempted to cam his erratic breathing. The moon was low enough to cast light through his window, which meant it was maybe... 4:30. His walls were plain, his bedspread a simple blue that Denzel had picked out for him, and the only electronic devices within his sleeping confines were his alarm clock and his phone; electrical equipment, whilst better for the Planet, had an annoying habit of emitting a buzzing noise that was ten times worse on his mako heightened hearing. He took this time to view him room for the simple fact of reminding himself that he was indeed somewhere familiar and considerably safe. An apartment not too far from Seventh Heaven; a simplistic two bedroom place, but more than big enough for both Denzel and himself.

It had, to begin with, been Tifa's idea. Denzel's idol worship of Cloud had eventually changed into one of a boy seeking a role model, and as he had come closer and closer to becoming a teen it had become apparent that he needed that father figure much more than he needed Tifa's mothering. The ice on the cake had been Tifa's developing relationship with Rude, and Cloud had opted to find a place he could share with the boy, instead of letting Rude put a bullet through his skull or allow him to lace Rude's evening beer with some fast acting neurotoxin.

Surprisingly, it had actually proved to be good for both Cloud and Denzel. The 28 year old had quickly learned to enjoy being a parental figure, and proved to be a fair and capable guardian, not that he'd admit to either. Denzel, in turn, had learned to control himself a bit better, judging the situation before running into danger as he had been known to do before. He was also a lot better at taking care of Cloud than Cloud himself was; since they had tentatively begun to live in the same space, Denzel had kept a hawk's eye on every meal Cloud figured it was Tifa's influence.

Giving up on the idea of sleep, Cloud slipped out of bed and in the living room. Denzel had fallen asleep in front of the TV again; the screen was currently flashing images of a burger being made- the newest piece of garbage from one fast food joint or another, which, had he been conscious, Denzel would have muttered at with a dark glare. For a fourteen year old, he had a very derisive view of greasy food; another thing heavily influenced by Tifa. no doubt. Still, he had a mean touch in the kitchen, which made scheduled eating easier on Cloud when he was at home.

Home. Cloud frowned as he grabbed a blanket off the side of the lounge and covered the slumbering child with it. He had become so much more settled, so much more accepting of himself since the last Reunion that he was actually happy with his life, raising a soon to be young man and watching his friends fall in love and start families around him. Tifa and Rude were only the most recent of couples; Cid and Sherra, Yuffie and some spunky young ninja she was now attached to the hip with, Vincent and Shelke (though that relationship remained between friends due to the fact that Shelke had yet to find a way to make herself age normally); he'd even attended the wedding of Rufus Shinra, of all people, to the daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Costa del Sol. The idea that there might be another, incoming threat, something to harm his family and friends... it set his teeth on edge.

"'Cha doin' Cloud?" Denzel murmured, eyes sat beside him and ruffled his brown hair; it never failed to amaze him how damn fluffy it was. Zack had said the same about his hair, but Cloud really couldn't feel anything remotely alike between Denzel's kitten like waves and his own wiry spikes. Denzel cuddled up to his side and Cloud petted his hair absentmindedly, debating what his answer should be. Denzel was easier to talk to than Tifa; maybe because Cloud had a stronger relationship with the boy. He knew when to keep his mouth shut and when Cloud needed him to tell others, and was old enough that he had a right to know what was going on.

"There might be something important happening soon. I'm...not sure if its a bad thing, but that doesn't mean to say that it will be good, either." Denzel's eyes were open now; he searched Cloud's face for any sign of impending disaster. "I was thinking of going to the church; maybe Aerith will feel like sharing some answers." If she even had any went unsaid.

"I want to come." Was the immediate response. Once again Cloud was left to debate his answer, honestly conflicted in his response. The was no one else Cloud would rather take to see Aerith, but then again- "...It's about Sephiroth, isn't it?" Easier to talk to, yes; any less irritating with the sixth sense conclusions? No.

"If there's anything going on, then yes, its likely to involve him." Somehow. Denzel hummed softly, gripping Cloud's shirt. There was uncertainty there; a fear Cloud might not come back, as his parents hadn't. An understandable assumption, considering the amount of trouble that seemed to gather towards Cloud as if drawn by a magnet.

"Denzel, I've fallen hundreds of metres, fallen into the Lifestream, been stabbed, shot, blown up... stabbed, then shot, then blown up, on one occasion." He added, smiling slightly. "Some one's always needed me back, and I've always come back. Have some faith in me." When Denzel still looked slightly unnerved, Cloud added "If I'm not back by noon, you and Tifa can come after me, guns and fists blazing."

"Vincent says I'm a natural with a gun."

"Well if Vincent told you that, you must be. Remind me not to make you angry."

"Coming back late would make me very angry." The teen stated solomnly. Cloud's hand slid from the brunette's hair to his shoulder and squeezed gently.

"Well then, I'd better not be late."

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Despite the constant abuse it had endured, the ruins of Midgar still retained some of its grander buildings on both the upper plate, and the lower levels. Due to some kind of unspoken rule, Shinra HQ was the site of most of the damage done after Meteor, but the slums had taken various amounts of damage as well, and Aerith's church had not been spared. The outside still appeared the same; the more recent holes in the roof and side were spared from view as you walked towards the front doors, but it was the inside that had changed the most.

Cloud figured it was some benign way for the Planet to thank him rather than chance that had made the church more adaptable to Cloud's needs. The inside was bright, less sanctimonious and the patch of flowers that had once been the revolving point of Aerith's daily life had been obliterated by the pool of water that now covered the front half of the room.

Even with the loss of the flowers, Aerith's life still imbued every aspect of the church to Cloud; just like her, it calmed him down, helped him figure out aspects of everyday life that where impossible to figure out when not staring at the hypnotic reflections of light that danced upon the water.

Usually, Cloud had the precious space all to himself, and was grateful for the chance to be left in his own thoughts. Sometimes he brought Denzel here as well, when the teen was frustrated and needed time to think and relax. Today, however, he was not alone, and it was not Denzel whose side he calmly walked towards. It appeared that the entire church had changed for this person's visit; deprived of the space the water was now dominating, flowers grew in cracks in the floor and pockets in the walls. The vivid colours contrasted with the water below, which was glowing a gentle, soothing green. Droplets of the substance flew upwards and deposited themselves in among the flowers, nourishing them.

"I hope you don't mind Cloud; I missed the flowers." Aerith smiled brightly at the walls, gently linking her arm with Cloud's. "They can get so much more sunlight now, I'm happy for them. For you as well- you have a bit more sunlight in your life too, don't you?" Cloud was drinking in the sight of the flower girl like a dug addict viewed opium. It had been for years since he'd seen her last; his memory hadn't done her justice.

"I feel I've reached a point where things are as well as they can be." He said finally. "I've never tried to attempt a normal life; I don't think I'd be capable of one. But what I do have is...precious. I care for and am responsible for a teenager, something I never even dreamed of attempting to do, but its nice, in its own way." Aerith smiled knowingly, squeezing his arm.

"Denzel certainly is good for you, isn't he?" Her smiled faded, and she sighed. "I wish the Planet had made this decision after you helped Vincent with Deepground; you have something to lose now." He tensed immediately at that, all concentration now upon the woman beside him. Had he been right in his worries? Was something inexplicable about to affect his settled, if not odd, way of life? Was Denzel safe at this current moment of time, without him?

"Denzel will be fine, Cloud. Nothing bad is going to happen just yet, as far as I can tell. The Planet just wanted to...offer something."

"...What, exactly?" He'd relaxed upon hearing Denzel was safe, but only slightly. There was still a but to this conversation, he could feel it.

"It's...difficult to explain." She started rather helplessly, stepping back and twisting her hands together. "I suppose, the reason I'm here, is because the Planet is scared of dying."

"Excuse me?" Cloud said blankly. The Planet had always been very protective of itself, but never, in the time that he had known her, had she ever stated that it could actually feel emotions. The thought seemed to make his mind shut down.

"The Planet is scared of death." Aerith stated; feeling more confident, she placed a hand on his arm once again. "It's like any creature; the will to survive and live on is a very strong aspect that links us to Gaia. But our adventures, and all the ones that have taken place since, they were huge blows to the Planet's lifespan." She paused, pursing her lips thoughtfully. "The Planet used to think of itself as somewhat endless, before all of this happened. Maybe it was. Its lost so much of its former strength, and its scared, because the end could be as close as the next five hundred years. For a being that has seen ten of millions of years go by, that's the blink of an eye, Cloud. Within the next two hundred years, it will start losing its capability to host lifeforms upon it's surface. It might not affect you, or Denzel, but its coming at an alarming rate. And if Hojo has any more accidents that can be thrown at us, it will involve you all."

"And knowing Hojo there's always something ready to kill us all." Cloud answered, a chill running down his spine. He looked over at the Planet-infested water with a frown. "But what does the Planet think I can do about it? I doubt I could find any future threats and take them down before they actually happen. And mako may be a powerful enhancer, but I'm fairly sure mystical planetary healing abilities are not included in my strengths."

"Oh, Denzel really has been good for you." Aerith giggled delightedly. "Fancy you having a sense of humor, Cloud." He smirked at her playfully and the two sat down by the water. "A lot of it is Zack's idea, actually." She continued. "I don't think he considered the fact that you're comfortable in your life now, but I agree with him that you'll accept."

"Accept what?" If it was Zack's idea, then it wouldn't be anything that would intentionally put him in danger, but the SOLDIER had been known for rushing into things with little thought to the consequences.

""The chance to relive your life and change everything that's happened in the past 30 years." Aerith said quietly. "That's what the Planet is offering. A chance to fix all the things you still regret; my death, Zack's, Sephiroth's; every life that's been affected by Shinra, one way or the other. A chance to fix all the things you want to fix, in exchange for ruining all of Hojo's plans, and stopping the Planet before it receives so much damage."

"The Planet...wants to send me back in time." Cloud's lips felt numb; his whole body did. Surely, he was still dreaming; imagining being offered the chance to redeem himself for all the horrible things that he had been unable to stop.

"Essentially, yes." Aerith acknowledged, still quiet and almost seeming upset. "You will still be the Cloud that sits beside me, and the Planet will help you as much as it can; it already has tonight, with Sephiroth. The actions you'll take when you sleep will truly affect him. Eventually, you could even join Shinra again; be physically near him, if you decide that is the path you want to take."

Cloud's mind flashed, and he could see Zack, smiling weakly as his life fled his body in a red flow from several bullet wounds peppering his body. Slowing lowering Aerith's body into the lake that would be her final resting place. Sephiroth as he had seen him on the way to Nibelhiem; distant, but still a man, still sane and hurting from the deaths of his two best friends, which Cloud had found out about much later when on friendly terms with Tseng. Though he hadn't known Angeal and Genesis, he could save them too, could he not? Sephiroth's friends and Zack's mentor.

A chance to stop Hojo. A chance to change Shinra. A chance to save all of the people who had died thanks to Hojo's projects; from Meteor and Reunion and Deepground. And a chance to save the babe whose birth he had witnessed only hours ago from succumbing to the monster Cloud had killed time and time again.

"Cloud, I need to make sure you understand." The flower girl from the slums was steadily looking away from him, from sadness, or shame, Cloud couldn't tell. "If you take this chance, the future will start to change. Everything that you do could have huge impacts on the timeline. If you change the path you've taken, and save Gaia from Hojo and Shinra, people who have been dead for over a decade will be brought back to life. Like Denzel's parents."

It felt like someone had just slapped him in the face. Changing the past, saving the people he wanted to save and doing the Planet's bidding, what about the lives that would change from this time? The people and friends who had worked so hard to be safe, and learn how to feel happiness again, who had fallen in love and started families... if he changed the events at Nibelhiem, would Tifa even journey to Midgar, and in doing so, meet Rude? What about Vincent and Shelke? Did he have the right to take away the one thing that the man who had suffered far more than him had, even in exchange for a potential son?

How could the Planet, could Zack, expect him to make this decision when it would affect every person living today?

"I need to think about this." Was all he could say. She smiled at him understandingly, and laced her fingers with his own. He realized as she did so, that he had just hesitated to save her life; in thinking about his living friends, he had potentially hurt her instead. But when he opened his mouth to apologise, she quieted him with a simple shake of her head.

"Come back and see me when you know what you want to do, okay?"

And then he was alone, save for the sound of the water lapping gently against the edges of the pool as the sun sent reflections of light dancing across its clear surface.

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It was only just past nine am when Cloud got back to the apartment. Denzel was where he'd left him; the teen had fallen asleep again during the time that he'd been gone, and Cloud leaned against the wall and stared at him thoughtfully. Cloud didn't mind that he'd gone back to sleep; he was the first person Cloud wanted to talk to, but he wasn't sure how to put his current thoughts into words. Time travel- the entire concept was absolutely mind boggling, with an alarming amount of consequences to think about. How did one say all that, without appearing completely insane?

Denzel's parent's had died when the Turks had brought a section of the plate down on Sector 7; it had been the original reason he and Tifa had decided to take the boy in, both feeling responsible for Denzel's troubles up till this point. The were thousands of orphans with similar stories to his, and many more who had lost children, spouses, family and friends. And tens of thousands of those people had been directly his fault, he realized guiltily. Barrett could deny it all he wanted, but the actions of AVALANCHE had been true to the original terrorist origins of the name.

And when trying to stop Shinra and Sephiroth from destroying the world, accidentally or otherwise, how many people had he killed then? Shinra had treated its military personnel as expendable, and at the time, Cloud and the rest had dealt with them coldly. Cloud not only had a chance to save the friends who he had been unable to save, but the lives he had taken when there had been little option in the matter. The idea had never presented itself within his mind before, but now that it had, the thought weighed heavily on his mind.

...Was there really even a choice in this? When it came down to it, even without the large personal gain that Cloud had the option of obtaining, he was still going to save millions of people. He could argue about how it wasn't truly his choice as much as he wanted, but when it came down to the basic answer, the only one he could give without entirely selfish reasons for doing so, was to say yes. The only reason he'd even stopped to think about it, was because he actually didn't want to leave. At least, not at the cost of his friends. Not at the cost of the home he had, and-

"You're leaving for good this time, aren't you?" He couldn't bring himself to look him in the eye. Denzel's expression was both resigned and devastated. Cloud was honestly impressed he hadn't started crying and protesting the moment he had seen Cloud's face. Tifa would have. And Tifa didn't see him as a father, wasn't a young boy who had already lost a father, and was about to lose another one. Even if the boy wouldn't remember him (Cloud's heart thudded painfully at the thought) for the next minute, hour, that Cloud was still in this time, had yet to change anything, Denzel would suffer. And he would suffer without voicing his pain to Tifa, without seeking solace in Marlene's arms, because if he couldn't voice his pain to Cloud, than he wouldn't to anyone else.

If only the Planet had thought of this, if only it had been thoughtless enough and cruel enough to forcefully take him away, if only so Cloud didn't have to see Denzel suffer. It was cruel, and selfish, but Cloud couldn't bear the sight of him letting someone he cared for down once again.

"I don't think I have a choice Denzel." He said heavily, and he sat down before beginning to explain everything. The offer. What he could change; the things he could stop and the people he could save. Like Denzel's parents.

The sun rose and had almost set by the time Cloud had explained everything fully. Denzel, for his part, had taken the conversation in with the maturity of one years older. He had agreed with Cloud's reasoning upon everything, brought more detail to issues Cloud had already thought of, and light to the ones he hadn't. With his help, Cloud now had a basic idea of all the things he needed to do, as well as a timeline of when they happened. It wasn't a painless conversation, by any means.

"So I won't remember this at all." Denzel questioned, looking out the window at the darkening sky.

"I doubt it." Cloud said honestly. No false assurances, he told himself. Even if Denzel did look like a kicked puppy. "If I change even one thing, then everything that's happened will be different. This time," Was that even the right word to use? "Won't exist anymore." Denzel flinched and seemed to grow smaller, emotionally curling in on himself.

Gods, but he was still so young, too young to be told that in a small span of time, he might not even exist up to this point anymore. Cloud could fix the world as much as he wanted; he could re-instigate every relationship between the friends he'd had, save countless lives and defeat thousands of evils, but he would always regret this. And miss it. He and Denzel had made a life with what little effort and trust they'd had left to give, and though both knew it was selfish for him to think of staying, they had found something within the other that had brought out their strengths and shown them a common connection with another human being. It was bitter to accept.

"How soon will you leave?" Denzel ventured. Cloud wished he would look away from the window; turn around and scream at him, or cry and tell him to leave. Anything but this blankness.

"As soon as I can. If I stay any longer... its going to make it harder."

"I know." His voice trembled, and he turned to face Cloud with an expression of absolute anguish. "Dad?" And then if was Cloud's turn to struggle against a tide of emotion as the boy he had come to see as his son flung himself across the room, and into his arms.

It was the first time Denzel had called him anything other than Cloud, and Cloud cursed the Planet for that. Cursed it for ruining what he had felt was the last chance of having a family, cursed it for forcing him to live through this when soon, Denzel wouldn't even remember his name. He'd already lost his mother, now he was going to lose a son.

"I love you, and I'm proud of you." He said, hugging him tightly, not caring that Aerith was waiting, because he needed to tell Denzel this, needed to let him know before it could never be said. "I would have been proud to be your father till the end of my days."

They could have stayed like that for as long as they'd wanted to; time had little meaning when it would be obliterated by the past, but they didn't. There was nothing left to say, nothing to gather for the journey; Tsuguri was left leaning against the wall as Cloud walked out the door. Denzel stared at it from his position on the floor as he listened to the tone that told him he had managed to type in an existing number.

"Something's wrong." It wasn't a question. Denzel breathed deeply, trying to summon a calm he didn't, couldn't feel right now so he could tell Vincent the few words that really meant something right now.

"Cloud's gone."

"Stay there; I'm coming to get you." Vincent hung up and Denzel bawled, like he had when his parents had died, and Reeve's mother. Once again he had been left alone, and the fact that Vincent was on his way barely seemed to register.

It certainly didn't comfort him. Like anything could, anymore.

"I accept." There was no emotion in his voice, though he knew she could see the streaks on his dusty face, and would guess that he had barely been able to see anything as he'd made his way back. If he hadn't known the way off by heart, he'd be a piece of roadkill in the trash heaps that filled the area, no doubt.

"Cloud..."

"Don't" It was a plea, not a command, and Aerith raged inside at the Planet and Zack for assuming that they could do no wrong with their scheming. She would set them straight, and do he best to fix things, since she had gone along with it all, and though she couldn't see how she could help him, she refused to allow her friend to be broken yet again in the string of blows that had already been visited upon him.

"Just do it."

And so she did.

88888

Sometimes I wonder how many times in certain fics Cloud can get sent back into the past. He never seems to get a choice in it either, which is very concerning, particularly when it comes to Cloud's mental stability. One day, some one's going to walk up to Cloud and ask for the time, and that one question will lead to the total annihilation of the human race on Gaia.

Denzel has decided to surprise me by becoming a main character of the story in the span of a single page. What the hell, Denzel? I had ideas that were halfheartedly forming around Tifa, but I must say Denzel suits this role a lot better.

Though he'd have to be pushed a little to really accept the role, Cloud would make a pretty epic father. I also think he's the type of person who would completely forget to eat. Blame the trauma. I will go into more detail about his and Denzel's relationship, I really will, since I've decided it is going to be a pretty important part to a lot of the fic.

Denzel's age is estimated from "On A Way to a Smile: The Case of Denzel", in which he himself states that he's 10. The rest of the character's ages are pretty much completely fucked around for my own personal entertainment, however, so Denzel is really the only main character whose age hasn't been manipulated.

If you actually got through all of that, then thank you. This is my first fanfic in a long while, so the thought that someone may take enough interest to read these (important-ish and likely to be repeated when someone asks a question about one of them) notes.

Till next time.