A soft breeze touched the unconscious Cloud's face, waking him up from his slumber.

Almost as if waking up in a Wednesday morning, Cloud groggily rubbed his heavy eyelids and attempted to stand up. Upon realizing that he was still dead tired, he quickly gave up on getting back on his legs and decided to remain seated for a little longer.

From what he could feel, the spiky-haired individual deduced that he was sitting on a dirt ground against some rough metal wall. He could also hear people talking from a distance, and considering how inaudible their words were, he deduced that they weren't talking to him. The blond was also able to hear something flowing above him, most likely exposed hydraulic pipes he thought. And judging from an annoying strain he can feel in his back, it wasn't exactly a good place to sleep, either. The blond didn't blame himself though; it's not like he had any idea he was going to wake up at such an unpleasant spot.

Feeling the drowsiness not leaving his mind and body, Cloud decided that he deserved to sleep a few more minutes. He did come a long way to reach this point, after all.

But, just like any typical Wednesday mornings, something starting beeping. It was that rhythmically chaotic kind of noise that would tear at your brain cells and force you against your will to stand up. It was a mark of an unpleasant beginning to a new week. Cloud wasn't even sure if it was a Wednesday, but it sure as hell felt like it.

His will to sleep bent by the annoying noise, the blond finally forced his eyes open. His vision blurred, he turned to look at his right arm. The beeping was coming from his digital wristwatch. Squinting to see through the morning blurry vision, the young man scrutinized the watch on his right wrist.

5:00 A.M.

Wow, I'm up early, Cloud thought to himself as he yawned, bits of tears forming in his eyes as he took in the sweet oxygen. Actually, no, the oxygen wasn't sweet. Far from it. In fact, he doubted if oxygen actually existed in this place.

The blond suddenly heard someone grumble from his left, "Didn't see you come here yesterday."

Cloud turned to his left to see the source of the grumbling voice. The blur finally leaving his vision, he saw an old man in dirty clothes, sitting on the ground just like him and looking at him with half curiosity and half annoyance. Judging by how he was looking at him, the blond doubted the beggar was pleasant to have him his company.

After rubbing his eyes for the fourth time, Cloud cleared his throat and asked, "What day is it today?"

"The hell would I care what day it is today?" the beggar spat back as he rolled his neck as if to relieved himself from something. He probably had the same back pain as he did, Cloud thought.

"It's probably Wednesday, don't you think?" Cloud asked with a smirk.

"Whazzat?"

"Never mind."

The spiky-haired young man stretched his whole body, hoping to get rid of some of the strain he had in his back. As he stretched, his body felt as if his bones and muscles started to snap back into place. It was a sensation more satisfying than popping all the bubbles in a bubble wrap.

After an extremely satisfying stretch, he turned back to the grumpy old man and commented, "I see that you are an early riser. You have to admit that although it might feel terrible at first, it-"

"I only woke up this early because of that damn watch of yours, you freak," the old man spat back after a failed attempt at falling asleep again.

"Oh," Cloud mumbled. He looked up to see the sky, except it was blocked off by a giant metal saucer-thing that seemed to cover the entire sky. The least they could have done was make the metal disk somewhat appealing to look, Cloud mused to himself.

The beggar tugged at his rugged jacket and turned to the blond. "Got a question for you," he began, his eyes filled with curiosity.

"Shoot," the blond responded, slightly surprised to see that the tramp was capable of feeling an emotion other than scorn and annoyance.

"Exactly when the hell did you get here? I didn't see anyone come here to sleep while I was still awake."

"Err…" Cloud murmured as he scrambled his mind to think of a sensible response, "I dunno, actually."

"Hmm," the beggar grumbled as he squinted his eyes to study the blond's face. "From the looks of that large bruise on your cheek, seems like you were beaten to a pulp and thrown here while you were out of it."

The young man instinctively touched his left cheek, which he quickly regretted when he felt a sudden sting on his cheek from contact. Annoyed by the mention of the bruise and the unpleasant pain on his face, Cloud nearly growled back, "What makes you think I lost in a fight? I might have just taken a blow and won the whole thing in the end."

Satisfied by the annoyed reaction, the beggar snickered and commented, "No need to get personal now, boy. You just don't look like a fighting type."

Upon hearing this, Cloud laughed. "I heard that one a lot, not gonna lie."

Cloud was glad that the old man was there to talk with him. It helped him eradicate the drowsiness and the Wednesday grumpiness that plagued his mind and body. If today really was Wednesday, the remaining week would definitely not be totally shitty thanks to him.

And that would be extremely helpful with his mission.

His mission to save Aerith from Sephiroth.

I've traveled to the past and put everything I had at risk just to save you, he thought as he remembered Aerith. I hope this is all worth it in the end.

Realizing that he probably wasted way more time than he should have, the blond stood up, brushing the dust off his gray hoodie and gray sweatpants. He also tightened the shoelaces of his white sneakers, since tripping over shoelaces that somehow untied themselves was always a possibility that gloomed over all living human beings.

After a moment of silence, Cloud took out two items from his pocket: a Phoenix Down and a picture. The adventurer looked at his Phoenix Down. It was a fiery feather that seemed to glow with life. This is gonna be for her, he reminded himself as he stuffed the feather back into his pocket.

Cloud then looked at the picture. It had a beautiful woman standing in a grassy meadow on a sunny day, laughing at the camera. Whenever the blond looked at it, it almost felt as if she's always there, smiling at him through the photograph. It always nearly made him laugh along in unison.

I'll be back sooner than you know it, Tifa, Cloud said silently with a small smile as he put the picture back into his pocket. I promise.

CHAPTER I

TIMELY SAVE

"Being back here in the slums brings me back to the good old days," Cloud talked to himself as he saw someone pickpocketing an unsuspecting drunk man who was barely keeping himself on his feet.

It was just like Cloud remembered. Incredibly shoddy buildings literally made of scraps of metal and rubber barely stood on the dirt ground that was clearly not a good foundation for buildings. Over half of those structures didn't last for several months. He remembered constantly hearing about people dying due to their ceilings falling on them during his short spell as a mercenary.

Of course, that's not counting the huge number of people who died from other causes. Shinra always only cared about the people above the metal plate. Everyone below mattered less than cockroaches to them. And because of that neglect, only the smartest survived in this hellhole. The slums of Midgar truly was a land where the concept of natural selection thrived.

Despite this, however, the slums were not always about chaos and death. It always surprised Cloud how the people of the slums managed to create their own form of order here. And they did it without any help from Shinra, either. Perhaps, he thought, the slums of Midgar should serve as a reminder that people are capable of spreading goodness and order even in the darkest of times.

Wait, what the hell am I thinking? Cloud thought to himself as he shook his head, almost laughing at himself. I shouldn't be glad that this place even existed at all.

The blond ruffled his own spiky hair, which continued to remain spiky. Man, maybe I am stressed out from that time traveling junk. After rubbing his own temples, he grumbled to himself stressfully, I definitely need a drink. A strong one while I'm at it.

Cloud began to search his own pockets. A sudden realization then hit him. God damnit, he thought to himself as he bit his bottom lip. I don't have any money.

The blond rubbed his temples, feeling a bit of a headache. Jeez, damn it, he grumbled as he tried his best not to think about the pain. So this is that 'possible side effect of time traveling' thing that was mentioned.

Thankfully, the headache wasn't getting any worse. Annoyingly, it wasn't going away, either. So it's one of those headaches, huh? Cloud grumbled to himself. Splashing water on my face might do the trick. I should just-

Upon realizing that there were very few places in the slums where clean water flowed, the blond thought to himself, I'm beginning to remember just how shitty this place was. Conveniently, it's one of the few places I really didn't want to remember, too. Out of utter annoyance, he kicked a little rock resting on the ground. The rock then hit a two-story building in front of him.

Without warning, the building came collapsing down and breaking apart like a giant Jenga tower. Cloud was even able to hear the nuts, bolts, and nails giving in, which caused the walls to make a strange popping noise before flying off into random directions. If this was a demolition job, everyone who watched would've applauded at the spectacularly destructive sight. Miraculously, none of the materials flew to Cloud, who was as still as a statue and was only able to stare at the destruction in utter shock. And in a matter of seconds, the building was now only a debris on the ground with dust rising from where the structure once stood.

Cloud stood as still as someone who just witnessed a UFO in the sky, staring at the debris and his jaw agape.

A minute later, the blond finally muttered, "Oh shit." He dashed to the debris and began to search for any people who might have been in the building.

After several minutes of searching through the pile of rubble, he realized that no one was in the building. A sense of relief began to wash over him until he realized that there was a strong possibility someone still owned the place.

I hate this place so much, Cloud let out with an angry sigh. I really hope that the owner of this place is a complete jackhole.

An hour passed since the demolition man fled the scene. Confident in that he won't be caught by the owner of the now-destroyed building, the blond walked on.

The adventurer trekked through the maze-like slums, only to realize he made little progress. …Where am I? he asked himself as he carefully observed his surroundings, hoping to find something he can recognize.

He quickly realized that attempting to recognize something in a place where everything looked the same was futile.

I guess I'll just be going forward then, Cloud told himself with no real plan in mind. After convincing himself, he began to do just that.

As the adventurer walked forward, he looked up to see the large unattractively-gray metal pizza covering the sky and exuding the feeling of gloom and confinement. Looks like the city is still in one piece for now, Cloud thought, recalling the time when Shinra destroyed a whole sector of the city. Shinra really were willing to kill anyone and anything in sight just for a few more bucks, he murmured as he tried to shake off the memory. Damn monsters.

Cloud knew that Shinra would do just that this fateful day. Shinra's gonna destroy Sector 7 later today, he reminded himself. My friends and I will meet up in Aerith's house and plan to rescue Aerith. While they're doing that, I will barge in and shit will go down. Cloud nodded with a smile, satisfied at how detailed and fool-proof his plan leadership is probably unparalleled in this-

Wait, that's not good, Cloud realized, frowning at the thought that his carefully-thought-out plan was flawed. They'll probably think I'm Shinra's secret weapon or agent or some bullshit like that. After investing three more minutes into his plan, Cloud told himself proudly, I'll just raise my arms in surrender while I go in. That way, they'll think twice about attacking me-

Oh wait, my past self will probably kill me regardless, Cloud mused as he chuckled. I was insane at the time, so who knows what he'll do? Man, I was so out of it-

I should seriously stop making fun of myself, the blond quickly cut off with a frown, feeling insulted by his own words meant for himself. He rubbed his temples as his head began to throb again.

Screw this, Cloud finally decided as he continued to walk on aimlessly. I'll just worry about this later after finding Aerith's home. At this rate, I might not even find that place on time.

Right as he finished talking to himself, the adventurer bumped into something tall. As he took a step back to see what he stumbled into, he noticed that it was someone rather than something.

The large mystery man looked down at the shorter blond. The burly man was in a black leather jacket with nothing worn under it. His jeans were tattered. And, most importantly, the person looked rather menacing.

And, much to Cloud's surprise, there were two shorter men in rugged clothes who stood behind the large one. They weren't nearly as tall, but they did look like they were up to no good, evident from their shit-eating grin and glare.

When Cloud looked at the three suspicious men, he was filled with excitement and hope.

Please say it, the adventurer hoped silently.

One of the shorter men behind the tall one began to crack his knuckles efficiently while the other began to swing his metal bat back and forth. It was pretty evident that this wasn't the first time the three had been in this position. Almost as if it was a routine, the short man with a bat walked forward and said with an annoyingly high-pitched voice,

"Hand over your mon-"

Three minutes later, Cloud stood tall over the group of men crumpled up on the ground, all of them covered with various injuries. The three moaned in pain as they struggled to even move to wipe the blood off their bruised faces. The blond massaged his right wrist with a frown, disappointed that his wrist would become irritated by such a small-scale brawl. Maybe I'm not as good of a fist fighter as Tifa, he thought with a smirk as he finished massaging his wrist. I guess she was right on that one.

The blond turned over to the defeated group of gangsters. They whimpered in pure fear when they caught the glimpse of his eyes.

"Can I take this, too?" Cloud inquired as politely as he could as he grabbed the metal bat that was lying on the ground. To the gangsters, it almost looked as if the bat, too, was fearful of the fighter.

Not even thinking twice, the owner of the bat stammered, "T-t-take it!"

"Thank you kindly," the adventurer responded with a smile as he prepared to walk away. He then suddenly stopped as he remembered something vital. "By the way," he began to ask again, "how do I get to Sector 7 from here?"

The taller gangster, still unable to get up to his feet, stuttered with a deep voice, "J-just g-g-g-go straight f-from h-h-here!"

"Thanks again," Cloud replied, satisfied with the new information. As he began to walk away with confidence, he also added as he waved a wad of bills, "Also, your 800 Gil will be spent on the greater good! Don't worry!"

The wounded gangsters didn't bother to give any form of reply. They just hoped to Gaia that they would never see that blond monster again.

Several minutes passed as the blond trekked through the godforsaken slums. Everywhere he looked, the scenery looked more or less the same. Same building structures, same style of paths, same everything. Even the stench was the same everywhere.

It was all just dirt and scraps of metal and rubber, which was still admittedly better than literal shit, Cloud reminded himself sarcastically.

At the very least, he knew where to go.

Also, having money surely beat not having money.

The adventurer held out his newly acquired metal bat and inspected it like a professional weapon analyzer. From the looks of the rust on the bat, the old weapon was fairly aged and poorly treated. The small dents on the bat hinted that it has been used to hit solid objects, probably some skulls included. The adventurer made a firm grip on the worn leather straps on the handle only to find that they were about to be torn.

It was clear. The bat had about a week-worth of usage before giving in, Cloud judged as he stared meticulously at his weapon.

Hopefully, I can last a week with this cruddy thing, Cloud thought to himself as he swung the bat on the ground.

The impact felt incredibly strange.

Suddenly concerned, Cloud slowly lifted the bat to see anything strange.

The bat slightly dented and a tear formed at the dented area. It now looked like a giant metal boomerang that can't even return to its user.

…Typical, the young man grumbled, not even feeling the energy to get mad. I'll be lucky to last two days with this shitty thing.

Looking again at the dented bat, Cloud sighed. This club certainly had seen better days. Cloud could already imagine it once being a shiny bat being owned by someone with not-so-violent intentions. Highly likely that the original owner used the bat to sport rather than sport on someone else. It's also highly likely he or she chucked the thing away when it got too old to fulfill its purpose.

Maybe that's what happens to most people as well. Perhaps that's why many people resort to chaos, because they lost their purpose. Maybe, if they're given a real chance to find their purpose and live for it, they won't end up like this bat. There would be no use for chaos.

Or maybe I just need a really strong drink, Cloud thought to cut off his useless lines of thoughts. The hell am I even thinking so much about this bat anyway? As if this headache was already bad enough. Maybe that time travel took a heavier toll on my mind than I thought.

The adventurer lifted his foot to kick a rock on the ground out of annoyance.

He immediately gave up on it as he remembered what happened the last time he did that.

This place makes me sick, the blond told himself again, his brows knitting together. And the fact that I'm saying that sentence over and over again makes me sick, too.

Cloud continued to walk for another hour. Slowly but surely, he got a really good feeling that he was near his destination. Things were finally beginning to look up for the adventurer.

And to make things better, the blond felt like he could recognize where he was now.

And it's not even a placebo effect like a few minutes earlier either! Cloud said with excitement as he began to legitimately recognize where he was. To an ordinary person, the surroundings may look the same, but Cloud was able to spot a few key details that he remembered the area by. The blond wanted to punch a wall out of excitement, a rare act he occasionally did that usually got people to stare at him with concern.

Soon, the adventurer ended up in a very familiar location.

He was in the train station. It was that same Sector 7 Station, the small roofless station with only one platform.

A feeling of nostalgia washed over the man. The feeling was refreshing, almost to the point it got rid of his annoying headache. The memories of the place flooded his mind; Cloud even saw a flashback of his life several years ago when Tifa met him in these parts of the slums.

The train station stood just as he remembered:

Shitty as hell.

…There is no redeeming factor to this place whatsoever, Cloud told himself with a forced smile.

Before Cloud could celebrate for making this far without accidentally destroying another building, he noticed something very off near the train. It was a sight that instantly killed off any good feeling he currently had.

A figure was lying still on the platform.

The blond instinctively ran to where the being was, sensing something dreadful. It was that kind of chilling feeling that would make anyone's hair stand on end.

The adventurer reached the platform as fast as he could. When he got a closer look the figure, he felt his heart stop momentarily.

A woman soaked with blood lay face down on the cold stony floor of the station platform. A gruesome sight. Upon further observation, Cloud noticed that the back of the woman's clothing had several small tears revealing bullet wounds.

There were three of them across her back, blood oozing from all of them like a small fountain.

All the senses in Cloud's body was telling him to help her this instant. Anyone would be compelled to help in this situation. But, he remembered an important rule to this time travel that he was warned about before coming back to the past.

Do not interfere with the fate of others but Aerith.

The adventurer thought it would be easy to keep this rule. Until he saw this pitiful scene, at least.

"…C'mon Cloud, get a hold of yourself," the blond began to talk to himself as he tried to rip his gaze off the unconscious woman. "She's not Aerith. You have no business with her."

He could smell the blood from the woman's body. His enhanced sense of smell was not helping him ignore the hemorrhagic stench.

Unable to take his mind off the smell, Cloud slowly turned his sight back to the woman.

There was now more blood pouring out of her body. A pool of blood quickly formed around her, almost looking as if the red puddle wanted to drown its own host.

This would've been a lot easier if she was dead, he complained as he shut his eyes.

The blond tried his hardest not to think about the woman. She's of no importance, he began to tell himself. She's of no importance. The young man began to repeat this to himself to the point it sounded like some form of chanting.

The adventurer began to take his foot of the ground and walk off the platform. He just needed to stay focused on his task and not screw up anything. That was all he needed to do.

Such an easy task, and yet, such a difficult one.

She's of no importance, he continued to tell himself, trying to dispel the image of the mortally wounded woman lying still on the ground, neglected by everyone.

Speaking of which…

"Where the hell are the fucking station guards?!" Cloud finally shouted in sheer frustration. This woman was only a minute or two away from dying, and conveniently, there were no guards around the area.

Not even a life form of any kind was around. The train station looked devoid of life. The place felt so barren that even time seemed to have abandoned this wretched place.

Truly, a remarkably shitty timing.

Cloud tried to stay focused. "Just leave her," he told himself aloud, realizing that he was at his wit's end. He tried to think of Aerith.

Thinking of the poor flower girl, he slowly walked off the bloody platform.

His mind, focused solely on Aerith. He meditated on her death, clinging onto the scene that motivated him to push forward, and equally importantly, not fuck up anything else that could cause time itself to implode.

Cloud began to run off the platform. He harshly reminded himself to save Aerith and no one else.

He wasn't going to royally screw up this golden opportunity over some random woman. That would be incredibly foolish.

He continued to think of Aerith.

He then remembered what terrible fate befell her.

…It was so quick and so sudden.

Before that moment, she looked at Cloud in the eye, filled with hope and reassurance.

And swiftly, when Sephiroth suddenly appeared and stabbed her in the back, she was gone. Gone with the dust and wind.

Fleeting.

…Regret filled Cloud's heart that fateful day. He remembered, he couldn't feel anything else that day.

…

…

Cloud stopped running away. He slowly turned around back to the train station.

…

That woman must have been robbed of her chance to live her life on this world. Instantly, like what happened to Aerith.

Only difference was that no one was around her. No one to try to help. No one to caress her body in sadness. No mourning.

She looked so cold, so alone.

Did she even have a family? Maybe even friends?

Would anyone in the future even imagine saving her with time travel?

…

"Fuck it. It's just one person, right?"

He pulled out his Phoenix Down and began to run back to the station as fast as he could. Cloud didn't even think of the possibility that this woman might have deserved to die like this.

Pity was such a strong feeling.

Only one thought firmly remained in his head. Don't let her die. It didn't have to be this way. She didn't need to die like that.

After running up to the platform, he crouched near the dying woman. There was so much blood lost. Cloud could almost feel her life slowly leaving her body.

The blond nervously breathed as if he was about to perform a major surgery and placed the fiery feather onto the woman's body. At that moment, it felt as if time around Cloud and the woman stopped. Everything felt absolutely still, but at the same time, so much seemed to have been happening.

The blond felt a warm light envelope around him and the lady. It was an extremely relaxing sensation that seemed to take all of his life's problems away. And at that moment, he could feel the lady's life returning to her body.

Her wounds began to slowly close as if a ghost gently knitted them shut. And with that finished, blood stopped pouring out, much to the adventurer's relief.

The process only took several seconds, but for Cloud, it felt like hours. He wanted this blissful moment to last for a little longer.

Soon afterward, the light disappeared. The warm sensation was gone, and time seemed to have resumed.

Most importantly, despite the wounds that once covered her and all the blood that poured out of her body, the unconscious lady started breathing again.

Her breathing was soft, but Cloud could hear the rhythm back in it. Her body seemed to grow warmer, too. She was not going to die, that was certain.

I'm probably gonna regret this, Cloud finally thought as he realized what he had just done. He could have potentially messed up the space-time continuum thing or whatever people called it. Whatever it was, he was worried as hell.

Well, at the very least, time did not implode and the slums still seemed to be barely standing as usual. Thankfully, the place did not blow up spectacularly as he imagined. That was one good sign nothing changed, the blond told himself.

I'm gonna at least see who the hell I saved, the adventurer told himself as he let out a sigh of deep concern. He gently turned over the unconscious woman to get a better look at her.

A sudden shock filled his mind and body when Cloud finally saw how the woman looked like.

Pale face, long brunette hair that flowed down below her waist, slender figure, flat red shoes, a purple wrap that covered her waist, a long-sleeved dark red dress…

She wasn't her. But for some reason, she strongly reminded him of the flower girl he was trying to save.

"Holy shit," the shocked adventurer blurted out, coughing as words failed to leave his mouth. His mind swirled as he struggled to stay focused. He felt as if his mind left his body momentarily, and returned only to leave again.

Cloud shook his head and rubbed his temples. Feeling his ability to think returning to him, he slowly looked at the unconscious woman again.

Despite being unconscious, she was definitely alive now, judging from her breathing. The lady did indeed have pale skin, probably paler than usual due to the near-death experience she just had. She was wearing a long-sleeved dark red dress that covered most of her body and a purple wrap that surrounded her waist. Cloud, however, noticed that she was bonier than average.

Cloud continued to inspect her out of curiosity. Her brown hair flowed down below her waist. She also had those familiar bangs and heart shaped face.

At this rate, he wouldn't be so surprised if this person had green eyes.

Speaking of which, the brunette still lay unconscious on the ground, Cloud finally realized, snapping himself back to reality.

I should find a place where this woman can rest properly, he reminded himself. After strapping the bat on his belt, the blond gently picked up the brunette and wondered where he can go.

The only inn nearby he could think of was the Honey Bee Inn. Cloud knew there were approximately ten thousand reasons going there was a remarkably bad idea.

With the inn option out of the way, the adventurer thought about going to Aerith's home. Maybe her adoptive mother, Elmyra, could help. She's a genuinely warmhearted person, after all.

Oh yeah, there's still that possibility my past self can kill me and this lady, Cloud remembered grimly. And I really don't want to test my luck while this woman is with me.

The blond turned everywhere he could to find anything that could help him and the unconscious brunette. Several ramshackle buildings nearby caught his attention.

There had to be at least one person willing to help them, right? It was a kind of question that tempted fate, the worst kind of question anyone could ask in a prickly situation. But, Cloud still believed that someone would not be a complete dick and help them.

Well, no, he didn't truly believe that. 95% of the people here were unwilling to provide assistance, to put it nicely. But, he still had some luck up to this point; it was a chance he was willing to take.

Making up his mind, Cloud walked up to one of the buildings near the station with the brunette still resting in his arms. He noticed that the shelter had light seeping out of the window. After taking in a deep breath, he knocked on the metal-plated door.

Someone from the other side of the door shouted, "What d'ye want?!" From the sound of it, the voice belonged to some grouchy middle-aged man. Not a pleasant individual, and most definitely not a welcoming one.

Cloud cleared his throat and answered, "I have a friend who's injured and I was wondering if you can let us stay for a while?"

A small slider on the door suddenly slid open, revealing the eyes of the building owner. They looked pretty shady from Cloud's perspective. The eyes of the strange man stared at the blond, and then darted to the unconscious lady resting in the young man's arms.

Cloud didn't feel comfortable.

The man suddenly said with a strangely delighted voice, "That's a pretty friend you have there. Even the blood all o'er her's pretty."

The adventurer got all sorts of bad vibes at this point.

Yeah, fuck this place to all hell, Cloud thought assertively, fearing for the safety of the brunette. "Fuck off," the blond blurted out of frustration and kicked the door.

The impact of the kick was sent across the door directly to the creepy man on the other side. Cloud couldn't see it, but judging from the noise, the man collapsed backwards in pain, shouting obscenities as he rolled around the floor.

Hoping to get away from the creep zone, Cloud went a little further into the amalgamation of metal buildings. The place was much quieter and darker than the already quiet and dark town near the station. The area was eerie, but the blond felt as if he had better chances finding a resting spot here.

There was barely any light in the area. The only source of light was a lone lamppost that stood near Cloud. Other than that, the place seemed devoid of life.

Hoping for the best, the adventurer carefully knocked on the door of one of the buildings. Much to his surprise, the door slowly opened when his hand touched it.

An unlocked door. A possible sign that the place has been abandoned.

Cloud bit his bottom lip. With little certainty, he slowly walked in, trying to make as little noise as possible.

Darkness enveloped the two as Cloud walked in with the brunette still in his arms. As the adventurer's eyes adjusted to the darkness, he noticed that he was in a shoddy living room of sorts. It was a small room with a single torn-up couch and a small coffee table where an old radio sat on it. The dust that covered the whole room indicated that the place was long abandoned.

To his left, the adventurer saw a sink and a wooden dinner table. The window in front of the table offered a romantic view of trash and darkness outside the shelter. The room was undoubtedly a kitchen.

Cloud walked across the living room and discovered a stairway that led upstairs. To check if the place truly had no owner, the blond asked with a raised volume, "Hello?"

The only response he got was a soft echo of his own voice.

Yup, no one's here alright, Cloud told himself as he walked up the stairs. It creaked whenever he took a step, making him remember that the place was run down and might collapse any second.

Several steps later, the creaking noise stopped, much to Cloud's relief. At the very least, the place wasn't going to kill him any time soon.

At the end of the stairway, the adventurer found an open doorway that led to what appeared to be a large bedroom. The place was just about as big as the living room and the kitchen combined.

Two windows allowed what little light there was outside to seep into the room. A large queen-sized bed and a drawer rested at the other end while a small work table and a large chair were situated near the windows. Other trinkets and goods lay scattered against the wall, implications that showed the unorganized nature of the previous owner of the place. On the other wall, there were a wardrobe and a doorway that led to what seemed to be a bathroom.

Just like the first floor, dust covered everything in this room.

This place is in serious need of spring cleaning, Cloud thought to himself as he inspected the room. He then looked at the bed, realizing at how dusty it was.

Eh, I can do this, the adventurer told himself with a shrug. He then walked up to the chair and carefully placed the brunette there, making sure that she was properly sitting on it.

When the brunette showed no signs of toppling off the chair, Cloud made a thumbs-up and quickly walked to the bed.

He pulled the blue blanket and the pillows and found that the bed sheet was clean enough for a person to lie down on. Perfect.

Cloud quickly went over back to the unconscious lady, picked her up, and placed her gently back onto the blanket-less bed. As he did so, the adventurer made sure to take off the woman's shoes.

The brunette was finally lying down on something soft for once. Everything looked fine and dandy except for the fact that most of the front part of her body was still covered in her own blood. Not really a conventional spot for blood to be in.

The blond ran to the bathroom to look for a towel. The one hanging next to the sink and toilet was far too dusty for use, so he looked through the drawers to find one. Luckily for Cloud, several towels rested in a cabinet drawer near the sink, and it was clean enough for him to use. He also procured a small plastic bowl that he could use to store clean water in and a new bar of soap.

The only problem is if the plumbing in this house actually offered clean water. With nervousness, Cloud turned the handle on the sink and prepared for the moment of truth.

Miraculously, clean water began to pour out of the spout. It was so relieving to Cloud that it felt as if holy water started gushing out of pure silver. Gaia had not left him after all.

Before doing anything else, the blond washed his hands and face, which helped him get over his headache a bit. It was a simple but truly refreshing moment.

The adventurer quickly rinsed the bowl before filling it with water. He quickly went back to the unconscious lady with the full bowl, several towels, and a soap in his hands. The blond excitedly drenched one of the towels and prepared to clean the blood off the woman's body.

A simple problem suddenly dawned upon him, making him freeze on spot.

He had to take her clothes off.

"You gotta be shitting me," Cloud grumbled out loud, slumping in defeat.

Maybe it won't be as bad as I'm making it out to be, the blond told himself, trying to think of a way that he can go about this without making this weird.

He failed to think of another way.

Yeah, Cloud sighed as he rubbed his temples. It's definitely going to be as bad as I'm making it out to be. And this stupid headache is not helping either.

So, this was how his luck was going to run out. He did have a funny feeling that everything seemed to go the way he wanted it to go. From getting free money and a bat to finding a free place to stay for a moment, everything flowed rather well.

Now, he had to take off a woman's dress and clean the blood off her body.

Just thinking that gave Cloud shivers.

Trying to stall the task for a bit, the adventurer stood up and slowly walked over to the wardrobe. In it, he found a black tracksuit shirt and pants. After observing it, he found that it was a bit small for him, so he quickly dispelled the thought of ever wearing it.

To stall even further, Cloud firmly decided that the place was too dark and light was seriously needed. Upon noticing a lamp that rested on the drawer near the bed, he slowly walked to it and pulled the switch.

Much to the blond's surprise, the lamp turned on, illuminating the whole room with its soft warm orange light. Looking at the place now, the room felt very welcoming and comfortable. He also got a clearer view on how dusty the place was in general.

You know, this place isn't entirely too bad, Cloud said to himself, admittedly impressed at how a building in the Midgar slums can exude such welcoming sensation to its visitors. I wonder who lived here before I intruded the place…

His eyes then fell upon the unconscious brunette, still resting on the bed comfortably as if she was sleeping on it to begin with.

The blood still covered her front.

…Well, Cloud weakly said, preparing the towels and soap, I guess I can't push it back further.

Cloud couldn't believe how he was able to do it. He successfully cleaned the blood off the woman's dress-less body with his eyes shut. It was flawlessly and expertly done; he knew it for certain. Maybe his luck hadn't run out as he originally thought.

The blond took the liberty to dress the woman up in the black tracksuit he found in the wardrobe. It was a bit large for her, but it wasn't too bad. He also decided to clean the blood stains off the dress and dried it with a spare hairdryer he found in the bathroom. The more time the blond spent in this house, the more he realized that the building was in good shape.

It's as if the owner was suddenly taken away while he led a normal life here.

He had a nagging feeling that something terrible happened to the person. Whatever it was, though, he knew he would not be able to help in the end. He decided not to think too deeply about it.

Cloud looked at his wristwatch.

11:03 A.M.

Eh, I still got hours left, the blond said to himself. She should also wake up before then, so I should be fine.

Wanting to pass the time, Cloud took the woman's dried dress and decided to knit the tears on the dress shut with a sewing kit he found in the wardrobe. The blond wasn't really the best knitter around. No, that title went to his girlfriend, Tifa. Without her, he would have never known how to even grab a needle properly. He may not have been the best, but these tears on this dress? That much, Cloud could handle. Easy as pie.

Minutes later, the blond finished his knitting job. He held out the dress and inspected its backside.

It looked clean and new. No bumps or unnatural creases whatsoever.

Another point for Cloud the knitter, the blond joked with a smile as he neatly folded the dress and placed it on the chair he dusted a while ago. A job well done.

Fortunately for the young man, his headache seemed to be leaving him, as well. He no longer felt any pain in his head. Maybe his sense of accomplishment eradicated the cranial pain. Or, it could be that the side effect of time travel was finally wearing off. Whatever it was, Cloud didn't bother to think too much about it. The headache was gone, and nothing else regarding it mattered.

The blond looked around the bedroom once more. The place looked lively compared to a while ago when he first entered it. He made sure to close the window blinds just in case. The lamp continued to light up the whole room. Most importantly, the brunette rested on the bed with no blood covering her.

She's taking her sweet time waking up, Cloud thought, realizing that she wasn't gaining consciousness as fast as other people would. Realizing that he didn't spend much time at the first floor yet, he decided to go downstairs while he waited for the brunette to wake up.

Before leaving the room, Cloud took another glance at the unconscious lady.

She was still silently resting on the bed, gently breathing, and lying still. It looked as if she was just sleeping blissfully, unaware of what just happened to her just a while ago.

The adventurer still couldn't get rid of the thought that she looked so much like Aerith.

Shaking his head to stop his train of thoughts, Cloud walked downstairs and entered the dark living room. The place was pitch black, and the blond found it difficult to navigate through the room without a light.

Without question, power was running through this place, so Cloud should be able to turn on the light. Thinking where he could find a switch, he slowly walked over to the front door, hoping not to rip over anything.

He reached the door, and, just as he had thought, he was able to feel a switch next to the doorway. Without second thoughts, he flicked the switch.

Nothing happened.

…That's weird, the blond thought, frowning in disappointment. He tried flicking the switch again. Nothing changed, and the darkness still loomed.

As his eyes adapted to the darkness once more, Cloud looked around to check for anything peculiar. When his eyes turned to the ceiling, it began to make sense.

The lightbulb attached to the ceiling was broken.

I wonder if there's a lamp around here, the blond wondered, his eyes scanning the whole room. His thorough search paid off when he found another small lamp resting on a small stool at the corner of the room.

Jackpot, Cloud thought victoriously, a smile spreading across his face. He carefully walked over to the stool and inspected the lamp.

Other than being dusty, it was in fine shape. The cord also seemed to be connected.

The adventurer found a knob on the lamp and quickly rotated it to turn it on.

The whole room was illuminated.

Before Cloud could celebrate, he found something very peculiar on one of the walls.

…Whoa.

On the wall, a big "2" was scribbled with what appeared to be black ink. It certainly did not look like a décor at all.

The blond was nearly sure at this point. Something terrible happened to the owner of this place.

Well, he thought with a sigh, as I told myself before, nothing I can do about this one.

Just for precaution, the adventurer closed the window blinds. There weren't any other interesting objects in the living room. A torn-up couch with a metal spring protruding out of the seat and an old coffee table with a radio on it. Maybe he'll turn it on later for a moment before leaving this place just for memory's sake. It'll be fun to tune into that dumb radio drama Tifa listened to when she was bored back in her AVALANCHE days.

It wasn't that she enjoyed it, though. She thought it was stupid, too, and would laugh at it while listening to it. Tifa really enjoyed talking shit about it with Cloud years later when they started to grow much closer. Maybe now, the blond will get an opportunity to listen to it himself.

Why do you have to be such a great friend, Tifa? Cloud thought to himself happily.

The adventurer soon walked to the kitchen. Because of the light that was coming from the living room, he now got a better view of the whole place. The room wasn't too bad aside from the dust. A dining table with two chairs stood in front of the window, a sink with several clean but dusty plates next to it, a toaster near the plates, and a fridge at the farthest wall.

I really hope the fridge has some food in it, the blond hoped as he walked to the refrigerator. He opened it, doubting that there would be any food in it, only to be pleasantly surprised.

Well, what do you know? Cloud thought with a smile as he looked at the fridge's contents.

In it were several bottles of water, a loaf of white bread in a plastic wrapping, and a bag of raisins.

Cloud was not disappointed. It was unfortunate that there wasn't any jam for the bread, but he wasn't going to complain. Maybe he could catch a good lunch before heading out.

Right, the adventurer thought with a satisfied nod. I'll help that woman get back to her feet, eat lunch with her, and then we'll go our different ways. I'll also tell her not to go to Sector 7; her dying after me doing all this for her would fucking suck.

The plan for the day was all good. Great, in fact. Yeah, Cloud continued with a smile as he closed the blinds of the kitchen window. Things will definitely continue to go smoothly if I keep this up. I just need to make sure that my mental past self doesn't decapitate me on sight when I meet him and his crew at Aerith's home. Now, that would truly fucking suck.

Cloud suddenly heard gasping at the second floor.

The blond froze momentarily, and it struck him that the unconscious woman might be awake.

He bolted for the stairway and ran upstairs, his heart racing for reasons unknown to him. This wasn't the first time he saved anyone from the brink of death, so why did he feel so excited by the thought of it now? Perhaps it was just another strange side effect of time travel or maybe saving this woman just made him feel as if he saved Aerith? He didn't bother to answer that question as he continued to run.

Cloud reached the bedroom and stopped to catch his breath. After settling down, he looked at the woman on the bed.

The lady was finally awake. She was sitting up against the bed board, breathing heavily as if she just woke up from a nightmare. Sweat covered her face, her expression looking helpless and scared. She was hugging herself and her eyes were darting around the room. She looked as if she just woke up in a monster's cave.

Then, the woman's eyes locked on to Cloud's.

They were green.

Just like hers.

Cloud felt very uneasy. The similarities were uncanny at this point. She looked so much like Aerith, there was no denying it. If the woman claimed to be the flower girl's sister, the blond would believe it with no second thoughts. The two looked that similar.

The two stared at each other, their eyes not blinking. Both remained as still as a statue.

After a minute-long silence that felt like hours, Cloud finally spoke up and broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Are you okay?"

The brunette remained motionless, continuing to stare at the adventurer's eyes. They were wide open and looked as if she was peering into Cloud's very soul.

It was a very uncomfortable gaze that made Cloud feel powerless for reasons unknown to him. The gaze just felt so powerful.

The woman finally opened her mouth to say something. But, no words came out. She continued to move her mouth, as if she was trying to say something. However, all Cloud could hear was silence.

The brunette slowly began to tremble, her hands grasping on the bed sheet. Her mouth was still open, but no sound came out from it.

She started to breathe at an unnatural pace. Her hands were grasping on to the bed sheets harder. She began to tremble.

The woman looked as if she wanted to scream and cry.

Cloud didn't know what to do. He was still motionless, trying to think of something. But, his mind failed him.

For some reason, when he looked at the brunette's frightened green eyes, he felt as if his luck had just run out. For real, this time.

I got a bad feeling about this, the blond grimly said to himself.

Author's Note

Hello, all. It's been a long while. Sorry I have been out of the scene for so long, and I'll apologize in advance that I'll probably be inactive once more soon. It's been getting busy and I've been struggling to find the time and motivation to continue with this fic.

With that being said, I think it's important that I answer the question you old readers have:

"What happened to the 5 chapters that were originally uploaded?"

In truth, as time passed, I came to really dislike how I wrote those chapters. The whole story seemed disorganized and I knew that it was about to become a bizarre mess. So, before things got worse, I decided to do something I really didn't want to do in the past: rewrite this story from scratch.

My writing may still be far from perfect, but I can say with confidence that it's much better than before.

So, with that out of the way, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. If not, let me know why in the comments. I'll gladly take your criticism and try to work with it.