Sooo...

Notes and Disclaimers: I do not own any people, places, references, or anything of the sort. But I do own a copy of FFVII...

And I must warn you, this is a long one. Don't let that get you down though. An ice cream sundae for those who read through to the end. Hooray!

Let the reading begin!

Cloud tapped his desk noisily with the tip of his pen. Unaware of the clicking it made against the hardwood, he trained his eyes on his text book. It wasn't like he wanted to study, but he had gotten so far behind in his homework thanks to late-night shifts that left him fatigued during the day, and Zack's dragging him along unauthorized on monster eliminating missions any time Cloud did get moment to rest his eyes.

Besides, studying helped him clear the thoughts from his head. It was Halloween and Zack had been pressing him for weeks to come to the company's custom all-invite party in celebration of the holiday. Cloud had tried to explain to Zack that Halloween really wasn't his thing, but of course his efforts fell flat on the SOLDIER.

He had nothing in particular against Halloween – never really had understood the whole concept of "fear for fun" – but the holiday constantly reminded him of home. Back then the bullies made a wreck out of him, jumping at him until his heart nearly split from vigorously pumping all day long. Subsequently, this holiday was one Cloud preferred to sit out.

Shuffling his memories to the back of his mind, he stared harder at the text as though expecting it to jump off the page. So intent was he on forcing his memories behind him, Cloud failed to recognize the telltale signs of someone entering the room. The click of the door as it shut softly, the light shuffle of footsteps across the carpet, the thin breath entering the background atmosphere.

An uneasiness gripped the pit of Cloud's stomach as the creeping feeling of watchful eyes bore a dull weight on him. Carefully he turned his head not knowing what to anticipate. A gruesome facade of horror bore down on him, and he involuntarily jumped in his seat, the shock blinding him before he could recognize it to be dark folds of cloth held in with loose stitches wrapped into a darksome mask.

Cloud gripped his heart like in a heart attack, but the fear suddenly subsided when he heard the jolly laughter burst from inside the cloth head-sack. A hand reached up and yanked the mask off to reveal Zack's merry eyes watering hard as he openly flaunted his pleasure of success.

Cloud was not so amused, but offered a wan grin, the panic still fading from his system. "Zack," he breathed.

"Got ya!" Zack chuckled as he wiped away the tears of good humor with the back of his hand.

Cloud waited quietly until Zack had got his breath back and collapsed on his bed with a "Whew!" Zack propped himself up with one elbow and turned a glinting grin on Cloud. "So, what are you doing all cooped up in here, Spike?"

Cloud held aloft his sizable textbook, not at all proud of it, as he answered dully, "Studying."

Zack rolled his eyes and collapsed back onto the bed. "Oh, Spikey. It seems like every time you should be out doing stuff, you're in here studying your life away. You're never going to get anywhere if you don't learn to live a little!"

Cloud didn't bother to respond, letting his silence do the talking for him.

Zack got the message, but refuted it with a drawn-out sigh. "What am I going to do with you?" Getting back on his elbow he directly stated, "Okay, but you're coming to the part tonight, alright?"

Cloud ran through a dozen excuses in his head before settling on one, "Even if I did go, I don't have anything to dress up in."

Zack took that under serious consideration. Mulling it over in his mind, he did find it a viable concern. "I don't know, but if I figure something out, will you go?"

Cloud groaned inwardly, but caved. After all, Zack had been working him on it for two weeks now. As much as he fell prey to social discomfort at any gathering, he did have one idea sparking in his head that could make the whole event worthwhile. Yes, the more he thought of it the better the culpable plan sounded. After all, those bullies in Nibelheim had taught him at least a few valuable lessons, though he'd never once considered plotting the same schemes on his friends.

Zack watched the expressions flicker across Cloud's face while he remained in wait for an answer. It was a simple yes or no question, but a whole tide of thoughts had carried Cloud away before the answer was issued. Zack nudged the blond. "Hey, Gaia to Spikey. Come in, Spike!"

Cloud shook his head free of thoughts and refocused his gaze on Zack. "Huh?"

Zack chuckled. "So is that a yes or a no?"

With a slight grimace, Cloud nodded his consent. "Alright, I'll come, but only if you find the costume." He paused before adding, "And it better not be ridiculous or I might not come after all."

Zack brushed the warning off with a lazy wave of his hand. "Don't you fret your feathers, Spike. I'll be back before you know it." He hopped off the bedspread and bounded with unbridled energy towards the door. "Don't study too hard!" he called out before closing the door behind him.

Cloud waited for a moment to be sure that Zack was gone for good before slapping the pages of his book together and sliding off his chair. Now if only he could find some solidly black clothes that would conceal him head to toe. He wouldn't worry about covering his eyes too. While a mako glow would indicate he was SOLDIER and the absence of it would mark him as a trooper, he could avoid both detective labels with a simple trick he'd learned up in Nibelheim from the Zuu monsters circling their namesake patches of berry bushes. Sometimes the easiest place to hide something would be in plain sight. And that's what Cloud planned to do.

Cloud shuffled through his drawers searching for the last piece of equipment, or as Zack would say, "costume." For some reason black gloves were hard to come by when you were in the academy. No one knew why, but it seemed like some unwritten law that cadets couldn't own black gloves, only the standard brown ones. He had a pair, but – where were they?

A tap of footsteps trailed from the front door to where Cloud was kneeling by his drawers. At hearing the approaching, Cloud shoved his assortment of black clothing under his bed.

"Hey, Cloud," Charlie greeted, flicking a hand up in a lazy greeting.

Cloud whirled around and shoved his clothes drawer shut. "Hey," he said too casually to avoid suspicion.

Charlie shifted a straw in his mouth sticking out the top of a coco-cola can. With a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, he leaned forward and peeked around Cloud, trying to identify the folds of cloth peeking out from behind Cloud's back. "What are you hiding, huh?"

"I'm not hiding anything. Just cleaning."

Charlie gave him a skeptical glance and sucked up a draw of soda. "You? Cleaning?" He scoffed. "Sure." Pulling Cloud's shoulder out of the way, he snatched up the bundle from under the bed. "Now let's see what you're really up to."

"Hey," Cloud reached out belatedly to grab back his clothes.

Charlie set his can on Cloud's desk and turned the clothes over. "Hmm, you planning on robbing ShinRa's vaults or something?" he joked.

"Not exactly," Cloud mumbled and reached out again, getting off the floor. Charlie pulled them out of Cloud's reach and plopped down on the bedspread.

"Alright, now you've got me curious." Charlie grinned, and Cloud knew he had lost the battle before Charlie had even given him a chance to put up his defenses. "So what are you hiding from me?"

Cloud sighed discomfitly and settled on the bed next to Charlie. He kept his mouth closed. As much as he wanted to keep his plans for the evening a secret, it didn't look good the way Charlie eyed the clothes with interest.

Charlie prodded him with his elbow. "Come on, you can trust me; I won't say anything." A glint in his eyes spoke otherwise, but Cloud knew it was there without looking.

Tiptoeing around the details and other reasons, the ones that would really get Charlie interested, he replied, "The ShinRa tournament."

Charlie stared at Cloud blankly, still clutching the clothes.

"I want to enter," Cloud mumbled. "But I don't want anyone to know."

A wide grin cracked the tanned face and Charlie slapped Cloud on the back. He seemed to go through a range of emotions. Disbelief first, then admiration, before finally resting on a brief lull of confusion. "That's awesome – and crazy – Cloud! But why hide your identity? I mean, none of us cadets are stronger than the SOLDIERs, and no doubt they'll be competing, so you don't have to worry about embarrassing them, and the rest of us already know you were born to wield a sword, so why hide?"

Cloud tried to curl within himself, but it didn't seem to work. Charlie was still sitting there with a dazed look of awe frozen in place, and he was still waiting for an explanation. Charlie's hands were uncurled around the folds of black fabric, and Cloud tore his clothes away before answering. "I get bullied enough as it is, and…I intend to try against a SOLDIER."

Charlie stared so long Cloud began to wonder if his brain had gotten stuck on pause, but before he could voice his concerns, Charlie laughed jovially. "You may be the craziest cadet there is, but you're probably the only one of us who could even stand a chance against a SOLDIER. Alright, I'm in!"

Flustered, Cloud whipped around, "Huh? What do you mean?"

Charlie grinned devilishly and bounced the bed on it springs in his excitement. "What do you need help with? You were obviously looking for something when I came in, and you're going to have to get in and out of the party without being identified."

Cloud's mind swirled. He hadn't even thought about entering and exiting. He hadn't truly believed there would be any reason to be worried if everyone was going in a costume anyway. But then there was that slight issue of his promising Zack to come to the party…and these black clothes weren't just for the spar he intended to enter. No, he had something else planned for the night, but that was later on, and he'd be on his own for that one for sure.

Charlie continued rattling off the various details that needed to be addressed. Fingering the bundle in Cloud's hands, his eyes flicked up to Cloud's inexcusable blond spikes. "Doesn't look like you've got anything for that," Charlie pointed out practically. "I might have something, but I'll have to look…" his eyes strayed to the doorway as he started making plans for Cloud. "Oh," he jumped out of his thoughts, "And I'll probably have to return your gloves so you can use them."

Cloud rolled his eyes. Of course Charlie had them. The kid had a nasty habit of borrowing people's things without asking and then forgetting to return them.

Charlie barely noticed Cloud's expression, so wrapped up in his plans. The idea of a cadet facing a SOLDIER was simply ludicrous, and that's what fascinated him so. He got up and ran off to grab the gloves and search for a mask of some sort to hide Cloud's trademark hairstyle.

With another laborious sigh, Cloud started up off the bed and allowed Charlie to aid him in preparing for the party that evening. Once again, he felt his life falling into the hands of another. Zack took control plenty – dragging him along on various tours around the city or surprising him with a sparring practice with him and Kunsel. That wasn't so bad, but the bullies in Nibelheim…they knew how to twist logic in a way that left you sore long after the physical bruises had worn away. Not that Charlie wasn't trying to help, but Cloud was barely sixteen and he was starting to grow weary with everybody taking charge of his life for him.

Cloud paced nervously inside his room. Charlie was supposed to call him to let him know that tournament had started. Charlie had reasoned that the less time Cloud spent at the party in his black get-up, the fewer situations he would have to deal with. Better to get in and out before anyone got any ideas about his identity.

His phone trilled, muffled slightly from inside his pocket. Without a thought he snapped it open, "Charlie?"

"Charlie?" the deep energetic voice laughed. "No, Cloud, it's Zack."

A pit opened up in Cloud's stomach and he just about fell in. Great, how had he forgotten about Zack? He had dropped off a ludicrous costume a couple hours ago, but Cloud had been so distracted with the preparation and anticipation that his simple promise slipped out of his mind.

"Hellooooo?" Zack called in amused tones. In the background, Cloud could make out the festive cheer of a thousand voices overlapping, bubbling together in an endless stream of agoraphobic torment. "You still there, Spike?"

"Uh, yeah," Cloud stuttered over the line. "Listen, I, uh, I'm coming but I'm going to be a little late, alright?" He scrambled for a lie convincing enough to trick his all-seeing friend.

"Yeah, and why's that?" Cloud could almost hear Zack grinning as he joked, "Don't like the costume, eh?"

Cloud paced over to his bed where the costume lay still packed in a backpack. He grimaced at the rough fabric meshing together into an indescribably horrid ensemble of indistinguishable bright colors. "Well… not exactly." It wasn't a lie, that was sure. He couldn't even digest the fact that he would most likely end up wearing it no matter what appeals he made. He had given Zack a promise on the condition of his supplying the togs. Zack had kept his end of the deal, now Cloud couldn't back out. However, he still needed to supply himself more time. He wasn't giving up on the tournament.

Zack sighed dramatically. "Well, at least I didn't get you the 'pretty pink princess' outfit that was on sale." Cloud couldn't believe it; Zack was blackmailing him. Zack laughed heartily, his laughter cut off by an announcement in the background. He came back on the line. "Anyway, put it on and get over here. The Tournament of Ghosts is about to start."

"Don't want to miss a chance to show off?" Cloud smirked slightly, taking note of the tournament announcement.

"Well, don't you want to get in?" The question still held the remains of laughter, but Zack asked it like it was a given.

Cloud sighed, the shards of self-doubt edging his voice. "No, I don't think I will. You go ahead."

Zack ignored the depressing undertones in Cloud's voice. "What, a scraggly kid like you doesn't want to prove your worth?" The grains of teasing didn't go unnoticed by Cloud, but before he could respond, Zack ploughed forward. "You're great with a sword and everyone knows it."

Zack waited for Cloud to respond, but when nothing came through, he sighed theatrically. "Alright, fine. But get down here soon as you can. Got it?"

"Hn," Cloud hung up. Zack's words cut deeply. That was exactly why he was entering. To prove his worth… not to anyone else though. If it was to prove himself to others he wouldn't wear the mask. It was to prove it to himself.

As soon as the phone was in his pocket, Cloud pulled on the helmet Charlie had dug up. It shaded his eyes almost enough that he wouldn't need to disguise them, but he slipped a Zuu berry in his pocket all the same.

Leaving the apartment complex of cadet dorms, Cloud chuckled to himself. The plan was brilliant. For the party, all he had to do was chew the Zuu berry slowly before entering combat. The effects of the magical fruit would probably last at least the given two minutes, and hopefully a bit longer if he couldn't escape the crowd fast enough.

He had learned of the Zuu berries when hiking up on Mt. Nibel. It had been a few days after the accident with Tifa on the bridge and he just needed a break from all the townspeople's accusatory glares. Some people, even when faced with the truth, only believe what they want to believe. His life had been miserable those few months following the accident, and there came a time when enough was enough. Cloud had taken to the mountains.

At the first of his hike on the snow-blown ranges he planned to stay away, maybe head over the top of Mt. Nibel and never return home. However as he slowly succumbed to the freezing temperatures, Cloud felt his resolve quickly breaking down. At last it was the monsters that made him wish he had never come up in the first place. He had broken the number one rule of snow-hikers: never stop moving. Though he dug them deep into his armpits his fingers quickly went numb and his outbreaks of shivering transformed into an erratic pattern of vigorous shaking.

The Zuu monsters surrounding the area had scared him at first, but it didn't bother him once he realized what they were after. In the frozen climate he had climbed to, a resilient shrub had acclimated to the barren landscape and now thrived in secluded pockets about the mountainside. The Zuu birds feasted off the burgundy berries covering the winter-worn bush.

Hungry, exhausted, and tired of fighting the cold, Cloud reasoned that if the fruit didn't kill a monster, it shouldn't kill him. Besides, he thought dismally, at this point no one would miss him if the berries were poisonous. Popping the succulent delicacy into his mouth, the tangy juice at once took centerstage as the veins of the berry burst in his mouth. The warm, spicy pulp brought memories of rich apple cider, sugary gushes of Thunderberries, and tart orange juice all watered down with the slightest tinny taste. Better then the flavor, the single berry infused a deep warmth within him that slowly defrosted his insides. As he shoved a few more between his chattering teeth, a flush of energy swept through him like a crack of electricity. With the surge of energy, he dodged the splurging Zuu birds and gathered two pocketfuls of the berries and began trekking down the mountainside. The energy burned within him like a lit match, burning bright for one moment, lasting a bit longer, and finally dying away colder than before. In order to avoid the exhaustion the flaring energy left behind, he fed off the berries one by one until he reached the looming Shinra mansion that stood as if guarding the pariah town of Nibelheim.

At home, once his mother was through coddling him, she revealed two blowing facts. Other than a fever and an upset stomach, the Zuu berries had merely left him exhausted. Tired, but alive. Cloud could deal with that. However, it was the other fact that interested him. Each time he let the contents of what he fondly named the 'Zuu berry', the tinny metal mixture in them left his eyes glowing a solid gold hue for several minutes.

Walking to the party, Cloud recalled the memory with a bit of a wry smirk. He had never told why that on Halloween the bullies would wake in the darkest hour of night and begin screaming hysterically at sighting a pair of glowing gold irises staring at them through the darkness. Cloud kept it a well guarded secret, never using his pleasure trick on anyone but the ones who deserved it. But perhaps now was the time to give a good friend a fright. Not at the tournament. No, he'd only use one if it became necessary to further hide his identity, but tonight, he intended to give Zack the scare of his life.

Cloud walked on until the building came within sight. Almost as soon as the smell of sugary pastries and mystery surprises wafted out the cracked doors, Charlie's number rang up on his cell.

"Get over here," Charlie whispered urgently before Cloud had the chance to say 'hello.' "Zack is entering the tournament. Come on, this'll be good."

"I'm almost there."

"Really?" Charlie asked in surprise. "Alright. If you hurry up and walk faster maybe you can be his next challenger. Come on, Cloud. Hurry up!"

"I'm coming," Cloud assured and picked up the pace as he hung up. The cold metal of the helmet gave him a brain freeze and idly he wondered how Kunsel could stand to wear a helmet every day of the year no matter what the occasion.

Upon entering the building, the first thing that hit him was the lights. They were dimmed, although not so much in the front where the tournament was being held. Threading through the crowd, Cloud tried to avoid bumping into everyone he passed by, but with all the rowdy cadets getting drunk off the blood-red spiked punch it was nearly impossible. From an awestruck clump of spectators, Charlie poked his face out at Cloud and grinned before jerking a thumb to the board of rules for the tournament.

Cloud briefly scanned over them. Only use the swords provided, anyone was allowed to compete, winner takes on next competitors, if it comes to a draw both contesters are out, the matches are only two minutes long, no materia allowed or immediate disqualification, fight ends when opponent is disarmed or the two minutes are up…piece of cake.

All that was left to do was wait. Cloud studied the match between Zack and a second class SOLDIER. Zack was going easy on him, that much Cloud could tell. His muscles rippled as he brought up his sword to block an overhead blow, but instead of striking back, Zack gave the poor fellow a second chance by stepping back. The SOLDIER took advantage and set up a succession of clanging follow-up strike which took Zack by surprise. The movement between them was fluid, like a dance but each was fighting to take the lead.

The dance ended with a twist of swords and the second's sword flipped painfully out of his hand. He brushed the rust-colored strands of hair out of his eyes and let Zack help him up.

"No hard feelings," Zack clapped him on the back and the guy grinned, taking up the sword and raising it high, a sign that his spot was empty. Time for a new competitor.

Cloud could feel his heart pounding already from the rush of nervous adrenaline, but he quickly slipped a single Zuu berry between his thin lips and stepped forward over the rope-marked boundary. Keeping his eyes lowered, he took the sword from the second. Standing at the ready, he waited.

The second stumbled over the rope back into the crowd and the referee, if he could be called that, shouted out. "Ready!"

Zack got into stance and stared down across the way at Cloud, sizing him up. Cloud resisted the urge to squirm. He wanted to look up, but he didn't want to chance it until the pulsing energy rushed into his system and tainted his irises gold.

"And…" the announcer drew it out.

Cloud almost jerked forward at the sudden splash of vibrant energy blazing through his body. He chanced a look up.

Zack caught the golden glow. "What?"

"GO!"

Cloud took advantage of Zack's momentary confusion and thrust forward. Zack's enhanced reflexes saved him, and before Cloud could follow-up, he found himself dodging a series of practiced attacks. Cloud's uncharacteristic eyes still held Zack's attention however. He made a point of avoid the scrutiny by keeping him on his toes. Cloud knew how to fight with a sword, but he also knew how to fight dirty. Feigning a believable stint to the right, Cloud drew back and as Zack's sword came up automatically to block the blow, Cloud aimed the butt of his sword and rammed it into the knuckles on Zack's sword hand. A minor annoyance, but enough for Zack to switch hands and take Cloud seriously.

It was all cards on the table now, no backing down. Zack was releasing a string of well aimed strikes and for the moment all Cloud could do was sidestep and block them. His arms were getting tired from absorbing the shock his sword failed to suppress. As his strength began to break down, Cloud reminded himself that though it helped that he knew who his opponent was and Zack didn't, Cloud had another advantage. He had never been properly trained with swords. While Zack spent much of his time practicing techniques, everything Cloud knew was self-taught. That meant Zack would react with more or less textbook form.

Cloud retaliated to the constant blows with an angry cut across Zack's middle. Zack's sword met him easily, but he wasn't prepared for what Cloud attempted. Cloud spun around as Zack's sword met his swipe and he elbowed Zack in the arm, pushing it forward, effectively pushing Zack's sword momentarily away from him. With a lunge, Cloud kicked Zack squarely in the back, shoving him forward so he was open to any and all blows from Cloud. Zack was no fool and though Cloud caught him off guard, it wasn't enough time before Zack spun around to face Cloud and they danced around in a flurry of strikes.

The same move came up. Cloud remembered it from Zack's last battle with the second. The same twisting motion Zack made with his sword as he came up on Cloud's, but Cloud brought his blade around and held it flat causing Zack to miss. Another exchange and they were at a stalemate. Each sword pressed against the other in an X. Four seconds, five seconds…Cloud could barely breathe.

"TIME!" the announcer called, but Cloud and Zack held it for one more tense second.

As though by agreement, they both lowered their swords simultaneously and leaned them against the announcer's stand. A draw.

"Good job, man," Zack offered his hand.

Cloud shook it, offering a slight nod of commendation before turning away. All he wanted was to get out before Zack had a chance to get under the helmet he wore. Stepping over the rope barricade, Cloud burrowed into the crowd. He could hear Zack trying to follow, but Charlie held him back, distracting him with questions to buy Cloud some time to get away. Cloud would have to thank him later. Though he hated to admit it, Charlie was probably the only reason he had gotten in so far undetected.

With a last push of desperate clawing though, Cloud broke through to the other side of the saturated room. Yanking the helmet off, he broke out running for his dorms. He couldn't keep Zack waiting forever.

Back in the dorm, Cloud threw off his black clothes, shoving the heap unceremoniously under his bed to worry about later. With a groan of discomfort Cloud reached into the backpack Zack had dropped off with the costume inside. He didn't even know what it was. Tugging at the silky fabric, Cloud felt it resist as though catching on the zipper. Cloud pulled harder to toggle it out, but at the sound of a faint rip, his eyes widened in horror. Looking into the bag, the panic dissipated in a fog of bewilderment. The bright checkered silk had been stitched loosely to the sides of the bag to hide the treasure underneath.

Tearing away the rest of the humiliating cloth, Cloud reached deeper into the bag to see what Zack had hidden for him. A blue sleeveless turtleneck, blue pants, belts and buckles, metal plated armor, a shoulder guard, brown fingerless gloves and a gauntlet, boots and undergloves, and all completed with a well-worn red cape.

Cloud just stared at the outfit spread in pieces across his bed. Maybe Zack wasn't as juvenile as he sometimes acted. Trying to beat down the excitement, Cloud pulled on the gear and took a lengthy look at himself in his roomate's full-body mirror. He looked like an angel of vengeance, the basis of the getup resembling a Shinra second-class uniform, but after that…transforming into something entirely new.

At his waist hung three loose belts that shifted with a slight jingle when he walked. Then on each hand he wore skin-tight black undergloves, the left hand being the only one with fingertips. The gauntlet extended over his left hand to give him gold claw-like fingers. Over the gloves he had the brown fingerless gloves, and again on the left he had two metal clamps that held the glove in place giving his forearm a mechanical look. Further up his arm just below the single shoulder guard drilled with outward bolts, a barrel caged ornament of armor joined the ensemble underneath the guard. Holding the guard in place was an over-body leather strap that connected with the main belt about his waist. Down about his calves over the blue pants there was a black leather cross strap latched in place on each leg, effectively keeping the extra length of his pants from falling over the top of his Shinra issue boots. Another latching buckle found its way around his upper left leg; however, Cloud could not see the point to it. But at the donning of the crackling red cape that covered the bottom half of his face, he knew Zack was no fool.

The whole outfit was genuine, not like a fake mustache to be stuck on one night and trashed the next morning. No, the leather was real and the metal was polished. Only the cape looked worn, and righteously so. The frayed and slightly charred tip of the cape gave him the look of someone powerful yet elegant. He felt powerful. More than that, as he gazed at the archangel standing before him in the mirror, he felt new. He could see all his private thoughts, darkest secrets, and deepest fears on the edge of his acerbic blue gaze. Yet though everything was right there for the world to see, it pleased him in knowing that his eyes wouldn't betray him. He could wear his secrets in the open, and perhaps this revelation only came to mind due to the night's previous events.

Satisfied, Cloud swept majestically from the apartment and quietly stalked the streets to the party, feeling more and more powerful with each step as his self-confidence grew behind the red cloak. Late party-comers avoided him admiringly with a mixture of awe and fear. He didn't mean to inspire these feelings in them, but his whole essence emanated of dark foreboding.

His cell phone trilled in his pocket, taking it out, he saw Zack's number flashing on the screen. Silencing the ringer, Cloud slipped it back into his pocket. He was almost there; Zack could be patient. Cloud didn't even have to wait. When he was close enough that the smell burst from the entrance, Zack came tromping out of the building with a purpose in his step.

He slowed down at the sight of Cloud.

With a whistle of amazement, Zack came to a stop just in front of Cloud. "Whoa, Cloud is that actually you?" Zack circled him like he was a prize chocobo. "That looks amazing on you! I mean, I knew it would be good, but…this was practically made for you."

Cloud let a small grin slip onto his lips.

Zack caught it and immediately seized hold of the opportunity. "See, Halloween isn't all that bad. Now come on, slow-poke. You've missed all the fun."

Slinging an arm around Cloud's shoulder, Zack pulled him along nearer to the building. Unfortunately height wasn't included in the package deal, but that didn't matter. Cloud felt tall enough in those clothes to take on a Behemoth.

"Oh," Zack jabbed. "You owe me one for getting you those clothes. But you know what," Zack peered closer at Cloud's content expression. "You can keep them. They wouldn't fit me anyway."

Cloud shook his head in disbelief. The day wasn't turning out as bad as he thought it might. "Thanks, Zack."

"Sure thing." Zack yanked open the door violently and sauntered inside, instantly merging with the hubbub. "Now let's get something to eat. I'm starved."

The party lasted throughout the night on till eleven. Cloud amused himself by watching the sports of his drunken peers participating in the tacky party games. Though Zack pressed Cloud to show his skill in the tournament of ghosts, Cloud held resolute. They wandered the scene, Cloud being pulled into booths of entertainment by Charlie and Zack, whoever happened to be closer.

Cloud didn't realize his deteriorating manner until the party was nearly over. His attitude rested on the fine line between ornery and exhaustion. Whether it was the weakening after-effects of the Zuu berry or his need for quiet, solitude, and sleep that put him in such a state was yet to be determined, but it didn't bother him. The party was coming to a close, and his two excitable friends were also showing signs of lethargy.

At eleven the company of guests faced front and listened with detached interest to guest speaker Rufus Shinra's closing speech – something about keeping up their positive influence on the continents and providing peace and comfort to the cities of the world. Not many words made it past the front line of troopers grinning at one another in a state of stupor, each one struggling to grasp the last threads of common sense as to not laugh aloud.

At the close of his speech, the crowd was let go and they spilled onto the wind-swept streets, friends leaning on comrades while groups of three or four danced off, laughing at the hilarity of the honey-coated words addressed to them minutes previous. Zack and Charlie both hadn't had much to drink, knowing that the next morning Shinra expected all personnel to be alert and back to work. Holidays didn't last forever.

With his headache, Cloud hadn't touched the punch, not being one to subject himself to that type of drunken humiliation anyway. All he desired was to curl up under his woolen blankets and have a solid night of rest, but as Charlie, Zack, and he wearily crossed the streets toward the dorms, Cloud slowly convinced himself not to back out.

"Well, guess I'll see you guys some other time then," Zack called out and waved a farewell.

The two troopers listlessly nodded in response, too tired to waste energy to echo the goodbye.

Back at the dorms, Cloud crawled under his covers and waited till all sounds from his other roommates ceased. He didn't want to be caught, especially by them. If they found out, he would either be blackmailed or the center of talk for months, and that type of attention wouldn't serve him well.

The chorus of heavy breathing gently invaded the quiet atmosphere. With barely a rustle of cloth, Cloud slipped out of his new clothes and donned the black outfit from earlier that evening. Already his heart pounded, but he scolded himself. He had done this at least a dozen of times, and the hardest part was still yet to come. Though it was true he had never tried scaring a soldier before. At the door he hesitated. Pushing aside his concerns, he quietly slipped out the door.

It was bitter outside, and instantly Cloud wished he had brought a jacket. The chill in the autumn air reminded him of the Nibelheim summer breezes off the mountains. It never seemed to warm up enough there, even in summer. The winter always had one hand catching the door before it could shut it out entirely. Cloud smiled dimly. He missed home, that was certain, but no one would miss him. They were probably very glad he was gone now… A bitter taste filled his mouth and he swallowed it. His mom still loved him, Cloud reminded himself. She had always loved him, even when he picked fights with the kids, even when he didn't try to do better, even after he left home…

Cloud tucked his hands into his armpits and pressed on through the night toward Zack and Kunsel's dorm.

His mom had written letters to soldier with the blind hope that perhaps she might find him again. In the end it was Zack who had noticed the letters with no receiver and had figured it out. Thanks to Zack, Cloud was able to hear all the news from home, though it was all months old. The letters had made him smile because with every broken seal on the envelopes, he could smell the reminiscent scent of home and of his mother.

Shame kept Cloud from answering her. He wasn't in soldier, he hadn't even tried to contact her, and he had left her without even saying goodbye. Again it was the pestering nuisance that Zack was that had convinced Cloud to write his mom at least once to let her know he was alright. The barrage of letters that followed, however, plagued him with guilt. But while her letters were filled with scolding for not writing, he could feel her relief and love in every sentence.

So that was it. He didn't miss Nibelheim for anything but his mother. After all, why would he care otherwise? He had been the town runt and troublemaker, the boy without a friend in the world, and the one who lurked in the shadows of the background like a forgotten childhood toy. Back then he used to be a good kid, really. But once people you know turn their backs to you, it's hard not to let it get to you. That's why Tifa's accident mattered so much to him.

And that's why he hated Halloween.

Without realizing it, Cloud began to walk a bit faster. His head bowed down in an effort to shield himself from the cold blasting in from the north.

Halloween reminded him of the bitter memories from his hometown. To him, it represented all the people who had picked on him and all those he fought with in return. He had started this tradition to scare those who despised him, and even now he was going to do the same to his own friend, to the one who he owed a lot. This was an odd way of repaying favors.

But why scare friends? He could get into serious trouble for breaking into a soldier apartment alone. At first he thought it was because he missed home, but the truth was he just couldn't let go of the bitterness.

Zack's window came into sight, and Cloud ran gratefully toward it. At this point he was so numb with cold it wouldn't have mattered to him who his target was. With a soft grunt, Cloud forced open the window, thankful it wasn't latched. Leaving it cracked open, Cloud stole inside. His feet registered a padded surface. A bed? No, this wasn't right. Zack's bed was set to the side in the room, not under the window.

Kunsel's room.

And he was beginning to stir.

In his haste to get off Kunsel's bed, Cloud tripped over the blankets knotted around Kunsel's feet and collapsed on the floor face first with the blankets trailing after him. Kunsel shot out of bed, dropping onto the floor in combat stance before Cloud could get behind the end of the bed and out of sight.

Cloud pulled himself out of the blanket mess and froze, hearing Kunsel before feeling him grab hold of the back of his shirt. Kunsel forcibly turned Cloud over and pushed him into the musky carpet.

He knew this was a bad idea, but he didn't know it could be as bad as this. Not only did he climb in the wrong window, but immediately upon entry he was caught.

"Who are you?" Kunsel demanded.

"Cloud," he grunted under the brute force of his SOLDIER 2nd class friend.

"Huh?" There was no equivalent to match the tone of total surprise and astonishment in his voice. He dragged Cloud over to the front of the room, still roughly holding onto the front of his shirt as a precaution. Yet when the light flickered on in the room, all Kunsel could do was stare in complete perplexity.

Then it sank in. Kunsel started laughing and he released his hold on Cloud's shirtfront. "What are you doing here, Cloud?"

Cloud shifted awkwardly on his feet.

Kunsel ruffled the blond spikes in a mock imitation of Zack and leaned back casually against his bedroom door. A subtle message to Cloud that he wasn't leaving without an explanation.

"I…uh," Cloud looked down. "…Zack," he tried, but the words came out bulky and cumbersome. He bit his lip and waited for Kunsel's judgment, but at Zack's name Kunsel took over.

"Did Zack tell you to break in or something?"

"No."

Kunsel studied him for a moment. He had eyes of a Turk and could figure out just about anything, and it didn't take him long to fit the circumstantial to the solid evidence in front of him. It was Halloween, Cloud was in all black and looked quite flustered, and the mention of Zack in it made sense to him.

"You're here as payback on Zack, aren't you."

Cloud nodded. It was close enough. Besides, he didn't want to explain his actions when the reasons were still uncomfortably fresh in his mind already.

Kunsel laughed again. "You sure need to work on your entries, but let me know how I can help."

Cloud looked at him and saw sincerity within. He also noted that it wasn't often he saw Kunsel with his helmet off. This must have been the third time, and he probably wouldn't see this rare sight that many times again in his life. Cloud ran a hand through his spikes. "Is he asleep?"

Kunsel chuckled lightly. "That knuckled head was practically asleep when he walked through the door. He didn't have too much to drink, did he?"

Cloud shook his head. "Get me in his room?" he requested.

"Alright," Kunsel opened his door and led the way. As they crept down the truncated hallway between rooms, Kunsel whispered, "What are you going to do?"

"You'll see," Cloud breathed nervously.

Kunsel was much better at breaking in, but that was without pointing out that the door was already unlocked, and he didn't even go inside, preferring to watch from the shadowed hall then the circle of action.

Without tripping on any of Zack's scattered possessions, Cloud crept halfway through the room before Zack's voice froze him in his tracks.

"I love you."

Cloud didn't dare flinch. Was Zack talking to him?

Zack gently nuzzled the side of his face into the pillow before mumbling, "Love…you…Aerith."

After the initial panic, Cloud felt a small smile twitching at the corners of his mouth.

Kunsel was already stifling ill-concealed sniggers.

Taking a cautious step toward Zack's bed, Cloud grinned wider. This was going to be better then he thought. Zack murmured out in warm tones the same sugary words. "Love…Aer…" He sighed into his pillow.

Swallowing down the smile, Cloud knelt close to the bed and whispered back in falsetto, "I love you too, Zack." His lips trembled in silent laughter.

"I like it when you wear…pink."

"Oh, thank you, Zack," Cloud had to clamp a hand over his mouth to keep from breaking his cover. Some things were just too perfect. Sure he had messed up getting in the apartment, but he hadn't expected to find Zack sleep talking. Seeing, and more or less hearing, Zack in the innocent state of slumber made up for the jokes he pulled on Cloud.

Zack snorted once before turning over. "Pink…bacon." Groggily, he revealed, "I'm hungry."

Quirking an eyebrow in confusion, Cloud played along in the switch of role.

"Bacon?" Cloud asked, his mind racing for the lines.

A big smile sprouted on Zack's face and he unconsciously answered, "Mmm, pink…cakes."

Over in the hall Kunsel pounded the carpet, rolling on the floor with his body shaking from the effort to keep the laughter contained.

"Okay, Zack." Cloud relented in his falsetto again.

"Mom? Spike's hungry too," Zack requested.

Panic set in and he exchanged a concerned glance with Kunsel through the darkness. Did Zack actually know it was him? Or perhaps it was just his subconscious that knew. Or maybe it was just a dream.

Cloud tested it. "I like waffles," Cloud softly replied in his normal tone.

"Ma…?" Zack asked.

"Yeah?" Cloud sighed with relief.

"Spikey waffles. He doesn't…want bacon."

"Sure thing, Zack," Cloud smiled.

Time to end the theatric and get on to what he was really there for. "I'll be just a minute. Don't mind me."

"Okay," Zack slowly nodded back off.

Cloud could only hope Zack would get bacon in his dream before he woke up. He got off his knees and stalked to the window and pulled it open. He flinched at the grating sound it made in the gritty tracks, and Zack rolled over at the noise, but after a moment of tension, Cloud relaxed and limberly made his way to the foot of Zack's bed. The window was the distraction, but now he needed Zack awake. That was always the hardest part, although he had done just as much quite easily in Kunsel's room.

"Kunsel," Cloud whispered urgently. "I need some help."

At Cloud's request, Kunsel softly called out Zack's name. It was difficult to tell where this was going, but the fun of giving Zack a scare instead of the other way around was always a welcome idea for anyone well acquainted with him.

The first four or five whispers didn't even make it past the doorway where Kunsel stayed hidden, but he gradually increased the volume of his voice, lulling Zack out of his sleep. Meanwhile, Cloud crouched low at the foot of Zack's bed. Gripping the bed for support, Cloud slipped a Zuu berry into his mouth and savored the burst of juicy, succulent energy breaking out of the thin shell. He grimaced slightly at the ever-present tinny taste hidden inside like a drop of blood in a punch bowl.

Cloud couldn't feel his eyes turning gold yet. He waited.

With a light groan Zack awoke, his mako eyes glowing faintly in the darkness as he blinked into awareness. In the hallway, Kunsel fell silent and left Cloud to his stunt. Cloud heard the rustle of blankets as Zack raised himself up and looked around the room, eyes resting curiously on the window for a moment.

Cloud's awareness of the external world stopped as time around him seemed to slow down dramatically. He pitched forward as the surge of energy shot into his system and the golden tint began to circulate in his irises.

"How did that…?" Zack wondered aloud as he began to sit up, eyes fixed on the open window.

With deliberate caution, Cloud slowly rose up from the end of Zack's bed. He trained his eyes solely on Zack's mako ones, waiting for them to turn, to notice the new glow in the room. He forced as much power and hostility into his gaze as he could, summoning the feelings he had when he had worn that new outfit Zack had found. He tried to recall that feeling of invincibility and pushed that look into his gaze.

Slowly, Zack felt the presence in his room and his attention went from the window to the direction of Cloud's burning gaze. At meeting with those ferocious, phantom golden eyes, Zack fell backwards out of bed as he hurriedly scampered back in an instinctive reaction when meeting something so feral and so…familiar.

It took a moment for Zack to make the connection to his memory. Those same golden eyes were present at the Tournament of Ghosts, and they were here now staring into him, revealing a dark abyss within. The darkness seeping out of them filled Zack with such a foreboding horror, he could barely cause himself to fight back before he was consumed by them entirely. But then they blinked. All hostility was gone. In fact, it was like a new person wore those eyes. They were filled with kindness as though they were comrades.

Kunsel flipped on the light, staring unabashed at Cloud. "You were the golden eyed ghost?"

Cloud grinned sheepishly at the two of them staring, Zack still trying to process where Kunsel had appeared from.

All was a muddled mess until Kunsel finally convinced Cloud to sit down and tell them the whole story in fine detail. Exhausted from both the aftereffects of the magical fruit and the stressful events of the night, Cloud agreed to share. So they all converged in the living room, Cloud between Kunsel and Zack so he couldn't slip away without their knowledge. He skirted quite casually around his unresolved reasons for coming, and almost avoided telling them where he discovered the trick of golden eyes, but Zack managed to cajole the story from him.

The minutes flew by, and it was already late. Zack just couldn't fathom one thing. "I mean, everyone knows you're great with a sword, so that's not a big deal to me –"

"He almost took you down, Zack," Kunsel pointed out good naturedly. "Of course you would play that down. It's a direct affront to your pride."

Zack rubbed the back of his neck. "You fight dirty," he shook his head at Cloud. "I really thought I had you, but then you got that kick in and turned the tables." He paused in remembrance, but shook the memory away and continued from before, "But like I was saying, I can imagine you doing so well in the tournament, but you just really surprised me with this whole prank thing. It just doesn't seem like something you'd do. Especially for a guy who hates Halloween," Zack ribbed him.

"Maybe you just don't know me well enough," Cloud suggested listlessly. His head nodded forward on loose hinges. He was simply exhausted and unfortunately he was falling asleep right in front of his two friends. Embarrassing, but it could hardly be helped since he didn't care.

Zack grinned at Cloud struggling to merely hold his head up and keep his eyes open. Losing the battle, Cloud didn't even protest when Zack helped him lay out on the couch and covered him with a blanket.

"Sure wore him out," Kunsel observed with a yawn. "And it's almost three in the morning. Urgh. We've got work tomorrow."

"I bet he had a good time, though," Zack mirrored Kunsel's yawn and full body stretch. "Well, I'm going to sleep. Night, Kunsel."

"Uh-huh," Kunsel groggily replied as he headed to his room.

Before leaving the room, Zack looked back and grinned at the lump sleeping deeply on the couch. "Night, Spike."

A sleepy mumble answered him back.

Zack turned out the light.

Hoped you like it!

And here's your ice cream sundae. ^_^

For those of you who didn't get it, Cloud's costume was his awesome outfit from Kingdom Hearts.

- Dante