Hello all! Welcome to chappie two of Tsudzukeru! I cannot believe all the amazing responses I've gotten for just the first chappie! I'm so happy~! :D You guys are awesome! Special shout out to all of you that have been kind enough to drop me a review, favorite and follow this fic! Without further ado, here's chapter two!

Editor's note 11-29-15: This chapter has been revised and edited to fix spelling errors as well as grammatical mistakes. Plot holes have also been filled :)

~2: Tying Up Loose Ends~

The late morning sky was a crisp light blue today. A few puffy white clouds hung high above and provided some shade in splotchy patches against the ground outside. There was a gentle breeze accompanied by just the right amount of mid-August heat. Cloud stood outside his front door with his right hand brought up to shield his eyes from the harsh summer suns' brightness.

He was clothed in a dark navy green t-shirt and khaki colored cargo shorts. Thick brown boots and plain white socks provided protection from the more than rough and gritty ground. His ever growing hair was pulled into a tight ponytail at the base of his neck, barely exceeding the length of the uppermost part of his shoulder blade. He knew his mother would probably cut it off soon as Nebelheim traditional views frowned upon boys with long hair.

"Be safe when you go out to play today! Stay away from the mountains and the manor, those are no places for a child to play!" His mother warned as she peeked her head out from behind the slightly parted front door.

Cloud turned on his heel and flashed his mother a quick smile. "I will!" He responded before looking out ahead of him once more.

Claudia stood by the front door, keeping her slender hands wrapped around the wooden surface. She watched her boy take in a deep hit of fresh air and gaze into the sky high above him. Her eyes that mirrored the color of her child's could not help but roam to his clothed back once more. The image of those white and gold wings haunting her no matter how many times she blinked to flush that illusion out.

In story books and fairy tales, wings symbolized freedom and purity. But in real life, on a real human, they represented the making of something inhuman and strange. He was her baby and he'd always be, but she still couldn't shake the dread and denial gnawing in her stomach like a low grumble. He just couldn't have wings. It was physically, anatomically, and all around impossible! With a heavy sigh and no answers to her internal musings, she peeled away from her spot while telling herself she had either been dreaming or hallucinating.

The deep brown door shut with a soft click as she disappeared back inside to sort things out and give her growing child some space. A few birds chirped from their spots in a tree towards the entrance of the little village. It was the perfect day to stay out til late evening and play to his hearts' content. With a little spring in his step, he bounded away from the front door of his house and to the water well in the center of town. He always loved hanging around the well, it was the perfect place to play pretend and get away from it all.

He dashed towards the large structure sitting high and tall in the center of town not far off from his own house. He circled around it a few times as he arrived, a large smile on his face as a light breeze tickled his nose. He decided to climb up and rest on the top of the large wooden well today. Maybe he could pretend to save Fort Condor from an invasion by Wutai troops? Maybe he could pretend he was on a ship that didn't make him nauseous on his way to Midgar? The possibilities were limitless, especially when it came to his endless imagination.

He gripped the clapboards and began to hoist himself up the well, his mind instantly thinking of him as an adventurer scaling the dangerous Nibel mountains in search of rare Materia. He pulled himself up on the flat boards surrounding the water supply and took a look around as he always did when he played here. The breeze was slightly stronger at his higher elevation. He could faintly catch the scent of the mountains on the wind as a southern wind blew down from the sierras and towards the village entrance.

He circled the water supply a few times to create a three-sixty view of the village as his mind plotted out a new adventure to unfurl for the afternoon. However, he paused when he took a quick glance into the water itself. He noticed a blood red glow reflecting off the surface of the liquid. Cloud rested his hands over the rim of the large reservoir and leaned in close to get a good look.

He saw a little red ball glowing brightly at the bottom of the repository. The color of the orb was what was making the water appear to be red. The blonde's eyes lit up in curiosity at the possibilities of what it could be.

"It's a summon Materia." The voice of Alpha cut through the child's thoughts.

The voice startled Cloud enough to jerk his head away from the well and look around in fright. He then remembered the events of last night that transitioned into this morning. The other three versions of himself were now nestled in his head where only he could hear and interact with them. The memories he held in his head were proof enough that they were really there.

Cloud did not respond to the voice, but made a mental note of thanking him for explaining his suscpicions. He peered over the rim of the well once more to further stare into the bright red orbs' captivating glow. It wasn't really that deep, easy enough to lean over the edge and stretch his arm down there and grab it. Curiosity and excitement won over and the blone soon found himself leaning in to grab the glowing ball.

"Be careful, We are unaware of the summon housed inside." Alpha quickly warned.

The calm tone of his warning was enough to make the blonde pause and flinch, arm halfway stuck into the red reflected liquid and hover above the glowing orb. Normally, he was used to someone abruptly shouting at him to not do something and treating him like a child, if not worse off. Those people usually being one of the villagers or even some of the other kids. He was not used to hearing a warning like one adult talking with another.

"Why does it matter though? It's not like I'm going to summon something with it, I don't even know how to use Materia." Cloud explained to the elder voice as his fingers curled around the orb.

"But I do know. I am a Weapon, any summon stored inside will instantaneously react to my presence. If we are unlucky, we might just release a rampid summon spirit." Alpha strained to his child counterpart.

But when you are a child, adult logic always looses to curiosity. Without really heeding the elder persona's voice, he lifted the orb out of the water and clenched it tightly in his fist. The ball had a soothing warmth to it, kind of like the heat of a fireplace in a freezing cold winter. The ball lost all warmth suddenly, leaving the blonde child momentarily confused. Then bright white light burst from every direction it could go as it blinded the child. He cried out and dropped the orb as his fists dug into his eyelids to shield them from the light.

When the light dissipated, Cloud gently removed his hands from his eyelids and opened them up. There, he was staring straight into golden beady yellow eyes. A bird as the same height as him stood in front of him with blazing feathers the color of fire, even appearing to move and flicker as if they really were flame. He heard the elder voice sigh in relief from inside his thoughts.

"It is only Phoenix. She is a very docile summon, so there is no need for fright." Alpha reassured his child form.

Cloud stared at the bird in complete and utter silence. His young face lay expressionless as he gawked at the majestic creature. "She's adorable!" He squealed in delight, going to wrap his arms around the bird.

"Do not touch her form. Her feathers are cloaked in flames." Alpha stressed before his child counterpart could make a move.

Cloud instantly took his arms back in a hurry, falling back on to his rear at the realization that fire was hot and caused nasty burns he'd rather not have. The Phoenix summon twittered in a high-pitch fashion as she cocked her head to the right as she observed the blonde boy's behavior. It almost sounded like the bird had laughed at him rather than tweet.

"Now what?" The blonde asked the eldest voice in confusion. Now there was a summon sitting before him. What was he supposed to do with it now?

"Summons do not vanish until whatever they were summoned for is properly taken care of." Alpha explained.

"But... I didn't summon her on purpose!" Cloud whined.

"Then you must figure out a purpose in which to use her powers." The Weapon voice spoke.

"Well, if her feathers are fire, then that means she can burn things down. I'll get in really bad trouble if she burns something down in the village!" The blonde exclaimed, not wanting to be punished for something he did by accident. It had happened more than once.

"Wait...There is something we can burn. The Nibelheim Manor's archive files."

"Momma said I'm not allowed to play there."

"Ha! Really now?-" Alpha huffed sarcastically before continuing. "-I know you go horse around there all the time! I may be separate from you now, but I was once you. You're ornery and you know it." The weapon chided with a chuckle.

"I am not ornery! ...What's ornery?" The blonde asked.

"Stubborn and combative." Alpha responded in an amused manner.

The blonde grumbled and hummed a flat and bored key, not wanting to admit that the elder voice was actually right.

"Back to current matters. We must destroy the archive files if we want to alter the future in our favor. Phoenix's fire should prove effective and useful for this task."

"That sounds kinda scary..." The blonde admitted.

"Fine. I will take over then."

Cloud didn't have any time to ask what the elder voice meant because he felt his own mind being overtaken by the former weapon's. It was like an ocean wave just washed over him and drug him down. His consciousness faded away in that encroaching wave as Alpha took control of the child's body and making his own thoughts predominant. Now the child was blissfully tucked away in the crevices of the back of his head like the other personas were; Only he was unaware and unresponsive like a person in a deep sleep with no recollections of his body's own doings.

In place of Cloud's blue eyes, gold overtook the former color. This indicating that the child was unavailable and that Alpha reigned control for now. The Weapon hopped off the well as his white and gold wings spread forth from his back and eased his sudden descent down to solid ground. He touched down with barely a sound as his wings gently folded against the other to rest on his clothed back.

Without wasting any more time, Alpha took off in a sprint in the direction of the Manor with Phoenix tailing behind him in flight. Some monsters did happen to be housed there, but they shouldn't pose a problem for him. He ran across the winding dirt path that lead out of the village and further towards the base of the massif. The wind picked up a bit more than before, rustling his clothes and pulled back hair a bit but unphazing him none-the-less.

By the time he arrived at the manor's gate, the sun had sunk from its morning position in the sky towards more of its high-noon location. The late summer sun was harsh and the heat bled through the back of his clothes like water as the summon perched herself atop one of the iron barbs of the rusting gate. She looked at him and twittered softly to gain his attention.

When reveres had been broken, the Weapon pushed open the creaky iron gates and made his way towards the large front doors. He easily pushed open the equally loud doors and made his way inside the abandoned manor. The bird flew in after him and perched herself against the dusty stairway banister, waiting patiently.

The lights were off, shrouding the establishment in choking darkness even though the sun was out and blazing brightly. Cobwebs litter almost every inch and in every nook and cranny of the musty place. The boards of wood underneath his booted feet squealed and groaned under his weight. Only taking a moment to survey the poor condition the building was in, he sauntered on. He quickly ascended the maroon carpeted stairs with Phoenix right by his side on his left.

Knowing exactly where to go, Alpha shot to the right and towards the last room on the right of the barren and dusty hallway. He pushed open the door as Phoenix flew in ahead of him and touched down on to the bed stationed in the room. If the Weapon hadn't been taking over the child's body, Gamma would have certainly made a few comments on this particular room.

Not wasting anymore time, the blonde made his way over to the brick wall adjacent to the bed. He traced his right index finger against the darker colored mortar near the base of the wall. When he found the right brick that was barely poking out more than the others, he pressed it in and the doorway slammed down with a mighty shudder. A spiral staircase lead the way to the closed off basement and laboratory.

Alpha held out his right arm as Phoenix took perch against it. With that, they made their descent down while the summon's fiery feathers provided just enough light to see each step before they took it. They touched down against the cold and damp basement floor. The lair itself was build right in the middle of a cavern, so it was always cold, damp, and dark down here. Phoenix flew ahead, letting out a shrill screech that scared away some of the lesser monsters and animals living and hiding here. The blonde followed hot on her trail until they reached the steel lab door.

The door appeared to be locked as Alpha tried to pull it open. With a slight scowl on his rather emotionless face, he balled up his right hand into a fist and struck the door. With his weapon strength, the steel bent with ease and the lock flew off and clattered to the floor noisily from the other side. It was just a matter of simply opening the broken steel door after that. Thankfully he had still retained his strength in this form. Many attributes of his previous form had been lost in the conscience exchange.

The blonde bypassed the old Mako tubes and examination table and headed straight down the long stretch of hall filled with books and folders and into the main study of the lab. More books, files, and reports lay alphabetized on each shelf and carefully were arranged by dates as well. A little smile crept on to to his face when he saw Phoenix get right to work in burning them all to a crsip while he took in the center, still smiling away.

The ashes from the destroyed pages rained down on his hair and clothes and the smoke was more than suffocating, but the Weapon was not bothered or phased by it at all. However, if he knew he stood here too long, then the child's own health would be at risk. So he left the Summon to do its' job as he took his leave. He waited outside the steel door in the caves for the deed to be done. His gold eyes glanced over to the other door made from wood and not steel. If Beta had taken over instead, he'd be sure to check in there for the Ex-Turk. However for Alpha, that was not really on his agenda.

When the flames died away and the smoke cleared out of the lab, he knew the task was taken care off. He high-tailed it out of the manor before the charred smell could reach the village in time for accusations to start.

"Alpha, why'd you have to stand in the middle of the fire? Now I've got ashes in my hair and I can't stop coughing!" Cloud complained as he sat criss-crossed atop the town's well once more. He coughed into his fist a few more times after he spoke.

"I could not help myself. Knowing I eliminated a major piece of the puzzle was just too enthralling not to watch." The Weapon admitted without missing a beat.

Cloud rolled his now blue eyes as he gently squeezed the red orb in his hand. The elder voice had informed the blonde that they should keep that summon with them now for future use. He had no complaints to that notion and didn't mind rolling the soothing warm ball around in his hand. He coughed a few more time as he shook the last remainders off ash from his hair.

After Alpha's escapade, the child felt relatively tired and just wanted to rest for a bit in his favorite spot in all of the village. It felt so relaxing to feel a cool breeze higher than ground level and hearing the reservoir gently slosh with the wind. It was always nice to come here to either play or just let his thoughts melt away in peaceful bliss. However, that bliss would be short-lived on most sunny afternoons.

"Look! The weakling choco-wannabe's hiding at the well again!" A cheeky voice insulted as more childish laughter resounded from below the well.

"Ahh...No.." Cloud whined softly, letting the back of his head bang against the repository with a gentle thunk sound.

"Hey weakling! You can't hide up there forever!" Another voice shouted, this one sounding more nasally than the other.

"Bully problems, of course." The voice of Beta echoed.

"What should I do?" Cloud asked the middle voice, The shock of the other voices coming and going knowing all but gone now. He knew that this persona was strong and brash. He'd probably be able to give the blonde some good insight about what to do.

"You can either run from them or face them. It's as simple as that." Beta responded in his heavy yet wispy voice.

"I guess it doesn't matter then. When I hide they find me and when I face them they hit me..." He admitted as he pulled his head away from the well and hung it down instead.

He momentarily thought of using Phoenix to scare the other kids away, but he felt like he'd be scolded by Alpha in doing that. To resist the temptation, he pocketed the warm red orb and heaved a heavy sigh. He gently peeled himself away from the well and looked down from his perch. Of course, it just had to be these three again.

Avery Adams stood in the center and the closest to the well. The eleven-year old brown-haired boy's bright almond brown eyes glimmered in a sick kind of excitement when he saw the frightened blonde peak down to the ground. He had his hands on his hips and a smug smile on his face. Avery was known as the toughest and bravest child in the village.

Just because his dad was actually in SOLDIER made him think he was entitled to be a jerk to others just because of his status. He constantly teased the blonde that he was a failure just like his dad. Even the blonde's own father was subject of ridicule in the village because he was not native to the land and hailed from Mideel.

Peridot "Perry" Weathers stood to his left, the ten-year old had his wild bright red hair a mess in his face. His bright green eyes of forest pine glimmered in the same kind of excitement as Avery's. Honestly, Perry was the strangest looking child in all of Nibelheim and was pretty much a basket case. His mother did the same kind of night work as the blonde's own mother and was born through that work too, but since his mother was the Mayor's niece, no one picked on him or spread rumors about him. It was just unfair.

Rutherford Korry stood on the right of Avery. He was twelve-years old but acted more like a corrupt thirty year old CEO. His own blonde hair was lighter and brighter in color that Cloud's own, looking nearly white in the sunlight. His piercing green eyes were smug and did not gleam with as much excitement as the other boys. Rutherford was as arrogant and boastful as they come.

His father worked and maintained the Mako reactor in the mountains and was seen to be a prestigious role in the quaint village life. The boy was given the finer things in life and was taught that it was okay to step on others to further your own goals.

"They don't even look that tough." Beta challenged with a quiet scoff.

"Maybe not for you, but for me it's not fair." Cloud muttered as he slowly shrank away from the other boys gazes.

"Three-against-one was never fair in the first place." The middle voice stated matter-of-factly.

"I know." The blonde agreed.

"Hey basket case! You talkin' to yourself now? You really are crazy!" Perry snorted, much like a fat pig.

"My father says he acts the way he does so he doesn't have to grow up and act like a man." Rutherford stated as he turned to Avery.

"Your dad's got a good head on his shoulders! Unlike that failure's deadbeat!" The brunette laughed, hi-fiving the older boy.

"They've got some nerve insulting father. He was a good and honest man." Beta growled, now becoming fed up with the annoying children himself.

"That's what Momma tells me too." Cloud added.

"No wonder your deadbeat never came home! He didn't want a whore for a wife and a weakling for a son!" Avery shouted with a smug grin as more laughter echoed from below.

"They've crossed the line!" Beta spat as he took over the blonde's body.

Beta's possession was nothing like Alpha's. This one was rushed and fast, like his mind had been pushed straight out of his body. It did not feel like a wave of water, it felt like scorching fire that seered him with a brutal burn before falling into complete numbness. Blood red eyes took over blue ones as the middle persona gained full control of the child's body. He backed up against the well, waiting for his cue.

"Hiding weakling? Gonna cry? Boo-hoo!" Avery exclaimed after blowing a raspberry.

It was silent in that moment before Beta-possessed-Cloud all but threw himself off the ledge of the well and straight for the brunette. He landed right on top of the boy, knocking him down as the blonde maintained balance and stood on his chest without falling over or teetering at all.

"Say that again! I dare you!" Cloud growled out in Beta's heavy voice as his booted foot stomped the boy' adams apple, causing the brunette to gag and choke.

"What the-? You're killing him! You really are a freak!" Rutherford exclaimed, loosing his cool to his fright.

"I'm not killing him, I'm asphyxiating him by severing the connection between oxygen and esophagus by restricting airflow from his trachea to his pulmonary organs via my boot." Beta corrected, pushing down harder on the boy's throat when he said the word boot. He made sure to use the medical terminology for 'suffocation by boot' to confuse the children.

The brunette under him was squirming and flailing wildly, trying to push the blonde off him or get his foot off his throat. However, the mere child was no match for the former second life Hero's strength. His face was beginning to turn an unhealthy shade of purple as he tried to gasp for the air he was being robbed off.

"Good Gaia just get off him!" Perry cried out in horror as he watched his friend slowly and agonizingly dying.

Beta complied and allowed the inferior child to catch his breath as he stopped standing on his chest. Avery scooted back as he coughed and gagged violently, eyes wide in fright at the blonde standing before them with blood red eyes.

"-wh-What's w-wrong with you?!" Avery rasped, holding his hands to his throat in a measly effort to protect them.

"Yeah! You're sick in the head!" Perry exclaimed as he helped the brunette get back up on his feet.

"You think you're so smart because you used big words! You aren't that smart! You're dumb!" Rutherford spat, his cockiness returning as he thought the blonde was all talk and no walk.

"Says the child that doesn't even know three hundred and sixty divided by four? Beta countered.

"I-...Well, I... Like you know!" He spat.

"I do. The answer is ninty." Beta responded.

"Smart alack!" Perry countered immaturely as he began to laugh.

Even the recovered Avery began to laugh with the others. The blonde just hardened his red eyes and hiked his right leg up behind his back, using his arms to reach behind him and pull off his loosely and poorly laced boot. He set his socked foot against the ground and then chucked the boot straight at Perry's face. The shoe hit him in the mouth dead on and with enough force that it knocked the ten year old back and the shoe went flying off towards the entrance of the village.

"Eat boot, brat!" He snarled before turning on his heel and dashing off in the direction of the Nibel mountains.

He didn't feel like dealing with these idiots any longer and didn't want to be responsible for 'accidentally' killing them.

"Come back here!" Rutherford shouted, about to chase after the one-booted blonde.

Avery put out his arm and stopped the platinum blonde from advancing any further.

"Let him go, he's running into the mountains. That just spells out death." Avery reminded.

"Beta, why'd you leave my boot behind? And why did you make me run into the mountains? My foot hurts and I'm scared and cold!" Cloud whined as he tried to make sense of where the middle voice had lead him.

"Did you really want to risk getting pummeled? I got when the getting was good." He responded in that heavy voice.

"But I've never been this far up into the mountains before. Do you know where we are?" He asked the voice as he looked all around him.

The jagged grey sierras were more than frightening for the eleven year old. He may have adventured near the massif before, but he had never actually gone this high up before. Why on Gaia did the Hero lead the blonde all the way up here before letting him take control of his own body again? What had once been high-noon had now transitioned into early evening, red and yellows painting the horizon line. Above his head, however, the sky was dim purple and deep blue so dark it could have passed for black.

There had to be a good reason for Beta to bring him up this high, but the hero was not disclosing that information. Cloud's stomach growled without mercy. He groaned as his arms caressed the rumbling and churning area. He didn't even stop for lunch this afternoon and by the looks of the sky he could say it was getting close to supper time. Even if their meals didn't consist of much, they were still meals none-the-less.

Currently he was just trying to get down the mountain safely and as quickly as possible. He didn't want to worry his mother with how long he had been out without checking in or even coming back to eat. As he began to approach the base of the cliffs and further towards the village, he heard a voice. It was young and feminine and sounding like it was calling for something.

Cloud stopped in his tracks and listened harder, feeling like this voice was familiar. He knew it wasn't his mother, so that possibility was out. He honestly didn't know very many girls either.

"That sounds like Tifa." Gamma spoke up gently, as to not startle the child.

"Tifa? Why is she out in the mountains too?" The blonde asked the youngest of the three personas as the distant brunette called out again and whistled.

"It sounds like she's looking for her cat again." The young and wispy voice stated.

That's right, Tifa did have a cat! It was a white cat with a red bandanna tied around her neck. The thing always ran around doing as it pleased and often times liked to wander around here in the massif. He couldn't remember the puffball's name for the life of him though. When Cloud heard Tifa's voice growing closer, he decided to go to her. Maybe they would fair better if they searched for the cat together? As he maneuvered around a steep pillar of rock, he could see the eleven-year old brunette girl searching around.

She was still in her classic outfit: The white shirt with the tan tasseled vest thrown over it and matching skirt with deep brown hiking boots to match the ensemble. Her hat was resting against her back as the felt like strap held it secure loosely around the base of her neck.

"Mitzi! Here kitty, kitty~!" She called, looking all around the jagged rocks and in every crack and crevice she could.

"It's good to see her like this again. I can't remember the last time she seemed so carefree." Gamma softly commented.

Cloud gathered that the most timid voice of the three usually just commented and talked with himself more than he did the blonde. He didn't mind that though, the younger persona seemed easier to cope and get along with better than Alpha or Beta.

"Tifa! Hey!" Cloud called as he hurried over to her side.

The brunette immediately turned on her heel in surprise and near fright at the call, but when she saw it was the blonde her shock left and a small smile spread across her face.

"Ah, Cloud! What are you doing up here?" She asked before scanning the environment for a brief moment then turning back to him.

"Uh, I was just running away from those three again." The blonde responded as he quickly ducked his head to the right.

"Those three? Oh! Did those boys pick on you again?" The brunette sighed, not sure why he was ostracized like he was.

"So your cat ran off here again?" The blonde inquired, quickly changing the subject.

"Yes! I don't know why she always comes here, but she does." The brunette sighed.

"Do you want me to help find her?" Cloud asked.

"That'd be great! I've already checked the base and all around the village. So this was the only place she could have gone." Tifa responded as she gestured to the sierras all around them.

"The cat is hiding in a crevice not too far from here. I remember finding the cat hiding there back in my time as well." Gamma said.

"Where at?" Cloud asked the voice.

"Um, the mountains, Cloud? Somewhere around here?" She slowly responded, thinking he was still talking to her.

"Across the bridge to your right. There will be a crack in one of the cliffs small enough for the cat to wedge herself inside." The timid voice directed.

"How do you know that?" The blonde asked, not even realizing Tifa was giving him a 'Are you alright?' look.

"Because I already checked everywhere else. Are you okay? Did Avery hit you on the head today?" The brunette asked as she arched an eyebrow curiously.

"Alright, if you're sure. Let's go check." Cloud finished up as he hurried over some of the cracking cliffs ad to the rope bridge to their right.

"All...Right?" Tifa drawled, following along anyways despite her intense confusion.

The two crossed the rikity rope bridge carefully, knowing the thing was pretty old and too much weight left unevenly distributed would cause it to snap. The drop down was pretty nauseating to look at, so the two just kept their heads up until they reached the other side of the sierras. After a quick scan the blonde spotted the little crack near the bridge just like Gamma had stated.

Cloud dashed over and sunk to his hands and knees as he peered into the crack. He was then face-to-face with the adventurous white cat. Mitzi meowed and eased her way out of the crack, gently rubbing her face against the blonde's elbow affectionately.

"Mitzi! There you are!" Tifa cried as she scurried over and picked up the cat, snuggling the white puffball close to her chest lovingly. She then turned her gaze to the blonde currently getting back up and dusting his knees off. "How did you know where she was?" She asked.

"Oh, um, gut feeling I guess." Cloud stammered as his right hand went to rub the back of his head sheepishly. Huh, since when did he pick up this nervous habit?

"Cloud?" Gamma spoke up softly.

"What is it?" The blonde asked.

"Would it be alright if I took over? I need to talk with Tifa. There's something I have to ask her." The quiet voice requested.

"Sure, Alpha and Beta already have no problem with it." Cloud grumbled that last bit out as they took over without his approval.

As Gamma took over, it was completely different from when either other persona took over. While Alpha's felt like water and Beta's felt like fire, Gamma's was like a soothing and comforting wind. The blonde could have sworn there was even a sweet scent coaxing him to slip into a peaceful sleep. It wasn't rushed and it wasn't a sinking feeling. It was like floating down into comforting darkness with the wind whispering right next to him. Bright green eyes the color of pale mint overtook blue ones as Gamma fully took over.

"Tifa?" He asked, treading carefully.

"What is it, Cloud?" The brunette asked as she looked up from her white cat.

"I promise you that if you're ever in a bind, I'll come save you. I promise that one day after I leave here, I'll become a great hero. This time, I won't let this promise die. I'l become strong." He said, feeling great emotion swelling in his voice. He was not going to fail this time around. He was going to hold true to his word.

He was not going to let her fall prey to Sephiroth's blade.

"That sounds like a wonderful promise, I'll hold you to it." Tifa responded with a genuine smile spreading across her face.

Cloud didn't make it back to the village until well after supper time. The sun was now resting gently against the horizon line as the last of the evening colors were washing away to fade into early dusk. Some crickets began their nightly chirping as a few fireflies lit up the ever darkening world, dancing gracefully near the grass surrounding the well. The blonde strode up to the front door of his house, which was the one closest to the back of the village square.

He popped the front door open and slowly eased inside. The hanging ceiling light in hte middle of the house was on and there were scents of lingering supper still floating about: Pepper, basil, oregano, and chili powder. At first he thought his mother had already left to go to her night job seeing how she was nowhere to be seen or heard, but he was wrong when he turned back around after closing the front door behind him.

His mother seemed to stand tall above him, hands on her hips as she glared down at him. He thought for sure he was going to get a good busting. He flinched and closed his eyes, waiting for her to smack him one for being gone all day without checking in. He was wrong when he felt her arms swarm around him and her torso press into his own in a loving hug.

"Thank goodness you're okay!" She exclaimed with hardly a voice. It sounded more like a breathy whisper than actual words.

She pulled away and held him at arms length, her expression becoming less firm and more worried and curious. She used her right hand and dusted ash and pebbles from his hair, moving on to dust dirt off the front of his shirt. Why was there ash and soot in his hair? Where on earth had he gone adventuring this time? He had always been reckless in his adventures, but never had she seen soot on him. She was used to cuts and dirt, not this. She looked down and noticed he only had one of his boots on as the other was gone.

"Honey, where is your other shoe? And what on Gaia have you been doing?" She questioned, authority laced in her voice after the second question.

"I threw it at Perry and it hit him in the face." Cloud admitted.

"Why did you throw your shoe at him?" She demanded, using a motherly tone that had any child want to shut down and not answer.

"Cause he teased me. Am...I in trouble?" The blonde squeaked, not wanting to ask the question in the first place.

His mother heaved a heavy sigh as if debating if he was going to be seriously scolded or not. "No, but only because it's your birthday. Do something like hit people with your shoes or not check in with me again and you will be in trouble." She decided after a moment.

"Okay." Cloud responded.

"Alright, now how about you eat some supper? After that, I've got a nice birthday cupcake with your name on it." She said with a smile as she gently brushed a lock of hair out of his face and hooked it behind his ear.

"Yeah!" The blonde agreed happily.

A/N: Good Gaia! It feels like I spent forever on this chappie! Not only that, but I'm currently battling not only allergies, but a fever as well, so that didn't help with my typing speed! XD Anyways, I hope you guys liked the chapter! Don't forget to drop me a review to let me know what you thought and think of it so far! :)

Sorry to say this, but don't expect chappie 3 to come out as fast as 2 XD

Until the next chappie everyone!
~Zimithrus1