I'm slightly disappointed with this chapter. And after it took so long, too! sigh


They were all staring at me, and I couldn't hold back a shiver. I just wanted to leave now, and never come back to this decrepit town ever again! With the soda in my hands, my body backed into the furthest corner I could find in this bar, I tried to match everyone's glares. How many people were in here? Hmm, maybe I should count them and try and see how many glares I need to match.

There was a black haired woman glaring at me extra fiercely. She stood behind the bar, wiping out a shot glass. At least she was nice enough to grab me a soda (without spitting in it, I was surprised), before he resumed her glaring.

There was a big and burly black guy, wearing a white vest and glaring at me, too, of course. I was most scared of him because he looked as though he was the most qualified to kill me.

And there was a blue-haired younger girl, and she didn't have the deadliest glare, but it still hurt to see that someone that young hated me.

Then, of course, Cloud. I learned that is what his name was. Nice name though, and he's the one that escorted me to this bar. It turned out, also, that not so many people wanted to kill me. Only one or two, and Cloud calmly (albeit meanly, towards me), told them that I was not Sephiroth.

That didn't stop all the people from glaring maliciously at me.

"What did I do?"

They all glared extra hard at me, just for talking. I sighed, downed the rest of my soda, and slammed the glass on the table, "What in the hell did I do? Didn't I already explain to you people that I'm not Sephiroth!?"

"Yes, you say that you're not him, but he's your brother." The black haired lady said. I couldn't hold back a sigh, and I ran a hand through my hair,

"Dear lord, did I not tell you that I hate my brother?" I growled, then leaned over and hit my head on the table, "And I'm from a different world entirely. There's a entirely different Sephiroth where I come from. There's even a different Cloud."

"Different Cloud?" This came from the first Cloud, and I feared that I've already told them too much, "What do you mean different worlds?"

"I'm from a different world. In that world, there's a man named Cloud Strife."

Cloud gasped and glared at me harder, "I never told you my last name."

"Exactly. Cloud's brother is Sora. Sora's going out with my brother Riku. Yet, my brother Sephiroth is going out with Vincent. It's the works really." I went to keep talking but nearly everyone interrupted me.

"VINCENT!?" The big black man was the first one to actually give a reaction. He broke out laughing. Yuffie was the next and she laughed out loud too, if not louder than the man. The woman behind the back lifted her hand to place against her lips to stifle a giggle. Cloud was the only one that was glaring at me.

"How do you know about Vincent?" He growled, glaring at me. I just realized he was standing now, and taking a step toward me. I shivered and gulped, looking up at him.

I laughed nervously, "I just told you, he's going out with the brother I hate. I'm from a different world."

Cloud growled and sat back down, "I'll believe you for now."

He turned toward the girl, "Tifa, tell everyone in the city that this guy's okay."

I heaved a sigh of relief and placed my head down on the table.

"Yo, I'm Barret."

I looked up and smiled at the large burly man holding out his hand toward me. I took it and shook it happily, standing, "I'm Solstice. Good thing to see that you guys don't want to kill me anymore."

He laughed right out and sat at the table I was at, "Nah, we've just had too many rough encounters with that Sephiroth."

"I know how that feels." I sat back down, only to be met with another person sitting at my table. She stuck her hand right under my nose and I looked over at her, and her smile was contagious.

"I'm Yuffie! Nice to meet ya!"

I shook her hand and nodded, smiling.

It was when I was wondering who that 'Tifa' was when another glass of soda found it's way into my vision. I smiled and took it, "Thank you."

I couldn't keep my eyes away from Cloud though. He was the only one that kept hunched against the bar, taking a drink of water every once in a while. I just stared at him, until I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry about him." Tifa spoke in a fond voice, her voice still holding a bit of pain, "Sephiroth killed some good friends of his. He hates Sephiroth more than anyone you could ever imagine. Do you have anyone you hate that much?"

I shrugged, "I have five."


It didn't take long for Tifa to offer to let me have a room here in her little bar. She said that she was holding home for two orphans, but I was more than happy to take the room. I wouldn't help but smile as she showed it to me, but she said that she had to leave, so I took the chance to go back down with her and search the town.

I stood in front of the bar doors and prepped myself, then put my hand on the doorknob.

"You want an escort?"

I looked over my shoulder and saw, yet again, Tifa. But it wasn't herself she was offering as an escort, it was Cloud. He was just standing there, in front of her, his body rigid and stiff. I laughed and nodded, opening the door and waiting for him to walk out, "thanks for offering."

"I didn't."

"And I was being sarcastic." I sighed and walked next to him, looking around at the sights of the spectacular city that I was not able to see before. I smiled and held my hands behind my back, looking around then looking back at him, "So where are we going first, Cloud?"

"I don't know." He just walked forward, not saying anything. He glanced over at me, and I just rolled my eyes, sighing and smiling at him.

"Well, if you don't know, then let's go that way!" I pointed in a random direction and he snorted at me, rolling his eyes much like I had.

Good to see that I had such an impression on him.


"Are you Sephiroth?"

I looked down at the small kid in front of me. It was a girl, wearing a nice tan dress, looking up at me with wide eyes. I smirked and shook my head, "No, I'm not Sephiroth."

"Are you Kadaj?"

I shrugged, not knowing who this person was, but I then shook my head, "no, I'm not Kadaj."

She smiled, and then looked over her shoulders, up the stairs, "Denzel, he said he wasn't Sephiroth or Kadaj!"

There was stomping of feet down the stairs, "Then why does he look so much like them?"

A boy (is Denzel a boy?) jogged down the stairs, his baggy clothing bouncing on his body. He stopped on the hardwood of the floor at the base of the stairs and looked up at me with an expecting look on his face, "Why do you look so much like them?"

"I don't mean to look so much like them." I squatted down so that I was eye level with the girl, and I smiled, "I don't mean to."

"We can help you!" The girl exclaimed, clapping at looking at 'Denzel'. Denzel put his hands on his hips and nodded, looking at me:

"Yeah, if you don't want to look like them, then don't. We can cut your hair!" Denzel smiled, then turned around to run up the stairs, "And we can even dye it!"

I shook my head and stood up at my full height, "I can go without the dye, but we can cut it. Yeah!"


I caught his eyes on me. I know that many of the people in the bar were surprised (in a good way) about my haircut, and he was one of the people that warmed up to me about it. He'd say a casual 'hi' every morning when I came down here. Even if I've only been here for two weeks, Cloud is slowly becoming my favorite person here. I mean, all the other people here are great! Especially Denzel and Marlene, their slowly becoming my best friends! But…Cloud has this air of mystery about him, and I just love that. I mean growing up with five gay brothers, you'd obviously believe that I'd become gay as well.

So, that's why I'm becoming strangely attracted to Cloud. I mean, who wouldn't be attracted to that guy, he's gorgeous. But from the talk of his past friend 'Aerith', I have a feeling he isn't the most curved guy. As in the strait-as-a-rainbow' type curved.

I wouldn't even ask him about that though, because him walking around with his buster sword and that weird motorcycle (I think he named it too!), I couldn't even gather up the courage to talk to him, none the less ask him if he bats for the other team.

I sighed and took a gulp of my hot chocolate, having waited for it to cool. It's strange, because I'm the only one here (spare Marlene and Denzel, of course) that doesn't drink something alcoholic. I don't even drink anything with caffeine in it, spare the occasional soda. See, I only have one or five sodas a day.

"Why do you hate you're brother?"

I looked up and caught the most beautiful eyes ever. Have you ever taken a sparing moment to look at Cloud's eyes? I mean, they're beautiful! I sighed and placed my mug down, running my hand through my now gravity defying hair. It was now short but spiking everywhere, somewhat like an anime. But I looked at him again, "Why do you?"

He laughed, AI would have thought that the groupies already told you that."

I laughed with him, then nodded, smiling, "Yes, they told me. But…is that whole Aerith thing true? I mean, you don't have to tell me."

"It's true." He sighed and looked away with an extremely sad look on his face, AI mean, she was one of my best friends. I loved her like a sister. But many people thought I loved her, loved her. But no, only as a sister."

I sighed and looked down at my hands, "When I was fourteen, my brothers…my parents had told them to watch over me."

Why was I telling him this!? I looked up at him nervously, and I saw that he really was interested, looking at me with an intimidating glance.

"So they did, but not very well. In-between boyfriends, they were the ideal brothers. We were fairly rich, so I got whatever I wanted from them. They were over protective, soft, kind, loving brothers when they didn't have boyfriends. At that time I thought they were bipolar…but I kept wishing that they didn't ever get boyfriends ever again. Is that selfish?"

It looked as though he wasn't expecting a question, but he barely shook his head, "that's not selfish at all. Not at all."

I snorted, "When they got boyfriends though…phew. Five brothers ditching me all at once. We'd often go to restaurants with their boyfriends, ten people, then me. Little old me. I'd have to carry up to three hundred extra dollars in my pockets for the bill of the restaurant and the cab fee. They'd literally just ditch me at the restaurant. I got mugged once too, had to walk twenty blocks home with a limp and a black eye.

But truth me told, I had a best friend in the world."

I laughed and he looked as though he was deeply sorry.

"He was the gate keeper, great old Frank Samuels. He'd always pick me up at the gate with his bright yellow golf cart and take me up to the door. I miss him. I can't help but wonder how he's going. But…"

I laughed, this time a bit more choking sound. I looked up at him and smiled a little, although sadly.

"That's the reason I hate my brothers and their boyfriends. It's their faults I got this scar." I gestured to my eye, and he looked at it as though he just barely registered it was there, "I got mugged, again, by one of Riku's old boyfriends. Riku is one of my brothers. But…Sephiroth actually had a nice boyfriend, Vincent, and Vincent looked out for me, he was actually the one that stopped them from getting the other eye."

I sighed, "But then…I let go of my emotions and started yelling how I hated them and how they were the worst people in the world. That's when Vincent punched me strait in the face. I lost nearly all my ability to trust after that."

He nodded. But then tilted his head and looked away.

"I hate Sephiroth most because…" I took a deep breath and looked him in the eye. I could only hold it for a moment, before turning away and keeping my lips in a thin white line, "because everyone always said that I'd grow up to be like him. Everyone always said I looked most like him, and I was destined to follow in his footsteps. I wanted to be my own person, but everyone went around saying that I would be another him. I hate him so much, because he just added onto that fact, making me grow my hair out, making me study the things he used to, did everything he did."

Cloud drained the rest of his drink and laughed, "It's a tie on who hates him more."

"Yup, sure is." I snorted and stood; tilting my head toward the door while looking at him, "wanna take a walk? You know, get some fresh air. Filter the bastard from our systems."

He laughed and nodded, "I think I underestimated you."

"Join the club." I opened the door for him. He walked out with a smile.

Cloud walked forward, leading me to the exit of the city so we could walk in the desert. Believe it or not, this was the coolest place to take a walk, except for the fact that you could get lost easier than shit.

"When are you leaving again?"

I was surprised by this question. I looked at him with raised eyebrows, and he shrugged.

"You said that you're from a different world. Knowing how you talk about it, you probably can't stay in one place for more than a while. When are you leaving?"

I sighed and stuffed my hands in my pockets, feeling a strange warm breeze fly past my shoulders, AI don't know. I know it's soon, though. But they sent me here for a reason, they always send me places for a reason."

"Have you found that reason?"

"Nope." I laughed out loud at his expression then waved my hand at him, "I'll find it eventually. I think I might be getting close."


"Toss it back! Toss it back!"

I smiled and picked up the old and worn baseball, tossing it underhanded to Marlene. I was right when I said that these guys were my best friends. I mean, they knew the greatest games, and they even taught me how to play scrabble! These guys were the greatest, because they woke me up bright and shining in the morning, and they even let me try and help with their pranks. (Once they figured out I really sucked at pranks, they stopped letting me in on them.)

We were standing about half a mile away from the city in the cool afternoon air of the desert. It was much cooler than I would have thought it would be though. Even Tifa and Barret stood off to the side, ready to catch the baseball when it came their way. Cloud (of course) was just lazing around his motorbike, his arms crossed and his gaze just watching us with a fond smile on his face.

Denzel was calmly setting up a picnic that he'd insisted on bringing. And guess what? He brought scrabble! This fact made me smile as I reached my arm up and threw the small-multicolored ball back towards Marlene, being careful to toss it softly, so that it wouldn't be hard for her to catch it.

I smiled and leaned my weight on my right leg, reaching up to absently rub at my scar, feeling the tingling sensation whenever It would happen to start to ache. My short (almost past my ears, and almost spiking against it's will) hair was fluttering with the humid and warm air, along with my white oversized T-shirt, with baggy jeans that others had let me use. I smiled, placing my hand over my eye, closing it and adding slight pressure.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I looked over, thoroughly surprised to see Cloud standing there with the strangest look of concern I've ever seen. He spoke, "Are you okay? Is your scar hurting?"

I smiled nervously, nodding just a little, looking down again and rubbing the same spot, "It happens often, its only just a little tingle."

"Then come sit down, you can't play with only one eye." He smirked warmly, if that was even possible, and I followed after him obediently, tittering and still rubbing at my eye and closing the other one. Behind him I was just barely mumbling, AI was playing all this time with one eye. I can only see through one."

I sat down on the blanket, crossing my legs and rubbing at my eye again, "It always burns when I think about that day. Or them."

Cloud sat next to me and pulled my hands calmly away from my eyes, and he put his hand up to my injured eye, rubbing his thumb over the scar calmly, "Don't just sit there and rub at it, you need to be calm or it will hurt more."

I nodded and closed my eyes against his actions, feeling the pad of his thumb softly go over my eye and down the bridge of my cheek, and I could tell that he was rather close, "What did they say provoked them?"

"My brother Riku." I sighed, still closing my eyes yet tensing up considerably, "One of his boyfriends got dumped. They came after me saying that all Riku ever did was talk about me. He also said I was the best looking of the brothers, so that's why they came after me. They started with my eye, saying that they'd then go after my eyes, then my hair."

He gasped.

I shrugged and chuckled, "but yet again, I don't blame them, my hair is gorgeous."

Cloud chuckled too, and I opened my eyes to see him smiling, "Oh, my gosh, a smile."

"Hey," He smirked again, but that changed into a small smile, smaller than the other. I smiled again. He tilted his head, looking me in the eye, squinting.

"Can you not see out of that eye?"

I shook my head, "Nope, completely dead. Did you sense that I couldn't see out of it if there was a huge gash through it?"

And he actually blushed.

I laughed, closing my eyes and leaning back, never having laughed this hard, "Wow, I never thought I'd see the great Cloud Strife blush!"

He growled and looked away, and I couldn't help but lean forward and put a hand on his shoulder, "If it's any consolation, you look cute when you blush."

He growled again, and then looked at me again with downcast eyes and that blush still lacing his cheeks. I tilted my head to the side, looking down at him, a blush going across my own cheeks as I realized that he was actually staring at me.

Then he said something that was so uncharacteristic that if he had said this in a fan fiction (no, I'm not totally oblivious to those things. Yuffie happens to like them a lot, and she's a surprisingly talented writer), the author and/or authoress would have classified is as 'OOC', or so Yuffie told me.

He said: "You're cute whether or not you blush."

Then my blush was so full blown that a tomato would be writhing in jealousy. And my mind was thinking about everything. How good he looked, how beautiful his eyes were, how two of my friends in a different world would be squealing like fangirls if they saw this, how his body was slowly leaning forward…how I didn't stop him as he kissed me…

I put my hand on his shoulder because it was really the only thing I could think of doing, his soft (so surprisingly soft that he must've used some sort of lotion or something) hand on my neck, and it stayed there even as he pulled away from me. And I could still taste his lips on mine, and my eyes stayed closed, and I could hear him chuckle.

"You must be thinking: 'and here I thought he hated me'. No, I wouldn't kiss someone I hate." Cloud murmured, his thumb lightly going over my neck, and I couldn't hold back a smile as I opened my eyes.

I nearly tackled him as I went to kiss him again, my arms tight around his neck.


It was strange. Anyone would have thought that Cloud would be bottled up, like he used to be. Being cold and cute and brooding, just sitting there and not talking to anyone, thinking to himself about nothing in particular. Well…he was doing those things still, but he was doing them next to me, his hand glued to either my hand or my waist. He was a very possessive boyfriend (not that I didn't just love this cutie-pie!), and he walked with me a lot, but didn't stick to my side all the time.

He did nearly go berserk and attack a guy when Yuffie was talking about a person hitting on me. I simply answered him "I can't blame him, I'm gorgeous!" Sarcasm is the best medicine. Cloud had smirked and snorted, shaking his head and taking my hand smoothly again.

But at the moment I couldn't keep my eyes open. My head was on the worn yet warm table, my arms folded under me and my head was facing to the side yet forward. I had to borrow one of Barret's shirts (he was the only one in the bar when I needed a shirt), and it went past my fingers and pooled against my lap, causing for good insulation. I hoped no one caught me snoring.

My lips were parted slightly as the breath seeped from them, my lungs getting ready to make my breathing even, ready for a full day of sleep. Everyone else had drunk coffee. I don't like coffee. But in reality, I'd stayed up all night playing 'hide-and-go-seek-in-the-dark' and some weird game that involved a deck of cards, but now I was ready to crash.

I licked my lips, closing my eyes a final time, then sighing contentedly, letting sleep completely take over me. The warmth forming around my torso from my overly large T-shirt, my arms pooled under my head, the all around warm atmosphere of the room, that was pooling around me and my body couldn't keep my awake.

3rd Person POV:

As Barret walked into the bar, ready to yell and shout for a good new morning, his mouth was already open then he was silently tackled and a piece of tape was pushed over his mouth. He nearly punched the person in the face when he saw that it was Yuffie. He saw that everyone was up, but it was so silent in the bar that you could hear a pin drop.

They were all putting a finger to their lips, pointing with the other, and he looked over. He almost swooned, much like Yuffie and Tifa were doing, at the sight. It was Solstice, sleeping, and he almost looked like a puppy. Especially with Cloud laying his head near the others, patting the silver hair back.

Barret smiled, watching as Cloud just stared at the other.

Cloud, on the other hand, couldn't take his eyes of Solstice. This was the first time he'd ever seen the other one sleeping, and he was adorable. Not as adorable as some other people may have been sleeping, but Cloud…not trying to sound utterly sappy…wouldn't have liked to stare at anyone else.

Solstice's eyes fluttered and his lips pursed, making a small whimpering sound. His lips were creased in a frown, and his brows drew together.

Cloud's petting continued as he realized Solstice was having a nightmare.

"No…" The voice was very, very small, and Cloud was sure that he was the only on that had heard it. He placed his cheek down on the table, near Solstice, murmuring small words of comfort.

The whimpering continued and his lips parted a little, his hand clenching on the table. Cloud instantly put his free hand over that one, squeezing it as comfort and continuing to just murmur things and pat his hair.

Cloud knew a lot about nightmares, and he knew they were not fun. Cloud was partially sure that Solstice was either having a dream about the day he got that scar, or of his brothers. Solstice whimpered and said the same word, "No…"

Cloud held his hand tighter and murmured, "Shh…it's just a nightmare."

Cloud was shocked even more when he realized that Solstice had tears running down the bridge of his nose. Cloud hadn't seen it before because the tears didn't have a long way to travel before they were hidden from sight. Cloud gulped and moved in closer, his hand that was on Solstice's hand moved to around the boy's waist, rubbing calming circles on the man's waist, and his nose was nearly touching his boyfriends, and he whispered a little softer, "shh, it's alright, it's just a dream."

Solstice's eyes fluttered, and sooner than not, they were open a tiny bit, and squinting against the light, Solstice smiled.

Solstice POV:

The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes, was a very nice sight. Right in front of my eyes were shining, deep blue, and beautiful ones. Connected to a face that was even more beautiful, and his lips were murmuring something, something that I had heard in my dreams. I smiled a little, tilting my head toward his patting hand, and when he saw me smile, he smiled too.

"Hey, I heard your voice." I whispered, thinking that it was the best since he was whispering as well, "thanks."


"Help! Help!" I heard this just as I was stepping onto the curb, Cloud glued to my side. We were taking a walk down to the supermarket, just to grab some supplies, but this wasn't what we expected to come back to.

He let go of me and ran towards the flames surrounding the bar. I couldn't comprehend what was going on for a moment, all I could see were the great flames licking at the sky from the bar. Just as soon, I ran as fast as him, watching as the flames grew higher and higher.

I skidded to a stop outside the bar, looking up at the groaning wood. I could have cried, but I looked over when I heard yelling and loud voices to the side. I saw Barret and Yuffie standing outside, trying to keep people away.

Tifa turned when she heard a commotion, and she saw us, thinking it over a moment, and then running to us, "Have you seen Denzel or Marlene?"

I gulped and racked my brain to try and think of where I thought they were. I remember when I was leaving with Cloud to the store, the two kids said that they were going to take a nap. The earlier day they had dragged me outside to fool around a little, do what little kids do, you know. They'd taken to draggi-

My eyes widened as realization hit me.

"They're inside!" I yelled, wrenching myself out of Cloud's grip, pushing past a few bystanders to sprint for the building. I heard Cloud nearly scream my name, but nothing would stop me now.

I heard Barret behind me, "Stop, Solstice!"

I didn't listen to him as I rammed my shoulder into the door, stumbling into the flames as I moved around to avoid them. I squinted, moving my arm up to cover my mouth, breathing as little as I could as I moved forward. I knew were the stairs were, and I knew that the kids room was at the top.

"Marlene! Denzel!" I yelled as I tested the stairs, dodging another set of flames, taking another chance as I ran up the stairs. I heard Cloud's voice behind me, but I knew he wasn't in the house. He was yelling for me to come back out and for Barret to let go of him. I was happy. He wouldn't get himself hurt…

I rammed into another door, thinking that I'd feel that in the morning. It didn't budge, and I slammed into it again, stumbling in the room, falling forward, splaying out. I grunted as my arm landed right in a burst of flames, and I pulled it back just as my shirt caught fire. I stumbled up again, holding my singed arm to myself. I looked around the children's room, squinting as I tried to find the children that lived there.

Hearing someone yell my name, I looked over and saw them hiding behind one of the beds. I ran to them and knelt down, holding out my arms, "Come here, hurry!"

They nearly threw me over as they stampeded into my arms. I held them to me, even as I looked back to the door and saw it covered in flames. There was no other way to get out…except for…I looked toward the window, then toward the children in my arms. I gulped and held them tighter.

I was about to tell them my idea, but a large sound behind me made me think on my feet. I ran towards the window, stepping up on the ledge and using more my back and shoulder to crash through the window, feeling the flames of the explosion licking at my feet. I winced and I felt the air sifting over my body as I fell to the ground. I made sure to keep the children above me-

My back exploded with pain, my eyes spotted with white, and my body wouldn't move no matter how hard I tried. I felt the children get off me, immediately kneeling next to me. I gasped, opening my eyes in a desperate attempt to catch a glimpse of the one person that I wanted to see at this moment.

"Solstice!"

I looked over, closing my eyes before I could see him, gasping as a shoot of pain went up my back. I knew it was broken, or something was broken, but I couldn't really think about things like that right now. I opened my eyes again, more like wrenched them open.

"Solstice!" I heard a crunching sound and I saw spikes of yellow hair enter into my vision. I smiled, because I couldn't do anything other than that whenever I saw Cloud. His hands were immediately on my cheeks, his thumbs rubbing on my cheeks.

He was gasping almost as much as I was, "Solstice. Why did you do that? Please, Solstice."

I gasped as I felt a metallic tinge rest on my tongue, and I opened my mouth, only to feel something warm slither down my chin. Cloud just stared at me with wide eyes.

"He must've broken something that punctured a lung." Barret skidded to a stop next to me as well, looking down at me with soft eyes, "Thank you…"

I gasped again, my breathing becoming harder and harder. I opened my mouth in a silent scream and my hand was clutching at nothing. I looked up at Cloud, trying to move my blood-stained lips to talk to him. He shook his head, his lips quivering, his eyes glistening with something that I couldn't believe he was doing. Was he crying? Cloud didn't cry…Cloud couldn't cry…I mean, if Cloud started crying, then I'd start crying, and then everyone else would start crying, and we wouldn't solve anything then.

"Cloud…" I murmured, smiling a little as my body started to go numb. I looked him in the eyes, "As…."

"Don't try and talk." Cloud leaned down further, doing nearly a yoga move with the way he was sitting, and kissed me softly on the lips, trying to calm himself down as much as he was me, his voice quivering, "I can't loose you too. Please, I can't loose you too…"

"As corny as…." I gasped, "As…this may…sound. I…I love you…Cloud."

Cloud choked on something, "Please don't say that."

"Yeah…they always say that…. when their about to…. die…in the…movies…" I smiled as much as I could. He looked at me, his brows drawing together as he moved his cheek next to mine:

"Please don't leave me, Solstice."

I just frowned finally, closing my eyes, "I'm…sorry…"

"I can help."

Cloud's head shot up as he looked at the owner of the unfamiliar voice. He glared, moving closer to me, so that he was basically blocking my whole upper body, with the way he was hunched over me. He yelled, "Who are you!?"

The man smirked, "Solstice has grown to calling me Bob."

Cloud just glared.

The man just raised a hand, and as soon as he did, there was a glowing circle next to him, much like the one I'd seen when I first met Bob.

"I can send him to another world, and that will save his life." The man smirked, almost as if he were enjoying Cloud's pain. He was most likely enjoying mine too, but he didn't show it, because he was looking right at Cloud, "I will also grant you the power to travel worlds, if you wish. You are in love with Solstice, I see that as a fair reason for you to be able to see him."

"When?" Cloud asked, his eyes having widened from the unexpected news.

Bob smirked, "You will have to wait seven years to be able to see Solstice again. My plan will almost be complete."

Cloud just stared at him skeptically, and then nodded, "If it will save him."


welp, that sucked. I might write another chapter.