I just wanna thank everyone for all the reviews, favorites, and alerts thus far! At least I know I'm taking this fic in a good direction ^_^


Sorry For the Delayed Rescue

Once everything was loaded, Lightning closed the door of the trunk, turning back to Tifa and her usual supplier.

"Thanks again, Daniel," Tifa said as she handed a rather large pouch of gil to an elderly man.

"Of course. Wouldn't want such a great bar to go out of business, right?" The man chuckled. In fact, he already expected Tifa to show up with her regular demands. Ever since Meteorfall, Daniel had been 7th Heaven's supplier, since he was a good friend of the founder back in Midgar.

Lightning observed the town of Kalm with interest. Everything seemed to be more lively compared to Edge, probably due to its natural founding, whereas Edge was built from Midgar scraps in an attempt to make a new home. She was sort of grateful Tifa needed help picking up supplies, thinking of it as a sort of day off to go sightseeing.

As they entered the truck, with Tifa at the wheel and Lightning in the passenger's side, they headed back home to Edge. Along the way, Lightning pulled out a folder filled with loose papers and opened it across her lap, surveying them with a concerned look on her face.

"What are all those?" Tifa inquired.

"Missing person reports. Reeve sent them to me from the Junon area…It's a pretty big list."

In response, Tifa pursed her lips with worry. "You think it's related to the missing people from Wutai…?"

Lightning sighed, propping her elbow next to the window to help her arm support her head. "Can't say for sure," she replied with an equal level of distress. It wasn't in her district, so she shouldn't be too involved, but it was in her nature to consider such a mysterious level of danger. If anything happened to the citizens in Edge or Kalm, she had to be sure she was up to speed in order to formulate a plan.

Speaking of Wutai, she remembered a small detail that made her turn away from Tifa. "Has Cloud said anything…after staying in Rocket Town?"

"No, he couldn't find a trace or lead. The only thing he noticed was that it was a random sample – mostly adults and a bunch of kids taken here and there. Doesn't help narrow things down. He even asked…" The expression on her face changed. "Huh."

Lightning looked back at her. "What is it?"

"I just remembered that Vincent doesn't stay in Nibelheim anymore. He used to, but now he's in Kalm back there."

The name brought up mysterious feelings inside, as Lightning remembered the look in Vincent's eyes the first day they met. Though she felt awkward for wanting to ask, she had to know.

"Hey, Tifa…What's Vincent's story, anyway?" She carefully glanced into her friend's direction, making sure she wasn't prying into others' privacy.

Tifa thought for a moment, diving into the past within her mind. "Well, we met him two years ago in Nibelheim, where Cloud and I are from. He was left there after being experimented on by an old Shinra scientist."

"What kind of experiments?"

Before she went any further, Tifa appeared hesitant. "Strengthening endurance, metamorphosis…"

Lightning's jaw lightly hung at the word. "You mean like a shapeshifter…?"

"Yeah…But he sees himself as a monster. You know, he may seem indifferent to everything around him, but I'm pretty sure it's just him keeping the painful memories bottled up inside."

The more Lightning heard about him, the more she became intrigued in Vincent Valentine. A familiar man who had the ability to transform into other things…she was sure that he was more than just an ally, like Barret and the others.

As Tifa glanced at the side mirrors of the truck, she noticed the small glimmer at the side of Lightning's face in the reflection. Peering closer, it made itself out to be a Fenrir earring identical to the one Cloud wore on his opposite ear. Her eyes widened in surprise and delight while she fought back a wide grin.

For a while, she had been surveying Lightning and Cloud's interactions, already having a clue as to how things were going to turn out. Tifa even relayed her speculations to Marlene and Denzel, who seemed to agree. As weird as it was for her to admit, the two of them were compatible with each other. She knew Cloud would probably never see Tifa as more than a close friend, and she was okay with it, but her close friendships with him and Lightning didn't allow her to just sit by and watch them develop at such a slow pace.


Thanks to a mysterious benefactor, the WRO garnered enough funds to expand in the Nibel Area, and hopefully real civilians could reside in the town of Nibelheim. However, the town has its own share of dangers and misfortunes. The downfall of Shinra Company meant that the mako reactor on Mt. Nibel was useless, and the town was basically on the same level of prosperity as Edge.

It was natural to assume that no one would dare volunteer to be part of the tentative Nibel Area Patrol. Stories of the old reactor and dilapidated Shinra Mansion were enough to drive any non-natives away. To assure that the land would be free of superstition, Reeve brought it upon Lightning to survey the area, hopefully easing the people's anxieties.

However, even this proposal made some people more fearful.

"You can't be serious," Cloud said as he watched Lightning fill up a duffel bag in her room. In response, she innocently shrugged.

"It's just a survey of the land – shouldn't be too hard."

His eye twitched with irritation, for a part of him couldn't believe that Reeve would make her go to that place. Even if she was just going for inspection, it meant that she would have to trek through Mt. Nibel, which was known as a risky venture.

"And you said yes because…?"

Lightning cocked an eyebrow at him as she packed in the last of her wardrobe. "Well, why wouldn't I?"

Cloud exhaled sharply. "Nibelheim isn't exactly the safest place on the Planet. Take it from some natives."

With a smirk, she chuckled. "Well, if you're still alive after living there, then I should be able to survive just a few nights."

Her humor didn't ease his nerves. After hearing the news from Tifa, Cloud practically trudged toward Lightning's room, thinking of as many reasons to stop her as possible…but he should have remembered how hard it was to make Lightning think twice.

As he grimaced, Tifa appeared from behind, peering in. "Hey, Light. Need anything else before Reeve gets here?"

"I got everything, Tifa. Thanks." After zipping up her duffel, Lightning noticed the sulky expression on Cloud and grimaced with a sigh. "It's just a few days, Cloud."

Looking around him, Tifa saw his face too, her lips tugging upward at the corner. "If you're gonna be so worried, why don't you go along?"

He blinked a couple of times, evasive as ever. "I'm not worried," he muttered as he turned to go back to the hallway. Tifa smirked to Lightning, who scratched her head with confusion. In all honesty, Lightning didn't feel at all wary when Reeve had asked her to accomplish the task. She knew no one else was willing to go through with it, but she assumed it was because of the relative dangers that she felt confident of overcoming. It was certain Cloud was aware of her capabilities…so it was a stump as to why he would voice his negative opinion so emphatically.

Reeve was going to arrive any minute, and Tifa walked Lightning down to the bar. Taking the opportunity, Lightning asked the barmaid about the seemingly taboo town, and she was first met with a forlorn face.

"Our hometown was the site of a tragedy," Tifa explained. "Years ago, the Shinra Company sent a group to investigate a broken mako reactor in Nibelheim." One in the group, an elite SOLDIER named Sephiroth, went on a rampage, killing most of the people, including their parents. Everything burned to the ground, but within a few years it was all rebuilt, company employees dispatched there to cover up the incident from the rest of the Planet.

Throughout the story, Lightning's emotions ranged from curiosity to remorse. "Oh my god," she muttered at the end.

"But please – don't feel sorry. We've already put it all behind us. Besides, the reason why Cloud doesn't want you to go is because Mt. Nibel has a reputation of being a little rickety and dangerous. I fell off a bridge and hurt myself when I was younger, and Cloud got blamed just because he was with me."

It barely made her any less worried; slowly but surely, doubt and paranoia crept upon Lightning. At that moment, the front door swung open, and Reeve walked in with a pleasant smile.

"Good morning," he greeted. "You ready, Lightning?"

Glancing back to Tifa, who nodded to ensure confidence, Lightning took a deep breath. "Guess so."

Just when the two of them started to head back out, Cloud came down the stairs, a duffel bag hanging from his shoulder.

"Cloud?" Tifa asked incredulously.

"I'm coming with," he said bluntly to Reeve and Lightning. "The mountain's difficult to navigate through, and you're gonna need a guide."

Reeve readily accepted his help, but the two women looked at him with fascination. Neither of them expected him to go out of his way so many times for one person, even when that person never asked for it. Without warning, a familiar yet unexplainable feeling arose in Lightning's chest, tempting her to look away in order to hide a blush.

'What the…?' Her eyebrows furrowed together as she took a deep breath to steady her racing heart. Just thinking that she and Cloud were going to go together made her happy inside, though it was illogical.

Nevertheless, nothing could be said against the new addition to the trip, and the three of them headed to the chopper in the outskirts of town. Though they were subtle, Lightning noticed gestures she had never expected him to perform: holding his hand out to help her into the chopper, sitting next to her with little space between them, and even helping her down the chopper when they hovered just outside Nibelheim. After he and Reeve descended to the ground, Lightning expected to do exactly the same, but when she jumped, Cloud had caught her just at her hips. Her hands grabbed on to his shoulders, relieving some weight that he didn't have to necessarily bear. Cloud slowly lowered his arms, his eyes deeply locked with hers as her feet touched the ground.

"Thanks," she breathed out, sliding her hands down his chest. Cloud cleared his throat and dropped his hands.

"It's nothing."

Joining up with Reeve, they looked over the abandoned town of Nibelheim. The streets were unkempt; the stores were slowly deteriorating with lack of maintenance. As dust blew in the mountain winds, it was clear no one had really ventured through since the fall of the Shinra Company.

"You really think people will want to come back here?" Cloud asked Reeve in a doubtful tone.

"It's worth a shot. There are other survivors beside you and Tifa; they might want to return to a safer home."

Cloud sighed, for the idea seemed hopeless. The three of them entered the town's vicinity, their heads turning back and forth from observing the condition it was left in. Soon enough, Cloud caught sight of his old home, blackened and charred from the devastating flames seven years ago. As if he was thrown back in time, he could feel the heat suffocating him, the hairs on his back prickling with fright, and images of his mother forced him to close his eyes shut.

"Cloud?"

A gentle hand was placed on his arm, snapping him back to reality despite the cold sweat running down his forehead. Opening his eyes, he looked beside him to find Lightning's eyes filled with concern. Just a dream, he told himself as a deep breath swept through his lungs. It was all in the past, and he was just grateful that he survived the horror.

With a nod, Cloud took her hand into his own and held it gently. "I'm fine," he assured before dropping their hands. Lightning pursed her lips, unsure of accepting his morale, but decided to go along with it.

Passing through the town, they saw no reason for people to not return. So long as the reactor remained shut down, no one should really fear further degradation of the lands, and life would pick up to as it once was. The bridge that Lightning assumed Tifa was talking about didn't seem to appear treacherous as she described; perhaps the dilapidation didn't reach this far. Approaching Mt. Nibel, Reeve noticed vicious storm clouds approaching at a relatively fast pace. The best course of action was to go back over the bridge to the town and possibly fly over to Rocket Town for a night.

"Maybe we can just come back once the storm passes," he suggested as Lightning and Cloud came up behind him. "It would be reckless to trek through the mountain in this."

They turned back around and headed back to Nibelheim, but a strange feeling crept up on Lightning as she stopped at the back of the group. Looking over her shoulder, not only did she see the storm clouds nearing at a quick pace…but she also glimpsed swift movement within the crevices and entrances of the mountain. She was sure it wasn't just her imagination, and possibilities ran through her head – a lost civilian, an enemy seeking to ambush…

Lightning couldn't just let it go. Pulling out her gunblade, she turned around and held it in gun mode, her eyes scouring the large scale of the mountain. The clouds now released ominous bellows; she had to make a decision fast. Rocket Town was just on the other side of the mountains – she could just trek through and meet up with Cloud and Reeve there.

Refusing to waste time, she sprinted back across the bridge, her movements alerting Reeve and Cloud of her plans as they spun around.

"What is she-?!" Reeve watched in fear as she went back.

"Lightning!" Before Cloud started off after her, he looked up and saw the storm already looming over their heads. Bolts of real lightning came crashing down, the winds thrashed all around, and stinging water was soon to come and drench them all. Gritting his teeth, he took off, pulling out his main blade from its holster.

There was less movement seen as she got closer to the mountain, but that didn't stop her. Instead, a great gust of wind made the bridge teeter, causing Lightning to lose her balance as she lightly stumbled. It was enough of a distraction for Cloud to catch up and grab her arm to spin her around.

"What are you doing?!" he shouted over the wind.

"I saw someone back there! I gotta go make sure—"

An ear-splitting crack shot down next to them, and before they knew it, the bridge lopped over to one side, throwing them off balance. A few more sounds came close, boring holes into the planks of the bridge. Cloud's feet were the first to go flying off, but Lightning made sure to grab a tight hold onto his wrist before she followed along with him. For the shortest time, they were floating in midair, with Cloud looking above as Lightning sailed over. She knew that she was the one who had to save the both of them, or else they would plummet into the dark chasm below. Desperately reaching out, she felt the intact line of rope still supporting the bridge, and she grabbed a hold onto it. The Blazefire Sabre twirled in the air before falling out of their reach. Lightning struggled to pull Cloud and herself up, looping her arm around the line to make sure she didn't slip.

When another crack was heard, the line that she held onto immediately unraveled, and the two of them dropped farther into the chasm before the roped twisted uncontrollably around Lightning's arm. It tugged on her joint just as it stopped unraveling, creating a new sound that made her scream out in agony. Pain surged through the arm that was caught in the rope, and the weight that Cloud added made it worse.

In the far-off distance, they could faintly hear Reeve's voice calling out to them, but it was drowned out by the thunder bellows and familiar sound of gunshots. Cloud saw the pain clear across Lightning's face, and it tugged viciously at his heart that he could do nothing in his position.

"Hang on, Cloud," she managed to get out in a squirming voice, but it was futile. The rope on her arm somehow came loose with another loud crack, leaving them to fall into darkness. Acting fast, Cloud pulled her close into his chest, wrapping his arm around her as they disappeared from sight. Reeve was left to watch them fall before he had to retreat from the dangerous weather, and he prayed that they somehow survived.


"Fool! Our orders were not to kill her!"

"But sir. The stigma already—"

"The boss already knows that! He still wants her alive, though. The storm is blocking our access to the bottom of the gorge. Let's fall back."


The first thing she noticed was the constant raindrops splashing into puddles around her. As some of them fell onto her face, Lightning tiredly opened her eyes, taking time to adjust to the dim lighting. Gray clouds obscured the small glimpse of the sky, and the rain eventually made its way to her body and clothes.

Her eyes observed the smooth scaling of the mountain, which would make it difficult to find a way back up. It was amazing that she missed bashing her skull into the rocks…In fact, it was a miracle that Lightning's injuries weren't as disastrous as she thought they should be.

She turned her head to the right …and her eyes widened in horror.

On the other side of a boulder, Cloud laid unconscious on his front side, blood trickling down the right side of his face. From the looks of his movements, his breathing appeared to be uneven, and the water drew too close to suffocate him.

"Cloud!"

Acting fast, she worked to turn herself over and push up to get on her feet…but once she applied pressure to her right arm, an unbearable spasm shot through her limb, forcing her to fall to her knees. Her left hand flew to her opposite shoulder as she hissed in pain; her teeth gritted together to hold back a growl.

"Dammit," Lightning cursed as she remembered what happened – after the rope from the bridge twisted around her arm, it must have tugged so violently that it popped her shoulder out of its socket. It's been a while since she had this much injury, but she couldn't just sit around and hope some rescue team was going to find the two of them. Looking around, she found part of the rope that she held onto before they fell, now shortened to a lengthy piece. She cleared her head of negative thoughts as she picked it up and, using her free hand and teeth, tied a tight knot on her right bicep, just over her black bands. Wrapping the rope around her left hand a few times, Lightning steadied herself with a few deep breaths before giving a fierce tug as she jerked her torso against the force. The head of the humeral bone successfully found its way back in place, but the pain was worse than before. Keeling over, she used her left arm as support over the ground while waiting for the worst part to die out.

She wanted to just collapse right there and rest, but Cloud was far from okay, and she needed to get him under some shelter. Looking ahead, Lightning saw a well-rounded niche within the side of the mountain and decided that was the best option she was given. Once she stumbled over to him, she flipped Cloud over onto his backside, gasping with fright as she saw the deep cut just below the hairline on his head. Though she wanted to torture herself at that moment for getting him into this mess, her good arm looped around his left underarm and dragged him along with her lowly crouched figure. Slowly, she maneuvered him around the rocks and dirt, even up the slight elevation to reach the niche and protect them from any more soakage.

After Lightning carefully laid him down next to the wall, she rummaged through her red pack and pulled out medical gauze, which she was grateful for still being dry. It then occurred to her that she needed both arms to dress Cloud's wounds, despite the assurance that her right shoulder was going to be terribly stressed out. Nevertheless, she went ahead and used her good arm to hold up his head while she hastily wrapped it using her right hand. She used some of it to gather falling rain and wipe off the blood from his face, and she sighed with relief when she noticed that no other severe harm came to him.

Looking back out to the gorge, she noticed his sword piercing the ground not too far away, and her gunblade still in its gun mode a little farther off. Lightning first went to get Cloud's Fusion Sword and brought it back to lay it next to him. Once she went to retrieve her gunblade, she carefully folded it up properly and placed it back in the holster behind her legs.

Lightning craned her neck upward so that she could observe her surroundings; a long sigh drew out of her mouth when she realized there was no way for her to get the both of them out with her condition. Returning to the small niche, she used the rest of her gauze to keep her arm up as if it was in a sling, wrapping the gauze around her arm and neck. Her eyes finally lingered on Cloud resting across from her, remorse and self-hatred boiling inside. If she hadn't turned around and gone off without telling him or Reeve, they would all be resting in Rocket Town, chatting with Cid and Shera over a cup of tea.

Crawling over to him, she carefully lifted his head so it could rest upon her lap; her hand gently combed its way through his spiky blond hair as the guilt augmented.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered as she fought back tears. This was the last thing she wanted to happen to him. Time and time again, Cloud had always been there for her, but her recklessness got him caught up in such a mess. If anything worse had happened to him, Lightning couldn't imagine a future anymore. Even if he hated her after this, she cherished his own life far more than their friendship, and she would be more than happy to go along with whatever he wished for…

That was, if they survived.


His head felt like it could have been the punching bag of Dio, the owner of the Gold Saucer. As his eyes slowly fluttered open, Cloud's memories rushed back to him, and he immediately sat upright with wide eyes.

"Lightning!"

He saw the drenched gorge before him; the rain disappeared, and the smell of wet dirt wafted into the niche he appeared to be in. In due time, a heavy pain weighed on his head, and as he placed a hand on his forehead, he noticed it being wrapped up with excellent medical care.

Looking over his shoulder, Cloud found Lightning slumbering against the wall, his eyes widening at the sight of the makeshift sling.

"Hey," he said anxiously, kneeling on one knee while laying a hand on her shoulder. When she gradually regained consciousness, her eyes flew wide open, and with a gasp, her left arm flung itself over Cloud's shoulders. Lightning pulled him close, and he allowed his arms to carefully wrap around her trembling form.

"You're alive!" she let out in a sigh of relief, yet her voice still trembled with fear. She gathered a fistful of his black shirt, assuring herself that it wasn't an illusion. Cloud heard distress in her voice, and as she pulled back, he saw a few tears spill down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry. Because of me, we fell down here-"

"It's all right," he said in a rush, worrying more about the sling her arm was in. "Are you okay?"

Lost in her own thoughts, Lightning failed to hear his concerns as the tears continued to fall. "It was stupid to just run out like that, without considering the danger—"

"Lightning!"

He held the sides of her face, snapping her out of her babble to make her look into his worried eyes. Cloud's eyebrows furrowed together when he noticed the despair in her features. Even when he was the one unconscious for the longest time, what mattered to him the most was making sure Lightning was stable in the mental and emotional sense.

With a sigh, he lightly smirked at her needless worry. "I'm fine. Just a minor blow to the head. Believe me – I've had worse."

His attempt to lighten the situation barely made her feel any better. Pulling her head close, he planted a gentle kiss upon her forehead as she fought the inevitable tears. "It's okay," he whispered as he nestled Lightning's head into the crane of his neck.

It baffled her as to why he was ready to forgive her so easily. In any other situation, she would have had to take sole responsibility, and yet Cloud alleviated her of the guilt, refusing to link her with any negative emotion. Lightning took deep breaths of relief, soothing her chest that was wracked with sobs.

"I'm more concerned about you," he said as he pulled back. His thumb tenderly brushed the tears away from her cheek, and his eyes fell upon the sling once more. "How did that happen?"

"The rope. I got tangled in it before we fell…"

"Is it still…?"

Lightning shook her head. "No, I popped it back in."

Breathing out a sigh of relief, Cloud looked back out into the gorge. Only a bare amount of light streamed down from above, thought it still meant that the storm had dissipated.

"So, you saw someone?" he asked, suddenly remembering the events that occurred right before they fell.

Lightning hung her head in remorse. "I was sure I did…" After all that happened, she began to doubt herself, thinking that his attempt to help her was unnecessary. "You didn't have to come after me."

With a twitch of his eye, he disapproved of the negative comment. "I wanted to," he emphasized while turning back to her. His tone caught her attention as she looked up, and she was met with earnest eyes. "Lightning, no matter what, I'm gonna worry about you."

She shook her head, refusing to let go of the guilt. "But you could have died."

"If I hadn't gone after you, you'd be dead by now." As she bit her bottom lip, Cloud sighed as he took her free hand into one of his. "It's not like I can just sit back while someone I cherish runs off into danger."

"And that's why you came along in the first place," Lightning realized.

"Yeah. If I didn't, I'd be sitting at the bar constantly checking my phone, or probably even calling you." They lightly chuckled, and it relieved Cloud that she was able to smile through her self-torment. "So from now on, I'm coming along…just to remind you to be careful."

Lightning nervously frowned at the proposal, finding it a bit odd for them to be together that much. "You really think I wanna see you get hurt again?"

"Believe me, I'd rather you just stay in Midgar Area so I don't worry so much."

"Well, I'm probably gonna be there for a while anyways, especially with this," she said, indicating her injured arm.

Cloud nodded. "It's a start."

She let out a tiny chuckle…then, as if massive weights were suddenly taken off her shoulders, Lightning deeply sighed as her head tiredly rested on Cloud's shoulder. Every little thing he did for her was more than enough, and she was grateful that there was someone in this world willing to go all those extra miles for her. It amazed her how greatly he cared for the people around him...which finally helped explain the odd sensation in her chest.

Cloud has been the one person she could never find a replacement for. Not even on Cocoon was there someone she would go so far for aside from her sister. No matter what, she wanted to be by Cloud's side - help him through whatever struggles he had because she couldn't bear to see him suffer, regardless of the cause.

Choosing optimism over wallowing, Lightning straightened back up as she observed the gorge. "Looks like there's no way out," she speculated. Cloud, on the other hand, had gears turning in his head as he followed her gaze, sheathing his sword in its holster.

"We fell just below the bridge, right? There should be an entrance to the sewer tunnels heading back to the town."

Lightning frowned in minor disgust. "Sewers…great."

"Hey, at least we're going together," Cloud amended as he took Lightning's hand into his. She smiled gently as the thought left a warm sensation in her chest; since her time with her fellow l'Cie, Lightning was tired of facing perils alone, even if she pushed others away to begin with. After the crazy events she put Cloud through so far, it was a miracle he was still more than willing to be with her.

"Right," she nodded.

Leading the way, Cloud walked through the gorge on a path he seemed to know pretty well. In the base of Mt. Nibel, there was an old sewage drain that the teenagers once used to escape in. Since the destruction of the original Nibelheim, it has long been deserted, so creatures were free to inhabit the tunnels. They weren't much of a threat, but when they appeared, Cloud didn't hesitate to take them all on while Lightning kept her distance and made long range shots with her gunblade.

Once they reached the elevator that brought them to Shinra Mansion, Cloud pulled out his cell phone, hoping that they'd get reception soon enough.

"Wonder if Reeve's trying to find us."

They ended up in the basement, and after some more traveling upward, they eventually reached the main floor. As Cloud went to open the doors, the both of them were surprised to be greeted by Reeve and a whole squad of WRO members. Lightning recognized a few of them as a special on-call unit in cases of emergencies.

Reeve sighed with relief as he approached them. "Sorry for the delayed rescue."

"Took you long enough," Cloud retorted with a smirk, and Reeve laughed.

"Well, we have meds prepared to dress your wounds...and I'm sure this mission has already come to a conclusion."

Lightning pursed her lips with disappointment. "Sorry...but I don't think people will be living here for a long while."

Reeve nodded. "Understood...what's important is that you two are back alive. The extra funds can go to research." He turned to motion to the chopper. "We can stop by Cid's on the way back."

They sighed with relief, now that everything was done. Glancing at each other, Lightning and Cloud quietly chuckled at the little adventure they just had, wishing that they'd never have to go through that kind of ordeal again. As they boarded the chopper, medical personnel properly tended to their wounds; Lightning's arm in particular was wrapped and placed in a proper sling, but Cloud's cut was already partially closed, and only a small amount of stitches were needed.

They left with Reeve in the chopper while the WRO troops stayed behind to clean up the mess. As it slowly ascended into the air, Cloud tiredly turned sideways and allowed himself to fall back…his head perfectly landing in Lightning's lap. Her eyes widened in surprise while he seemed to make himself comfortable, as if he tried to go to sleep.

"It was kinda cozy back down there," he joked with a smirk, and peeked through one eyelid as she chuckled in response. When her fingers ran through his yellow spikes, Lightning didn't feel any more guilt like before; it was calm and serene, as if she wanted them to stay that way forever.

Cloud wasn't exactly sure of what he was doing. To others, his actions have seemed off or different, even if he had changed for the better since the battle with Kadaj and Sephiroth. However, when he was with Lightning, all the troubles didn't matter anymore. As long as she was around, the fights were worth fighting, for he knew she would be waiting at the end with the smile that was rare yet kind.

Maybe that was why it saddened him when she kept searching for a way back to Pulse. Without her, life at 7th Heaven wouldn't have been the same, not after meeting her. Cloud was rarely known to be selfish…but for now, he didn't want Lightning out of his reach, or else the meaning of happiness would never be the same to him anymore.