Three days later Aeris opened her eyes for the first time. They glowed with the fluorescence of the Lifestream.

"Cloud?" She said and Cloud was right there. He had rarely left her side in the three days that she had been in the coma.

"How do you feel?" He asked.The doctors had removed her breathing tube and most of the wires, but an I.V. was still inserted into her hand. Although they had been cautious, none of the staff could hide their amazement at her quick recovery. It turned out that Aeris was one of the rare few who survived massive Mako poisioning. The Mako that had almost killed her was now accelerating her healing.

"Hungry. I feel like I haven't eaten in days." She answered and he thrilled at hearing her voice again.

"More like years." He smiled. Cloud felt his hopes rise until he felt as light as a helium. He'd hoped that she was one of the rare few and that she would come out of her Mako bath unscathed. But it wasn't until she'd spoken his name and told him that she was hungry that he'd realized how tenuous that hope had been. Like he'd been grasping at straws.

He found that he couldn't stop grinning at her.

"Years? That long?" She said and tears welled up in her glowing green eyes.

"I'm sorry if I'd known you were there-" He started to say, his smile fadeing. Already beating himself up for his failure to save her.

"No, Cloud, don't. I'm alive and that's what matters." She said, pulling herself up to a sitting position. Her plain hospital gown slipped off of one shoulder revealing a hint of soft feminine curves. Cloud reached over and adjusted the gown for her, thinking that the first thing he would do was go out and buy her a pink dress and a ribbon.

"What do you remember?" He asked after a moment of gazing at her twinkling, amazingly green eyes.

"...I...everything, I think." She said, her smile fading to something more serious as remembered images of her time in the Mako crystallized.

" I remember Sephiroth killing me."

"He'll never get close to you again." Cloud said.

"He's alive." .

"Not for long."

"What are you going to do?"

"What I should have done three days ago. Kill him and make sure he's dead."

"He's still there, then?"

Cloud nodded.

"Alone?"

Cloud gave her a smile that reminded her of Sephiroth's last smile. Evil

"He won't be alone for long." He promised.

"I suppose you must do what you feel you have to do." She said looking down and fiddling with the hem of her blanket.

"I will." Cloud assured.

"I don't blame him for what he did Cloud. I forgive him."

And just like that Cloud felt his hopes and good spirits deflate like a cheap department store balloon. It had been too much to hope that Aeris would be fine. It was obvious now that she wasn't. She looked and sounded the same but she was different. The Mako had driven Aeris insane.

"Don't look at me like that! I'm not crazy!" She cried.

Abashed, Cloud looked away. Then with a sigh, rose and went to the room's private bathroom and wet a face cloth with cold water. He came out and placed it gently on her forehead.

"There, there Aeris. Don't upset yourself. Rest now."

"...Cloud-"

"Shhhh"

"Arghh!! Don't shush me. Listen to me. These last few years have been strange. I've spent time in the Lifestream and was pulled back into my body only to remain in stasis for ...well for a long time. I wasn't completely unaware. I connected with many people. You for instance I came to you in your dreams, remember?"

He nodded.

"I came to understand many things and I know what drove Sephiroth to do what he did. If blame needs to be given then it needs to be spread evenly to Shinra, Hojo and Jenova. Sephiroth was raised to be a weapon. He was placed on a certain path at birth and every action he has ever taken has been influenced by that. We all act and react in predictable ways, Cloud. We all do what we think is right. His reality was distorted from day one."

"He's a megalomaniac."

"That's who he was raised to be, but that's not who he really is, deep down inside. You know that right?"

"No I don't. I know everything that he's done and I think he should be held accountable for them."

"As he should be, but please understand that he couldn't not do what he did. I communicated with him as I did with you, and he's not like that anymore. The experiences of the last few years has changed him. He's no longer crazy or evil."

"Aeris, you've been through so much. I don't want to argue and get you upset." He said, adjusting the cool cloth on her head.

"Cloud." She said, taking hold of his hand. "I also understand that you have to react in a certain way. I know I can't stop you from going after him. I just hope that one day you can forgive him. The only one you hurt by focusing on hate is you."

Cloud rolled his eyes at that and started planning for her future. A nice quiet home someplace, with a garden of course-

"Cloud!"

"Hmmmm?"

"I'm not crazy!" She grinned with supressed laughter.

"I know your not." He said. After all she was just being Aeris. On anyone else her logic would have sounded like the random ravings of a schizophrenic but on her it was normal. ;)

They shared a quiet laugh and Cloud couldn't stop from leaning forward and kissing her cheek and blushing. She giggled at his blush and kissed him with a loud smack on his cheek just to watch him turn even redder.

"And Zack! He's alive too." She said suddenly, grasping his hand and pulling him close.

"So it's true." Cloud said, sober again. "That's what Sephiroth told me, but I didn't dare believe him."

"Yes." She smiled beautifically. Cloud watched as a glow came to her face and he realized something.

"You love him, don't you?" He said and waited for the stabbing pain of a dagger going through his heart. He was surprised when that didn't happen and that he only felt happiness for her.

"Uhuh. I haven't seen him in years but it's like we've never been apart. In here." She said tapping her hand over her heart. "Y'know?"

He nodded with perfect understanding.

"Where is he Aeris?"

"I don't know exactly. Home."

"Home." He repeated, wondering where that could be. Surely not Midgar. Then it clicked. Home for Zack was-

"Gongaga?"

Aeris smiled. "Yes, I think so. Let's go to him now." She said throwing the face cloth from her head.

"Now? But Aeris you're still not well. The doctor's want to run tests!"

"Pish-Posh, I feel great! Better then I ever did before. I swear, this Mako stuff is great! I feel like I could run to Gongaga."

"But-"

"Cloud I've lost years of my life. I won't waste another day. I want to see Zack now."

Cloud gave her a long look and knew that all the power of SOLDIER couldn't stop her from leaving the hospital right then and there.

But unfortunately he had some unfinished business to take care of.

It took some convincing to make her lay back and stay still until the doctors released her. But a promise of a new pink dress, (and boots! She insisted.) and she promised to stay put until he returned. Still he avoided looking in eyes as she sadly watched him leave the room.

He hadn't told her in so many words, but they both knew where he was going first.

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The drive back up the mountain was slow, since he was taking the road. He knew what he had to do now and he was prepared. His resolve was steely.

He just needed time to think.

Aeris didn't love him. She loved Zack. Cloud expected to feel something... anger, regret, jealousy...something, but he didn't. He just felt a strange satisfaction, like a puzzle piece clicking smoothly into place.

He'd lost his identity before and it had taken years for him to regain himself. This was another piece in the puzzle of his true identity. Yes, he loved Aeris, but he loved her like a sister.

It was as it should be, he thought. She had always belonged to Zack.

Cloud saw the smoke before he'd crested the mountain and he knew what it was. Breaking route from the road, he barreled into the woods, making his own trail like he had done before.

Then he saw it. The Shinra Mansion was on fire. An explosion rocked the mountain and its echo caused a landslide nearby that he barely avoided. Cloud got as close as the hot flames would let him.

He stood and watched the building burn, feeling waves of sadness and satisfaction and wondered if Sephiroth was dead.

And he laughed at the thought.

Sephiroth, the Nightmare, dead? The Demon that had single handedly brought Wataii to its knees. The Maniac who'd leveled Shinra and turned it back to a mom and pop shop. The psychopath who had come a hair's breath from destroying the entire Planet and every living thing on it. Dead? No. The great and legendary Sephiroth would not find his end in a simple little house fire.

It wouldn't be that easy.

He'd gotten out, Cloud was sure, and he'd set fire to the place. Sephiroth was out there somewhere. Cloud looked southward and knew exactly where he was heading.

Gongaga.

Cloud turned and walked back to the Fenrir, and assured himself that no matter where Sephiroth tried to run, he would be right behind him.

.