He would go mad. Any minute now he was going to snap.

Cloud rubbed a hand awkwardly over his eyes, repressing the urge to scream as the shrill call of the phone erupted for the seventeenth time in the silence of the Shinra reception. The blond gritted his teeth as the incessant ring ended, only to be matched by the even higher pitched tone of Rufus' 'charming' receptionist.

He shuffled awkwardly, his tired eyes scanning the room for a distraction. But only white-washed walls and spotless floors greeted his gaze. The only thing in the room that was worth even half his attention was the overly trimmed bonsai tree planted to his left. But after 'accidently' snapping off a branch or two he forced himself not to turn to the plant again should it be reduced to a pile of twigs.

Already taken to counting the exact amount of time the man had wasted of his life sitting in the claustrophobic office, Cloud was on the edge of his patience and every second more was slowly driving him over.

But then from the first moment he'd stepped into the building, he knew he was going to regret it. The tedious journey up the nine floors along with the smell of ink and disinfectant had made him feel instantly nauseous and the uncooperative attitude of the receptionist, accompanied by her consistent attempts to flirt with him, had not left him in any better a mood.

So after one hour, fifty four minutes and thirty two seconds of waiting for the supposed 'appointment' that Cloud apparently should have known better to 'schedule' for in advance, despite the fact that it was Rufus who had requested for him, had left the man feeling more than just a little pissed.

There was a loud click as the phone returned to the receiver, pulling Cloud's attention back to the dark haired woman sitting behind her overly cluttered worktop. He flushed awkwardly as she met his gaze and he abruptly looked away, cursing inwardly as he realised there was nothing for him to be convincingly distracted with.

He had already made the mistake of giving her five minutes of his attention, and even in that time, she had made the blond very aware of the 'Miss' in her nametag, along with the unbelievable amount of innuendos she had managed to fit into a two minute conversation, some of which were still leaving the man slightly horrified to think about.

One particular mental image suddenly flashed into his mind and a wave of heat blazed across his face. Desperate, Cloud turned his attention to counting the number of chairs lined around the reception's walls, hoping the attempt would deter the woman from picking up where they'd left off.

She didn't attempt a conversation, but out of the corner of his eye, Cloud could see her watching him, her eyes running speculatively in his direction. He pretended not to notice, turning his attention back to counting seats, but a sudden tap of heels nearly had him falling out of his own as the young girl casually walked across the room, stopping smoothly at the chair next to his. He felt his teeth grind nervously as she sat down, the overwhelming smell of her perfume washing over him as she leaned closer. He recognised the scent, and a fresh wave of nausea sent him reeling as Tifa's face flashed briefly in his mind, dragging nerves for a different reason to the surface. Cloud heard himself groan unwittingly, momentarily oblivious to the receptionist leaning towards him.

He flinched noticeably when she suddenly spoke.

"Can you fill this in for me please?" Her voice was sickly sweet and airy as she held out a form, her smile blindingly attractive.

Cloud took it gingerly, only briefly making eye contact. He began to fill out the sheet without a word, hoping she'd reflect his silence. But when the young woman made a point of crossing her legs so that there was more skin than skirt revealed, he found the sheet becoming a mass of scribbles as he hurried to finish.

The blond nearly threw the form back, more than a little out of his comfort zone but the woman didn't seem to notice. She scanned the sheet casually, her eyes lighting up as she noted his 'single' status.

"You're working with the project at Junon then. Are you with SOLDIER?"

Cloud shook his head, his hands beginning to twitch uncomfortably.

"Aw, too bad. I could do with a bit of their discipline. I've always loved a 'hard' man." She pouted her lips as a cheeky grin lifted the corners of her mouth, accentuating the girl's well defined features.

The blond felt his face blaze and he shuffled awkwardly in his chair, finding it suddenly harder to breathe.

"So what do you do for a living then Mr Strife?"

He considered not answering at all, but when he thought about it, ignoring her wouldn't help and in honesty he didn't see how she could make him feel anymore perturbed.

"Deliveries."

"A delivery boy?" The receptionist seemed to pause for a moment, the smile seemingly turning to a seductive grin as her voice dropped to a whisper. "I'd love to receive from you any day of the week."

Cloud thought he was going to have a panic attack.

The sound of footsteps could suddenly be heard over the rush of blood in the man's ears and he eagerly diverted his attention to the other side of the room where a door had opened to reveal two men in white lab coats, both engrossed in a deep yet hushed conversation. They didn't even glance towards the room's other occupants, much to Cloud's relief. He was certain the red flush across his face and the proximity to which the young woman sat with him could definitely be interpreted in other ways.

"Cloud. Glad you could make it."

The blond looked up startled to see Rufus Shinra standing slightly beyond the doorway of his own office, one hand resting easily on the door's handle as he gestured into the room. "Shall we then?"

Cloud couldn't have moved any faster as he crossed to the Shinra President, entering the room in a wave of relief. But no sooner had he taken two steps in, the blond felt the swift return of annoyance, his face turning down into an aggravated scowl.

Rufus strode confidently across the room and seated himself behind a large, oak desk while motioning towards a chair opposite, quite aware of Cloud's aggravation towards him. He smiled in amusement as he noted the last traces of red leaving the blonde's face.

"I apologise for keeping you waiting. No doubt you got a very…warm welcome."

Cloud smirked in response.

"I've been meaning to have a word with her actually. She can often be a little too forward for comfort."

Again the blond said nothing, his face completely stoic. It wasn't unusual for Rufus to be so casual, but right now Cloud was in no mood to listen to his informalities. The sooner he finished, the sooner Cloud could get out and he by no means wanted to stay any longer than he had to.

"Would you like something to drink? Tea, coffee, something stronger perha-"

"What do you want Rufus?"

The President paused, not in the least bit phased by Cloud's attitude. He leaned forward, his expression becoming thoughtful. Rufus' slender fingers interlaced smoothly as he studied his guest, his cold eyes calculating.

"How's work Cloud?"

The blond thought he was going to crack. "I said get to the poi-"

"I will get to the point in time. But for now I just want to talk."

Cloud leaned back in his chair, his stiff posture betraying his irritation. "I don't have time to waste on small talk."

"What makes you think it's wasted?"

He sat quietly for a moment, then sighed in defeat. If he wanted answers of his own, he was going to have to tolerate the man's trivialities. Cloud brushed a hand slowly through his mess of hair, indicating for the President to continue. Rufus inclined his head.

"Your work at Junon, I would think by now you would have uncovered the genuine cause behind our involvement there?"

The blond confirmed with a quick nod, hardly caring that Rufus had left out that detail in his prior contract. After all, it wasn't that he'd questioned why there was an overwhelming increase in Junon's monsters, so technically the man hadn't lied to him.

But after two months without a word from Rufus about Shinra's real work in Junon, it seemed more than a little unusual that he'd care to mention it now. And because of that, Cloud suddenly got the uneasy feeling that there was even more to it than just a few ruptured pipes. He had agreed to meet with the Shinra President in the hope that he could find some answers to his own questions concerning his commission with the company, but already it seemed there was going to be far much more discussed than simple work ethic.

Rufus studied his guest, immediately catching the glimmer of curiosity that sparked in the man's eyes. Cloud always had been quick to pick up on the hidden context. He smiled behind his hands, knowing he now had the man's full attention.

"Again I apologise. I should have informed you of the full extent of Shinra's business in Junon." He paused, his eyes suddenly dark, fixated to Cloud's. "That's why I've asked for you today."

Cloud didn't move, his own gaze centred on Rufus. He found himself listening to every word, curiosity and trepidation slowly pulling him into the President's grasp. So there really was a reason the young leader had asked for him. Another mission maybe? A new assignment at Junon? For some reason Cloud found himself wishing that a new mission was all it would be, but he couldn't shake the feeling that Rufus was about to drop a bombshell.

"I've been searching for something Cloud. Something very valuable, something that was unfortunately lost to us only a few short years ago. But now, I believe we've finally found a source."

"…In Junon?" Cloud felt his fingers tightening their hold on the chair. What now? What new obsession had Rufus found? His head swam with possibilities, most pulling with them a pit of dread. Shinra never went after anything unless it served to gain in their favour. And in all of the company's history, there had rarely ever been a positive outcome. The blond felt the first few pangs of an ensuing headache slowly emerge as his frustration hit an all time high. Rufus' eyes had taken on an ambitious glaze, as if he was being eagerly drawn to some future goal now taking shape in his imagination.

"For years I have researched, for years we have tested and studied countless hypotheses. Imagine it Cloud, at last we may have found the means to rebuild our world."

Cloud could feel the blood draining from his face, the sudden looming dread beginning to overpower his senses. What had Rufus found, what had he himself been assisting to uncover?

The President suddenly rose, his face taking on a distant gaze. "Junon. It seemed so insignificant. But it held such a treasur-"

"What's in Junon Rufus?"

Cut short, the President's zealous expression suddenly turned serious once more. He watched the blond carefully, noting every changing feature. "I need you Cloud. Your skills not only as an ex-SOLDIER, but as a man of honour, a man I can trust."

Cloud stared suspiciously back at the man, anger and nerves slowly rising as the President continued to tip toe around his questions. He wasn't going to get away with it. He'd had enough. In anger, the young man shoved off the chair and stood to meet Rufus' gaze.

"I am sick of this! What do you want from me?"

The sound of amused laughter rolled from deep in the President's chest, a sudden glint sparking in his eyes. Without a word, Rufus reached into his pocket and turned toward the top drawer of his desk. Cloud heard the low click of a key in a lock and watched in silence as the man pulled a small file onto the table. He flicked casually through the papers before removing a large sheet and handed it to his guest. Cloud accepted it gingerly, his blue eyes scanning what he could only describe as a large photograph. He turned his gaze back to the other man, his face a mask of confusion.

"Do you know what that is Cloud? Or to be more accurately put, do you recognise what that is?"

The man looked suddenly nervous and brought his stare back to the image. A mass of black and white was all he could see, shadows and contorted shapes being all that distorted the page's surface.

"It's an ultrasonic scan. Look at the darkest sections, try and discern their shapes."

The blond followed his instruction, his eyes finally being drawn to the bottom left corner of the page where a mass of dark grey forms congregated. But still Cloud recognised nothing.

Rufus had slowly begun to walk around his desk, his voice subtly dropping to a conversational tone. "After finding a trace-"

"A trace of what?"

Rufus ignored the question, barely halting as he continued to talk nonsensically. "I had the labs do endless tests to locate the source. Using ultrasound, we inevitably found it. What you are looking at Cloud is two hundred feet of granite lying beneath the Junon seabed. And this…" The President lifted a second sheet from the file and offered it casually to the confused man. "This is the object we seek."

Cloud observed the second image, his entire body writhing with nerves. Immediately he could tell it was an enlarged scan of the grey-massed congregation from the first, not too much of a difference.

But then he spotted it.

Towards the centre of the contorted shapes, the image gradually became greyer until it warped into a dark, circular form that stood out pure black against its surroundings. The black orb was perfectly spherical, and on closer inspection, seemed to be emanating out into the surrounding rock, creating the greying images against the ultrasonic scan.

Cloud's heart thudded to a stop. An icy sweat suddenly broke across his skin as he stared at the image, recognition and disbelief instantly overwhelming his senses. The black materia burned ominously from the sheet's surface, casting painful memories searing through Cloud's mind. He couldn't tear his eyes away, not even as Rufus moved to stand before him.

"I can only imagine what thoughts are going through your head right now. Fear? Anger? Perhaps even a touch of nostalgia?"

Cloud suddenly locked his stare onto the President, his eyes a blaze of fury. "What the hell do you think you're playing at Rufus?" He slammed the images onto the desk, his eyes never leaving his host. This couldn't be happening. That thing was chaotic, it should never have been found, and now Rufus, one of the most ambitious men Cloud had ever known had his eyes set on using it?

"Is a couple of years all it took to make you forget everything brought down by that kind of evil?"

"Clou-"

"Do you honestly think you could derive anything good from using such a thing?"

Rufus stared at Cloud, completely undeterred by his anger. "If put into the right hands the black materia could be the solution to everything that has be-"

"It will not bring the answers you want, it can only bring destruction!"

"Cloud listen to m-"

"Do you even care-"

"I DO CARE!" Rufus' voice flared dangerously, halting Cloud in his tracks. Both men stared tensely at each other, an unbroken silence growing quickly between them.

Cloud was breathing heavily, his fingers white on the rim of the desk. Without a word he suddenly fell into the seat behind him, catching his face in a stiff hand. Behind the desk, he heard Rufus sigh heavily before seating himself into his own chair. Neither spoke for several minutes.

Every fibre of Cloud's body urged him to get up and leave. But experience had taught him doing so would only cause further problems. He needed answers and he needed them now. Behind his fingers, the blond watched the President before him. He was sitting, almost in quiet contemplation, watching his guest intently. Without shifting his gaze, the President finally broke the silence.

"Would you like to hear more or have you already decided on how you are going to run from this?"

Cloud scowled in response, but he made no move to leave. Rufus smiled lightly.

"I knew this wouldn't appeal to you. But just for a moment, I'd like you to actually consider what possibilities could be achieved with such a powerful artefact."

"The black materia was made to summon Meteor, there are no other possibilities."

"Don't be so sure."

Cloud removed the hand from his face and looked questioningly at his host. In honesty he really didn't want to know what the Shinra Corporation had planned for such an object. Rufus had said they'd 'researched', never a good thing when it came to the Shinra laboratories. And anything they'd ever believed could be manipulated for a better means had always proven disastrous.

Cloud thought the black materia had been forever lost to the world, as did many but now…what chaotic events would be unveiled if Shinra got their claws into it?

He wasn't sure whether he wanted to even fathom a guess.

"I'm not like my father Cloud. I will not repeat his mistakes. I will admit Shinra is responsible for more than a fair share of the world's misery, but if I can heal the destruction I will work to see it through. Whether you assist in our endeavours or not."

Cloud felt a sarcastic grin twitch at the corner of his mouth. "If you don't need me or my opinions then why the hell am I here?"

Rufus leaned back into his seat and splayed his hands to each side, a smile gracing his pale face. "Because you, Cloud, are my trump card."

At the words, the blond rose from his chair and sneered. "I'm not a pawn for you to manipulate. Whatever consequences you earn, you bring on yourself, I'm having nothing to do with it."

Cloud spun on his heel and began to move for the door, but Rufus' next few words froze him in place.

"And what of those you care for Cloud? Are you going to leave them to face the consequences alone?" Rufus stood abruptly and began to make his way to the front of his desk, his cold eyes taking in every changing feature of Cloud's face. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've heard from several sources that there could be more than just a mutual relationship taking place between you and a certain young waitress. A Miss Lockhart, if my memory serves me well?"

Cloud swung round, glaring daggers at the man as he continued to approach. Rufus stopped a foot from his guest, an air of confidence emanating from his every fibre.

The blond took a steadying breath. "Like I said, your consequences are your own. I refuse to assist you and you can count my work at Junon finished. Whatever result is found by your 'research' I'm taking no responsibility for whatsoev-"

"What if I told you your involvement was no longer optional?"

Cloud thought he was about to lunge for the President's throat, but the sudden change in Rufus' posture, the foreboding sense that Cloud was immediately struck with halted him from responding.

Rufus waited as the man took in his words then unexpectedly walked past him toward the door. "Come with me. There is something I have to show you."

Cloud watched him move away with growing unease. Whatever the President wanted him to see, he knew would undoubtedly leave him forced into Shinra's plans.

But despite this, Cloud turned to the door and followed him out, his mind drowning in a sea of haunted memories.


Dawn's first few rays of light slowly filtered through the bedroom window, giving the small area a monochrome tinge. A cold breeze blew across Tifa's skin, chilling and enveloping as it seeped throughout the dimly lit space.

Her heavy eyes blinked open as the chill roused her from sleep. She was disorientated, her mind a mess of confusion and pain. Her head ached feverishly, her throat raw and burning.

The young girl muffled her voice as her head instantly began to filter the night's events, lifting her despair as she replayed the sequence of emotions that had overwhelmed her, dragging them out to the final result that had left her so paralyzed: She was alive.

It seemed amazing she even had the strength to think anymore, but her mind had become a vicious cycle of fear and desperation; this was all she could think about.

But she didn't understand. Why had Sephiroth spared her life? Why was he promising a future for her?

The thoughts hurt the girl more than the physical aches now beginning to rear in her limbs. She was exhausted, both mentally and physically. She wanted to fall into her misery, to let it all out in a flood of tears but even that seemed too much.

Tifa quivered as the room's chill blew across her once again. Her breath drifted from her bruised lips in small puffs of steam, sending further shivers as they rose along her cheeks. Her throat ached fiercely as she repressed her urge to cry.

Tentatively, Tifa slowly shuffled her legs into her chest as a pale hand reached out for some sign of a night shirt, anything she could use for warmth. But as she moved, she felt the soft caress of a mattress glide beneath her fingertips. Only now did the woman realise she was lying along her bed. She had fallen asleep on the floor, of that she was certain. Distress welled up as she realised that Sephiroth must have carried her to the bed himself. But why, why did he care?

This time a whimper did escape from her throat, adding further pain to her torment. Tifa's body instinctively curled into itself. She pulled her knees up to her chin, wrapping her slender arms tightly around her shins. Her hair fell limply across her pale face as she gave in to despair, her entire form quaking with misery.

And then she felt him.

Strong arms were suddenly wrapping around her limbs. Heat washed across her skin as the young girl's body was pulled into the dominion of another. Tifa's heart thudded to a stop, her breathing suddenly hitching agonisingly in her throat. Sephiroth's embrace secured her possessively against his chest, leaving her terrified yet overwhelmed by the much needed warmth.

Her shivering muscles quickly turned to trembles of nerves as her mind began to reel with anguish, yet there was no energy to fight it back.

Sephiroth didn't speak, leaving the young woman fearful and insecure. She didn't know if he was even looking at her, studying her reaction to his comfort. But she preferred this silence, happier to face its peace than the voice of her captor.

His hands stroked gently along her back, both soothing yet unnerving to the young woman. But despite this, she could slowly feel the quakes of fear easing from her limbs. Without the strength to even lift her gaze, Tifa's body lay willingly against him, her slender form fitting perfectly into his marbled torso.

It felt so surreal, despite everything that had happened, despite all the confusion overflowing her mind, the girl couldn't help but think of how good his body felt against her own.

And just like that, Tifa suddenly found herself reliving all the blissful moments this man had given to her, all the pleasure he had instilled both before and after she knew his identity. Heat pooled in her abdomen as she remembered the touch of his lips on her neck, his hands drifting across her hips, teasing, loving, making her cry his name.

The girl abruptly shot back into reality, her face a mask of horror as she realised what she'd just been thinking. Her expression changed for only a moment, but Sephiroth saw it clearly.

"Why do you insist on torturing yourself with fear and doubt?"

Tifa flinched noticeably when he spoke, a sudden panic beginning to well up inside.

"What will it take for you to realise I'm not here for your despair?"

The girl felt a cold sweat break out on her skin. Did he want an answer? What if she didn't respond, would he react as he had the night before? She found her mouth opening but no words emerged.

"Tifa."

A whimper instantly burst from deep within her throat. She clenched her teeth in an effort to stifle the sound but with little success. It was all too much. Tears began to stream down her face, cries of anguish burning painfully from her lips. She couldn't cope anymore, she was broken, a wreck of her former self.

Then Sephiroth's hands were pulling her in. His fingers traced the line of her face, smoothing across the wet streaks, his body holding her gently as she let out her suffering.

A sudden sense of warmth began to rise in Tifa's emotions. A relief, a comfort, a source to cling to.

It tempted her, made her feel unbearably desolate, made the loneliness and helplessness she felt appear more terrifying than she'd ever thought possible. She wanted that comfort, she didn't want to be abandoned by love, to feel nothing but hate. She was only human, didn't she deserve to be cared for like everyone else?

It didn't matter anymore. She didn't care who it was or what it was that saved her, she just wanted to be held, wanted to be cared for by another. And he was the only one holding her now.

Against all the pain and affliction of the young woman's emotions, Tifa turned her body into the embrace of her spectre and threw her arms around his waist. She clung to him as if he were the only thing that mattered, the only one who held her from absolute oblivion. It surprised her that no jarring disgust rose in her thoughts, no paralyzing fear took hold of her senses, only an overpowering despair that screamed out for compassion.

Sephiroth let her sob freely into his chest, his eyes hiding a wicked glimmer as he watched the girl fall into his grasp.

For a long time, Tifa shook and whimpered, not caring how pitiful or desperate she seemed, only caring for the final lifeline she held onto so feverishly.

Eventually her breathing slowed, the panic-stricken cries that were dragged from her chest dying down to muffled quivers. She felt so weak, so fragile in the arms of such a powerful man, her small form curled into his embrace. She was giving everything to him, all she was. He could destroy her. But then what was her alternative? To be destroyed by her own mind?

Even now, she still didn't know if she could believe his words, but it was still a hope. Something she could feel and cling to, something that gave her a chance, someone that would show her love.

A hand cupped her cheek, lifting her tear-stained face to Sephiroth's gaze. He leaned in, his silken hair brushing her skin, draping down across her shoulders in a delicate sweep.

"Let me in Tifa. Give me your trust, your love, and I will give you everything."

Tifa felt the heat of his breath caress her neck, brushing over her throat, rising higher, lifting to disappear along her cheek. Then his lips pressed firmly to hers and all doubt was banished from her thoughts. He brushed his hand gently along the young woman's face, holding her to him. His mouth moved sensuously against hers, dragging forth passionate urges. Then all too soon it stopped.

He pulled away only slightly, hovering teasingly above her lips, but he didn't move to rejoin them.

The young girl waited, unsure of his intent. Then a faint realisation dawned upon her. Sephiroth wanted his answer. She paused, suddenly nervous with doubt, but the sensation of Sephiroth's arm slowly curling around her waist quickly reinforced her decision.

Tifa lifted her chin and gently returned his kiss. She brushed his skin tentatively, her confidence quickly growing as she felt him smile against her. It was all the response he needed.

From here the spectre took over, passionately claiming her mouth as she gave herself to him.

She wouldn't fight anymore; she would submit to his will, she would give him her desires. She craved his touch, wanted more of his love. She deserved to be human.

No doubt clouded her mind, already the confusion and pain, the weight of her misery was beginning to lift. And Tifa felt it, a foreign emotion she thought had been lost to her forever.

A weak smile graced her lips as she remembered such joy, her mind relishing in its promise as Sephiroth gently pulled her down to the bed.

At long last, Tifa had hope.