Author's notes: Man, this story just beat the reviews of my oldest story! So, thank you very much for the support. I have to admit that this was the most stressing chapter to write out of all! It gets pretty tough when you have all this characters in a room and add the element of surprise. That considered, I am happy this is finally over.

Special thanks: .o0XxGurenxX0o.(for the wonderful valentines fanart she made for me! If you guys want to check it out –it's a TifaxSephy one—please check the link in my profile!)

Edited: 1/7/2015

Typos pointed out by: CNome, Sephiroth Owa13, Goopy Sentimentalist, LoveableDimples16

~Enjoy and don't forget to review!

"Don't stand in someone's shadow when it's your sunlight that should lead the way."

-Unknown-

"One Winged Angels"

By: FenixPhoenix

Chapter 25: "Our Leader"

Cloud Strife felt completely lost by what was happening. What he'd just learned had changed something in him… Or rather, it had cracked something in him; something that had already been fragile even before the waterfall of secrets had started pounding against his swollen brain.

Closing his eyes, he tried to reign in the rampaging emotions. But the thing about emotions was that they could not be controlled. They were not a decision, but a human instinct that –hard as he might try—he could never successfully ignore. Powerless to stop them, these sentiments stormed his insides leaving his thoughts a mess. Grimly, Cloud realized that the lid to his personal pandora's box had just been open and, needless to say, he was not enjoying it. But he wasn't about to simply submit to his feelings like he'd done countless of times in the past, either.

No, he was beyond that point. He needed to fight, to think, to show his friends that he'd managed to keep growing despite being broken. Thus, careful to keep himself from being beset, he tried to make sense of things, to undo the knotted mess in the fabric of his reality. At first fright seemed to be the way to go, but then there was anger followed by a parade of guilt and pain and relief and… Holy, it was still so damn confusing!

How could this not be a dream –no, a nightmare when his world had been turned upside down, his reality becoming so abstract that he was ruthlessly reminded of his own fractured persona on the day he'd learned he was not who he thought he was! Why? Why the hell couldn't anything be simple!? Did the planet enjoy twisting the path of his life so that he was unable to see what laid in wait for him? Was this some kind of punishment for his sins?

When Sephiroth took his seat and placed Tifa on his lap, all his emotions unanimously pushed the most appropriate to the top: anger. It was barely contained, to the point were it threatened to make him attack Sephiroth right then and there. And yet, he couldn't help but remember Aerith's confession and the part she'd played in his downfall.

When Rie stepped into the room, Cloud took advantage of the distraction to deal with his emotions. Slowly but surely they all somewhat settled as logic got its hands on the strings of his thoughts. Idly, he heard Sephiroth asking something and Tifa blushing furiously as she responded.

Cloud had never seen her so nervous before. Wait, what are they talking about? By the time he broke out of his thoughts, Sephiroth had leaned forward and, without an ounce of hesitation, had kissed Tifa. The small part of him that had been trying to make amends with the situation was struck down by his more instinctive persona, who only wanted to rip the man apart.

Unavoidably, Cloud's mind snapped, forgetting cool reason and opting for heated instinct. From all the surprises, from all the changes, the one that he had never expected –and which he could, therefore, not accept- was this. Because this was wrong! They were wrong!

His hand fisted and he felt himself trembling, but whether it was from fear or anger, he was not so sure anymore. Perhaps it was both at the same time, a lethal combination for one who'd felt this before, back when Sephiroth had broken the illusion of his life. But, if possible, this was even worst that that. The problem was not only that Sephiroth had dared to kiss Tifa, it was that Tifa –his Tifa was kissing the man in return. The same man who'd made them suffer so much for so very long.

Did she not remember all his bloody sins? Had he somehow erased the memory of what happened all those years ago? Because how else could she had forgiven him?! Even more, how could she kiss the mouth that had laughed as Nibelheim –their home, burned to the fucking ground!

When the unlikely pair parted, he was stunned to see a look of love from both of them. And yet… it still made no sense to him! This man –even if what Aerith had said was true—had killed Tifa's father! He had murdered him in cold blood and, had his reach been longer, he would have killed Tifa herself! This man had burned it all away. He had destroyed everything, a part of Cloud included. He had burned him and his past in a fire that had left nothing but ashes behind. Ashes and a pale replica of who he'd once used to be! Had Sephiroth not attacked, maybe Zack would even be... he would still be…

His jaw clenched, his mind unable to echo that one word that made his open wound bleed. The muscles around his eyes hardened, bringing his brow down in a frown while his lips pressed together in a thin line of displeasure.

Unable to take it any longer, he gave a step forward, intent on reminding Tifa just who the man –the monster holding her was, when someone grabbed his arm. A flash of hot anger made him whirl around and grip the wrist of the person who'd interrupted him. His hand tightened the hold automatically, using much more force than was necessary –it was pure instinct overriding civility, and he couldn't bring himself to care… until he actually looked at the owner of the limb he wanted to crush.

Blue mako eyes widened, yet he failed to give his hand orders to release –or at the very least soften his eagle-grip. Bright emerald eyes, gazed at him gently, though he could tell he was hurting her –both physically and maybe even emotionally. Slowly, he softened his hold but didn't— couldn't let her go. A couple of tears streamed down her face and Cloud found that he could hear a silent plea in each salty bead.

In that instant, as his eyes absorbed the image of her, something inside him died. But this time, he knew what it was. It was the anger. It was the overwhelming feeling of betrayal, frustration and fear which had combined to create that hazy anger that had burned away his reason and had, for a second, made him forget who he was angry at.

Because how could he be angry at Tifa? Hadn't he hurt her enough? Who was he to point fingers when he had earned his fair share of tears from her? Of course, this realization didn't mean he was okay with whatever these two had. Though he had no claim to call himself that, he still considered himself Tifa's comrade –a friend even, if she would have him—and did not wish to see another do what he had already done.

He wanted to maintain that heart he'd sworn to protect, that which had always shone so strong… he wanted to keep it whole and intact. And, as hard as it was, if Sephiroth could indeed mend the heart he'd broken so many times… then so be it. He would abide by it. He would abide by whatever made Tifa happy. Because in the end, there was no one in this room who deserved it more than her.

"Cloud," Aerith must have read this decision in his eyes, because when she called to him in a whisper, she draped her voice with pride.

Feeling the soft caress of her voice, Cloud realized that he still loved her, despite what she'd done to him. In fact, he loved her even more after her startling confession. Perhaps it was because she had taken the guilt of her death off of his back, making the ever present load less heavy, less crushing. Or maybe it was because by destroying her saintly image, she had suddenly become attainable for someone who'd always considered himself unworthy of her.

"I'm sorry," he told her, caressing the slight bruise that was already showing in Aerith's wrist. For all the years that had gone by, he still managed to get lost in a broken piece of a stolen personality–or maybe that was his real self? Whatever it was, whoever that bout of emotion had brought forth, Cloud knew he should not have acted so rashly. He should not have hurt her when she'd already been hurting for so long… especially, since she'd done it all to ultimately help them save the planet -a deed that would not have been possible without her assistance.

"No, Cloud, I'm-," he placed a finger on her lips to stop the flow of apologies he did not need.

"I'm alright," regardless of all his confusion, all his weariness, he managed to smile, "We're alright, Aerith…right?"

The woman who'd haunted his every dream for the past three years wrapped her arms around his waist. With every soft sob, he could feel her tears moistening his clothes. As he hugged her back, something finally drew on him. Everything would be okay. He –no, they would be okay.

-o0o-

Reeve Tuesti was perhaps the third person in the room to overcome his shock the quickest –with Cid and Vincent being the first and second. Concerned by his friends' reactions, he'd turned to the biggest threat–ready to try and quell him if his battle instincts kicked in.

To his surprise, he saw Cloud battling with himself before being inevitably calmed by an emotionally shaken Aerith. Though unsure if Cloud had managed to make amends with this unanticipated surprise, Reeve was not about to start complaining as long as peace was kept. In fact, he found himself pleasantly surprised by how things were progressing. In all honesty, he'd expected someone would already be bleeding by now.

"I guess your worries were baseless, Reeve," Rie pointed out as though she'd read his thoughts.

Afraid of what might come out of her mouth, he tried to physically stop her from speaking. However, his apprentice proved quite apt in keeping his hand away from her mouth this time.

"There has been no murder attempts up until this point, even after watching Tifa fraternizing with your former enemy," she finished.

DAMN! He knew it! He just knew it! Rie had the uncanny ability to either drastically improve a situation or pull him into a terrible spot alongside her! Damn. Damn it to hell! he cursed, the blood draining out of his face the moment he found himself pinned –alongside the insensible woman—under a lot of gazes. And though some of those displayed amusement, mostly all were unsympathetic.

Uneasy, Reeve tried to laugh the tension off, but the damage was done. He could already feel confusion taking its perch in the heavy atmosphere, threatening to break the fragile standstill. To his surprise, it was not Cloud the first to address the source of what was making them all uncomfortable.

"W-wait, Teef!" Barret's rumbling voice echoed loudly, making Reeve flinch not specifically by the sound, but by the tone.

Barret Wallace's small, dark eyes kept jumping from Cloud to Tifa and back again. When his brow tilted downwards, he made it clear he was not comfortable with the situation. With the beginnings of cold fear, Reeve could only pray –in vain, he was sure- that Barret had somehow forgotten to load the machinegun attached to his limb.

When Barret's eyes finally settled on the woman he loved as a second daughter, he said, "Tifa! Y'know who he is, dontch? So, wha-what're… the hell're you thinkin'! Hell! Are ya thinkin' at all?!"

Tifa blushed but the twitching of her fingers prompted Reeve to wonder whether it was due to embarrassment or anger. Still, maintaining her cool, she opened her mouth and was about to try and explain, when Barret whirled around to face the calm-looking Cloud.

"An', ya! Dontcha care about'er at all!" he flared, trembling with anger or indignation, Reeve was unable to tell. Though he wouldn't be surprised if it was a combination of both.

"Barret," Tifa called, but the hotheaded man kept his unwavering glare on Cloud.

Calmly, Cloud released Aerith, faced Barret and heaved a tired sigh. "I do… I do care about her," he said, his eyes meeting Tifa's as he said the last.

Barret flexed his arms, "Den wh-"

"I know! I…," he interrupted harshly, combing his spiky hair once and displaying his own nervousness with the action. Still, he continued, "I don't like this anymore than you do but… I also trust her judgment." He made a small pause before driving his point home, "Don't you?"

Barret gave a step back as if he'd been punched and Reeve could not blame him. The statement had been an accusation which, in itself, signaled Cloud had gotten tired of being in the receiving end of hostile jabs. Crossing his arms, Reeve smiled thinly with something akin to respect. Who would've thought the strong but scared warrior would finally stop running away from his problems? Perhaps they had a chance after all…

Barret, however, kept moving his jaw, but failed to articulate anything coherent. He was probably struggling to face the truth. Reeve approved of this. They all needed to start looking at the bigger picture if they were to make it past this room.

"May I point something out," Rie's voice made chills run down his spine and he turned in time to see her give a hesitant step forward.

Reeve Tuesti flinched as his mind bombarded him with possible scenarios of what was to come. No, he could not afford more surprises! So without conscious thought, he made his fear known by replying with a curt, "No, you may not."

To his left, Yuffie tried to muffle a giggle while Rie turned to him with a tilted head and an inquisitive look. Feeling an itch on the right side of his face, he spared a glance in said direction, only to be met by a chiding semi-glare from Shera Highwind.

Now that was a woman that was best avoided, especially since her hormones were not quite balanced –not to mention that she had quite the overprotective, over-reactive husband... Naturally, Reeve would have been stupid to pursue his goal. And since he wasn't, he ended up raising his hands in sign of surrender.

Satisfied, Shera approached Rie and smiled motherly. "Don't mind him, Rie," she cooed, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder, "Come, now. Speak your mind, dear."

Rie regarded the older woman in silence for a while. Eventually, she dropped her gaze to Shera's stomach, causing her confusion to give way to something else that made her frown. Realization dawned on Reeve and he fought the urge to laugh. She was probably trying to come up with a proper explanation for Shera's swollen belly, for surely the 'being pregnant' part was eluding her! The more he thought of this, however, the less amused he felt, to the point where his brain started flashing thousands of red flags.

The thing was, unknown situations always gave ground for Rie to say something incredibly thoughtless! And considering whom she was about to address…No! No-no-no-no! Giving a short step back, Reeve ended up praying to all the guardians out there, that Rie would not say something that would earn the anger of Shera or –Odin forbid, Cid! After a short while –and a shake from Shera- Rie pulled out of her stupor.

"So…?" Shera prompted with an amused smile Reeve hoped Rie would not wipe out anytime soon.

"Ah, yes. Well, I merely wanted to point out that it shouldn't be so hard to trust Sephiroth Crescent since most of you used to be enemies to begin with," she concluded, scanning the crowd with little concern.

That being said –and leaving everyone blinking in shock—she turned her attention back to, what she surely felt was a more interesting topic: Shera's belly. Reeve -feeling quite uncomfortable since he used to be their enemy, after all—noticed how enwrapped Rie was by Shera that he decided best to address the issue before Cid did. Plus, of course, it never hurt to shift the spotlight away from all those related to the ShinRa corporation.

"Rie, what did I tell you about staring?" he chided, hoping the new subject would dissipate the tension.

"That it is inappropriate," she responded, looking up to meet Shera's eyes instead.

The older woman tilted her head slightly to one side. In her eyes confusion and intrigue could be read plain as day. "What is it, Rie? Do you want to ask me something?" she prompted in that motherly tone that would have melted the heart of Rufus Shinra.

His charge spared a glace at him and Reeve knew, in that moment, that this was not going to go well. Before he could intercede, she spoke. "What I want to say falls under the category of 'delicate subjects between females that are best not addressed'," she explained, making Reeve slap his forehead. Hard. No, this was not going to go well at—

"Nonsense," Shera brushed the comment away with a hearty laugh. "You can ask me anything."

It was painfully obvious that Shera knew nothing about Rie if she had not taken the hint –delicate subject! Delicate subject!- in the girl's statement.

The socially inept woman just nodded solemnly before confiding, "You seem to gain a lot of weight since last I saw you. I can't help but wonder the purpose of it."

A moment of silence that seemed to go on forever and then… Shera's laughter seemed to lift the veil of tension because most of the people in the room joined in, leaving a surprised Rie staring at them in befuddlement.

"I'm pregnant, Rie!" Shera answered when she'd somewhat composed herself, wiping tears out of the corner of her eyes.

"There's a baby inside of you?" Rie was looking at her stomach with newfound interest.

Shera nodded and, taking Rie's hand, she placed it on her belly. Reeve watched Rie's expression carefully. At first she held the innocent curiosity that had always drawn people to her like a magnet, but then her eyes widened and she stepped away instinctively, fear written all over her face for a few short seconds before confusion settled in again.

"Oh, dear, don't look so startled," Shera said between giggles, "the baby just kicked, is all."

Around him the laughter resumed, making Reeve realize –not in the absence of deep relief—that none but him had seen that moment of terror Rie had experience. And he knew, even as she tried to unsuccessfully join in the laughter, that the baby's kick had triggered a memory her mind had been repressing. A memory that she was not ready to share perhaps, but which she now possessed nonetheless.

Hiding his excitement, Reeve decided to relegate this new information to the back of his mind for the time being. The least he wanted was to make Rie retreat if he pressured her. After all, he'd done it once before and it had taken him more than three months to regain her trust. It was not a mistake he was ready to repeat, least now that their enemies had clearly developed an interest on her. An interest that had simply doubled his own…

"Well, we seemed to have gone off track," he pointed out, successfully diverting everyone's attention. Through the corner of his eye, he saw Rie sighing and knew he'd intervened in time.

Clearing his throat, he moved towards the center of the room, feeling intimidated by the assembled group. Still, he presented the façade of calmness he always used when addressing the WRO and decided to set things in motion.

"There are a lot of important matters we need to discuss but perhaps the most important of all is…" he scanned the now solemn crowd, his eyes resting on Tifa. "We need unity and the only way to gain that-"

"We need to choose a leader," Aerith finished for him.

Turning to her he nodded and echoed, "Indeed, we need our leader."

-o0o-

Tifa Lockhart sighed contentedly when Rie had, unknowingly, distracted everyone and provided some very needed humor. As tempting it was to ignore it, though, she knew this lightness would have come to an end eventually and when Reeve spoke, she accepted that the time had come.

A leader… Tifa realized that it was indeed what they needed. More than talking about their enemies, they needed to present a unified front. Of course, it was easier said than done. Three years ago Cloud had been the obvious choice but now -considering the additions to their group- this decision demanded careful deliberation.

And though she personally wouldn't mind having Sephiroth as their leader, she couldn't really expect the rest of AVALANCHE to simply accept him, not when in their eyes he was still the threat they'd fought three years ago. Hell, she was content with the fact that they were allowing him to be in the same room without being tied down or held at bay at sword point! No, Tifa couldn't possibly ask for more, especially now that they were being bombarded with problems from all fronts. After all, it had taken her quite some time to accept Sephiroth, and she was the most open-minded of the bunch!

"Well, I don't know about y'all," Reno said, digging his hands into his pockets nonchalantly, "but there's only one person I can think of who can pull this off."

To her surprise, she saw quite a few heads nodding in approval –Genesis's, Cloud's and even Sephiroth's among them. But with so vague a statement, how could she possibly agree? Or rather, if she did agree, then what was she agreeing to exactly?

Did Reno perchance mean Cloud? Or did he mean Sephiroth? After all, the General had been ShinRa's military leader and none had been able to equal him. Then again, Sephiroth had rebelled against his corporation, so she couldn't really see how the few Turks left would willingly follow him before he earned their trust. So did they really mean Cloud?

Brown eyes trailed towards her childhood friend. He was standing with his arms crossed and Aerith clinging to his sleeveless arm. He seemed calmed and unperturbed and, feeling her stare, he met her eyes briefly and nodded her way before turning back to Reeve. Tifa frowned, not really sure what that nod had meant. However, she realized that maybe he wouldn't be such a bad leader. Now that Aerith was back he seemed more focus, more mature even…

"Alright, all in favor of having Tifa Lockhart as our leader, say aye," Reeve instructed, making her eyes widened and her head snapped in his direction.

"Wait! Wha-"

One by one everyone voiced their agreement. Cloud was the first, followed by the Turks, Vincent, Cid, Shera, Aerith, Yuffie, Nanaki, Barret, Genesis and, behind her, Sephiroth joined in.

"Rie," Yuffie chided, shaking the girl.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Good enough," Reeve piped in cheerfully. Then, turning to her, he said, "So, now that that's settled, what do you want to do, Tifa?"

Shocked, she just stared at them as though they'd all grown a second head –that, or they'd forgotten to use their brain. Which, of course, they must have, because why else would they choose her when half the people in this room where more powerful, more inspiring… just plain better than her?!

Before she could point out how crazy the mere idea was, Sephiroth spoke. "You brought us together, Tifa," he reminded, almost as if he'd read her thoughts. "It's only natural that it be you who will keep us together."

She turned to him, her eyes begging him for help, "But I can't! Surely there's someone stronger…!"

"Tifa," Cloud gave her a small smile, waiting until her attention was fully on him before saying, "three years ago you were the one who really kept us going, kept us strong." Her eyes stung with tears. "I believe you can do this," he insisted and, scanning the crowd he added, "And they must too, because I do not hear anyone disagreeing."

Around her, the voices of her friends rose in encouragement and she felt so touched and so very humble. Had they always held her in such high esteem? Was their love for her this strong that, even after learning that their suffering had been indirectly caused by her, they would still pledge their loyalty?

Keeping the tears from falling as her heart swelled with pride, she nodded. It was in thanks and in agreement. And it was also a humble bow in disguise to this mismatched group who would give it all for her, just like she would give her very life to ensure their safety. And as Sephiroth wiped an obstinate tear that escaped her, she knew that her promise to Jenova was not baseless. They were going to defeat her, because with these people backing her up, she'd just become unstoppable…

Tremble, Jenova. We're coming for you.

-o0o-

Castiel stopped just outside the entrance to his former prison. His body had done it all by itself, a testament of how deeply the pain received in this damn place had been carved into his soul. Quick images of a not so distant past flashed before his eyes, the last attempt his unconsciousness was making to keep him from going in. All the images, without exception, displayed cruelty, pain, gore and-

"Pathetic," he grumbled when his treacherous limbs began to tremble, his weight suddenly becoming too much for his knees to handle. Angry, he fisted his hands and squared his shoulders. With a clenched jaw, he forced both his body and mind to face the abandoned building that had been the source of most, if not all, of his nightmares.

He pushed the door open, the only physical barrier between him and the answers he sought. He must have used more force than he'd planned, because it slammed against the wall, cracking it and getting stuck in the indentation left behind. He ignored the goose bumps coating his skin and the chills running down his spine, making his heart pump blood twice as fast.

They're gone, damn it! He told himself, wishing he could face this cursed place with the calmness of one who'd gotten over this. Because he had gotten over this place –over what this place had done to him… right?

Then why are you here? A voice inside him taunted, making his lips press together in displeasure. But the voice was right. Why was he here? What was he really hoping to find? Was he here only to see if this place still held power over him? No, that was not it. This revisiting of his past was not really for him. Or rather, he wasn't expecting to find something about him, but about something else. Something that was missing… But what was that?

A wooden, dusty table that had been lying on his path met its end as a surge of anger prompted him to use fire to blast the thing into a rain of splinters. "Shit!" he spat, massaging his throbbing temples.

Trying to regain his calm, he stood still, counting in his head and waiting for the anger to decrease into manageable levels, else he would end up torching the entire place. When the haze in his mind lifted, he heaved a sigh and continued onwards –specifically, towards the last floor of the underground facility.

When he got there he found the place burnt and shattered. There were blood stains on the floor and walls, and he noticed that some of the equipment had somehow survived the onslaught that Raphael and Uriel had wrought. Wearily, he moved towards the tube where they'd kept him to study him. It was empty and it had a hole on one of the sides which Raphael had created to pull him out. Gathering his wits, he crawled inside and stood behind the now murky glass.

He tried to picture everything at it was before he'd been freed. His hands started tingling as he imagined the cold mako liquid wrapping around his naked body. Slowly but surely, before his very eyes, the place began to transform back to what it used to be, with the artificial light and the pristine surfaces of glass, steel and wood. He gulped when sound exploded into existence. The beeps of the machines, the raspy sound of the printers and the laughter… the laughter of those scientists as they made jokes about him.

"This is ridiculous!" he chided, angry that he would allow his imagination to hold him prisoner. He was about to push all of this away, when the lights dimmed and the scientists disappeared and in their steed… In their steed there was a single shadow, standing at the foot of his tube, looking up at him with eyes the color of a stormy night.

Castiel frowned and squinted, trying to make up the face in shadows. When had this happened? Why did he not remember it! This was special. He could feel it… but… but…what was this?!

"What are you doing in there?" the figure ask, the voice revealing that the owner female, maybe seven to nine years of age.

"Who are you?" he asked, but the figure didn't respond. Instead, seconds after he'd ask, he heard the voice of another child saying.

"I don't know."

Castiel's bright, golden eyes widened. That was him! It was his voice when he was younger. So then… what was this? Had this happened? And if it did, why couldn't he remember…?

The figure –the girl gave a step forward and was promptly illuminated by the mako glow emanating from his prison. His eyes drank in her form in all its detail. Her skin was pale, her eyes silver, her hair dark and short and... she was beautiful.

"I am Azia," she said with a smile that stunned him. And suddenly the forgotten feelings came back in a crushing wave. The image disappeared and he fell to his knees, clutching his chest and trembling as the whirlwind of emotions got loose inside him. Curiosity. Interest. Happiness. Eagerness. Friendship. Kindness. Care. Love. Passion. Hope. Dreams.

The memories flooded his mind, wrapped around it and ripped a horse scream out of his throat. Because after all the happiness he remembered, pain –burning, aching, maddening pain descended upon him, shrouding his world in cold darkness. And this agonizing pain… It pierced his heart and shattered it, and left him trembling and weeping like he'd never wept before. And though he tried to stop them, the tears still rolled down his cheek and the sobs still shook his frame because… she was gone.

His angel –his goddess, she was gone. They had taken her from him. They had killed her… She was gone before he could take her to the castle in the skies, the place with the walls of clouds and the ceiling of stars…

Arms, familiar and soothing, wrapped around him and he could not fight them. "The pain was too much," Raphael whispered, rubbing his back, "You asked me to take it away."

"She's gone," he repeated, clinging to the man, fighting for his sanity and yet, not willing to let go of her memory even if it meant living with the pain. "They killed her, Raphael! They experimented on her… they butchered her!"

"And they paid for it," Raphael reminded, "and all will pay for your pain."

"She was innocent!" he screamed, punching the ground at their feet and leaving a small crater behind.

Raphael was quick to grab his hands before he could destroy them as raw instinct pushed reason to the back of his mind. But by all the guardians, it hurt! It hurt so much to remember! It hurt so much to feel…

"She was innocent," he repeated, his hands fisting in the fabric of Raphael's cloak.

"As were you, my child," he said, "As were you all."

And as Castiel laid there in the arms of his brother, trembling with overwhelming pain, he realized that within that pain rage was growing. Stronger and stronger until he bowed -the broken body of his lover still fresh on his mind—that he would make them all pay for the pain caused. For her pain and suffering, he will leave none alive…

-o0o-

Sephiroth Crescent placed Tifa on the bed of her room before closing the door to give them privacy. It was hard to believe how smooth things had gone, but he would be lying if he said he was not utterly exhausted.

"I could have walked, you know?" she said out of the blue, eyeing him with an amused twinkle in her eyes that made him smile.

Nodding, he pretty much agreed with a vague, "You could have."

Tifa -who had become, without a doubt, the most treasured person in his life- brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. Idly, she placed her chin atop one of her kneecaps and withdrew into retrospection. The unconscious chewing of her lower lip, however, told him that she was mulling over something she wasn't sure if she should address.

After a few seconds, he decided to make things easier by prompting the subject with a simple, "I'm listening."

His words made Tifa blush causing his interest to increase. "I…I was just wondering…well, since there are so many people in the ship and not enough rooms… well, I was just thinking that maybe you…"

He smiled, his mind already making the connection she was trying to voice. "Do you want me to stay here with you?" he asked, trying hard not to grin boyishly at her. How was it that she could make his heart beat so furiously with a simple look, or a smile, or a word?

Tifa's blush deepened and he knew he'd nailed her request. "Well…," she cleared her throat and eyed him with mock caution, "…will you? I mean, what good is having a room all to myself if I am not sharing it with someone?" she pointed out, becoming bolder as she expanded her reasoning.

"Very well, if that is your wish, I can only comply," Sephiroth responded, moving towards his things to get ready for bed. He was ready to bet that both of them were so tired that, as soon as they lay down, they would slip right into Siren's realm. And considering the days ahead, it was a good idea to take advantage of the moment of peace while it lasted.

As he reached this conclusion, his nimble fingers worked on undoing the buckles of his coat so that, within seconds, he's slipped the garment off and had draped it over one of the chairs. Opening his bag, he took out his white wife beater and was about to put it on, when Tifa spoke. "Why don't you leave it off?"

Turning to face her, he found her cheeks blushing an entirely different shade of red, reminiscent of the day she'd kissed him for the first time. The hand covering her mouth, however, made him wonder if the words had been deliberate or if they'd simply been blurted out without conscious thought. Regardless, this was a rather nice boom to his ego.

"Is that an order, my leader?" he asked playfully, seductively, tauntingly.

Tifa's fingers played with one lock of hair and she gave him such a smoldering look. Sephiroth was painfully aware that, somehow, she'd flipped the table on him and he was the one being played. And, damn, he wasn't displeased about it in the slightest!

"Yes, Sephiroth Crescent," she said with a secretive smile, patting the spot on the bed beside her, "that is an order."

Almost all of him felt willing to succumb to her call, except for a small part that allowed his insecurity to be known in low whispers inside his head. Brushing that part away, however, he decided that he didn't want to hold secrets anymore. Not with her at any rate. Never with her.

So, strolling towards the bed, he sat down in the spot she'd indicated and somewhat leaned over to work on the straps of his long boots. He felt the curtain of his hair shifting away from his back and he closed his eyes. The expected gasp came accompanied by trembling fingers tracing one of the thirteen scars that decorated his back.

"Sephiroth," she called in a whisper filled with… with what? "Is this why…?"

"Tifa… You asked me once why I wore my hair long," he said, knowing exactly what she was referring to. "I answered with the truth. I wear it long out of vanity. For isn't trying to hide an ugly side considered vanity?"

"Oh, Seph…" His heart constricted, his entire spine straightened and he turned to face her, her hand falling to her lap. "I do not want pity, Tifa," he told her sternly. But in reality, he was sure his eyes were pleading her not treat him differently.

He was ready and willing to bare his very soul to her, so long as she did not treat him like a broken man. For it was, essentially that, which had enticed him the most about her. It was the fact that, in her eyes, he was whole, human and precious.

Tifa smiled tenderly and she caressed his cheek with a featherlike touch. He closed his eyes when she leaned over to kiss, not his lips –as he had expected—but his forehead. "I feel…," she began, pressing her forehead to his and holding his hands. "I feel sadness by the thought that you would suffer so much on your own. And I feel anger against those who dared harm you. And I also feel pain for knowing I was not there to kiss your pain away. And pride for being allowed to see this side of you which is a secret to everyone else and… and love, Sephiroth. That is what I feel the most."

Sephiroth felt a lump obstructing his throat and he pulled this woman… this beautiful creature into his embrace. He'd never been so moved before and he knew he could never let her go. And when he was somewhat composed, he pulled away just enough to be able to capture her mouth in a kiss which he hoped said more than his words ever could. Thank you and I love you too.

"We should go to sleep," he said after a while, "We need to regain our energies before the morrow."

Tifa –did she looked disappointed?—nodded and, without a word, pulled him down with her. With a quick movement of her arm, she covered them both with the thick blanket before snuggling closer.

"You are unhappy with the suggestion?" he pointed out, feeling her lips quirk as she press them to his naked shoulder.

"Let's just say I was looking forward to finishing something we started a while back," she responded, sending waves of warmth down to his groin. It took all of his discipline to stop himself from pinning her under him and ravishing her just then and there.

"I believe it will be better to finish when we are better rested… and when we have more privacy," he argued, caressing the curve of her waist. When he felt her shiver under his touch, he smiled.

"Are you implying that you'll make me scream?" she taunted in a playful whisper, probably trying to get back at him.

Sephiroth filled his mind with enough disgusting images to keep from getting aroused. "You are not helping," he admitted, wondering whether he would have to end up taking a cold shower.

Tifa giggled, closed her eyes, sighed and said, "G'night."

Sephiroth smirked, kissed her forehead and responded, "Goodnight, Tifa Lockhart."

-o0o-

Yuffie Kisaragi followed Reeve through the ship. The man held a knocked out Rie in his arms and looked between troubled and intrigued.

"I can't believe she just fell asleep in the middle of our meeting!" Yuffie pointed out with a grin.

Reeve smiled, "You'd be surprised if I told you the places where she's fallen asleep."

"Well, seems to me that the only place where she can't sleep is in her own bed, then!" Yuffie half-joked but unfortunately her companion seemed to take the matter more seriously than she'd intended. For a while, awkward silence descended upon them. When Yuffie could take it no more, she decided to spin the subject in a different direction, "What do you think of that Genesis fellow, anyways?"

Reeve stop mid-step, turned to her, quirked an eyebrow and said… nothing.

"Well?" she prompted confused.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, GAWD, I'm sure you saw the same thing I –and almost all the room with the exception perhaps of the man starting with Ba and ending with rret—saw."

"Which is?"

Man he could play very hard when he wanted to, she gave him that. "Really?! Must I spell it out for you?" she snapped. "The man clearly has developed some kind of interest or somethin' for your apprentice!"

Reeve pressed his lips together, turned around and continued walking. Confused, she trailed after him. "I haven't decided yet what to think of it," he confided just when she had given up on making conversation.

Yuffie nodded, "I'll keep an eye on him for ya. I know how much she means to you." Man that really sounded… bitchie. She hadn't intended for her tone to sound so bitter, but she couldn't help it. Sometimes she wasn't sure what kind of relationship they had!

"Yes, well… Rie is… she's fragile, Yuffie," he explained, sparing a sidelong glance at her. "She is the most breakable out of all of us. And I… she's like my daughter, you know?"

Yuffie smiled broadly, feeling her heart swell with hope. A daughter, that was what she was! YES! YES! YES! That was the best thing Reeve could have told her!

"I… Yuffie, may I ask a favor from you?" his solemn tone snapped her off her figurative victory dance.

She tilted her head to the side and said, way too eagerly, "Of course!"

"I know you two are sharing a room, but I was wondering… I mean, this is going to sound weird, but humor me, okay?"

She nodded, getting very nervous all of a sudden. What could make Reeve so hesitant? After all, not even when Tifa had announced he would be her second in command, had he been so tongue-tide like he was right now. What is it Reeve? What could be-

"Is there a way you can share a bed with Rie?"

-so hard that… Wait, what?! "What!" she blurted. Yeah, she wasn't one to hold things in…

Reeve stopped in front of the door to their room and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "The nightmares, they only come when Rie sleeps in a bed by herself. When she sleeps with someone else, they don't seem to bother her," he explained awkwardly, not looking at her.

Yuffie's eyes became slits, "And you know this… how exactly?"

Reeve cleared his throat, spun around, pushed the button that would open the door and disappeared inside.

Oh, no, you won't! She followed him like a shadow… or like a tiger ready to pounce and bite his brain out. "Reeve," she growled, caressing one of her hidden kunais and deciding that she would probably rip him a new one if his answer was not satisfying.

Having placed Rie on the bed, he turned to face her and sighed. "We shared a bed during one of the missions."

"You did what!"

"Nothing happened!" he added quickly, and the fear in his eyes was so real, that she couldn't help but trust him. Or perhaps her fear was the one that pushed her to believe him…? Crossing her arms, she forced her eyes to look away –not wishing him to see the hurt his words caused her. But the thing was, even after learning this, she did not feel inclined to deny him anything…

"Fine," she said, biting the inside of her cheek.

To her surprise, she felt Reeve kissing her cheek and whispering a thank you. By the time she turned to him, though, he had was leaving. Yuffie smiled at his retreating form and unconsciously brought her fingers to the spot where his lips had been pressed against her skin.

After a moment, she snapped out of her drunken stupor and giddily climbed the bed she would be sharing with Rie. The sudden creaking and shifting of the mattress made her hold her breath, thinking that she'd just woken the other girl up. However, after a few minutes, she thanked Siren that that wasn't the case.

For a while she just laid there, looking at the ceiling and wondering why Reeve had shared a bed with Rie in that occasion. After a while, her lids began to feel heavy and she rolled onto her side, getting ready to sleep. Just before her eyes could fully close, however, Rie rolled on her side, facing her. It was only then that Yuffie noticed the tears streaming down her face. Her heart, which had been beating so happily only moments before, constricted at the sight.

Are you really free of nightmares, Rie?

"Hollow eyes… she'as hollow eyes," Rie whimpered, mumbling something else which Yuffie could not decipher. It was something about clouds, maybe? Motherly instincts waking up, Yuffie drew closer to the other girl and wrapped her arms around her. Immediately, the tears and sniffs stopped.

"I'll keep the nightmares away tonight, okay?" she whispered, holding the girl close and hoping her promise would be enough.

To be continued…

AN: Alright, I would like to make a clarification if you will indulge me:

About Cloud: I know that most of you –if not all—were expecting another outburst from Cloud. In fact, I even wrote it down, but the more I re-read it, the less believable it felt for me. Fact is, when have you ever seen a big outburst or show of emotion from Cloud? Usually what he does is, he hides or retreats… so after reflecting upon this (and his overall personality) I decided to have him accept this change on his own.

Rating: So… yeah. Right now this story is rated T. However, I might be thinking of writing some lime-ish scenes in the future. What do you guys think of this? Would you prefer that I kept it at T, or would you rather that I switch it to M?