Disclaimer: I do not own FF7 or FF13.

He eased his foot onto the broken ledge of a fallen pedestrian walkway, testing the stability of the concrete before Cloud further lowered himself down. Only until he was entirely sure that it wouldn't collapse did he turn upwards and offer his hand to help Aerith down. The night had been short and filled with much tossing and turning, although he had tried to keep his body still knowing that he would bump into Aerith who was nestled inside her own sleeping bag right beside his. In his mind, there was no point causing any unnecessary worry for the Cetra, because he knew that both of them were concerned about Tifa's lack of response. Call him overprotective, Cloud didn't care, but he thought that Tifa could've called at the very least to report in. Had she found Lightning? Was she safe? Did she get stranded in the rain? He could only assume that the fighter had found Lightning, or that Lightning had found Tifa. Surely, the pink haired woman wouldn't let Tifa wander alone in unstable areas unmarked by GC caution lines. Of course, he had no idea if Tifa would even think to wander into unstable areas unmarked by GC caution lines because she had failed to give them an update on her situation. So he admits that he might have let his imagination get the better of him while he tried his best not to twist and turn in his sleeping bag. He knew very clearly that Tifa was also the type of person to put herself at risk if it meant she could help someone else. Lightning was probably with her though. He had no way to know for sure, but somehow, he just knew that Lightning was with her. That left him with Aerith, and a handful of AVALANCHE troopers to continue their search for any survivors. When they had left the safe zone early in the morning, the sun wasn't even up, but now that it was finally up high in the clear blue sky, they would choose to descend down into the covered areas. They came across a pedestrian walkway, one that was directly below the airways where the upper traffic zoomed. Cloud could think of one bad reason to have vehicles that flew, and that was it could rain down said vehicles. After all, nothing could really defy gravity, and with the additional push from the catastrophic attack, he expected nothing less than a catastrophe. He could easily reimagine what chaos had occurred here: an unexpected laser beam from the beast to the face, vehicles exploding in the sky like fireworks, which subsequently fell like burning comets down onto the ill-fated civilians on the pedestrian walkways, which then caused it to collapse down onto the lower level freeway.

He could describe the chaos as a traffic nightmare, seeing vehicle pile ups left and right and bodies littering the ground, or he could just describe the scene as grim. As he stood on the ledge with Aerith beside him as he surveyed the area, Cloud turned his head back slightly to address the closest AVALANCHE trooper, "Call in to the GC. They'll want to come and collect the bodies."

"U-Understood." The AVALANCHE soldier responded, his face as pale as a piece of paper.

"This is horrible." Aerith breathed. She headed in first, ignoring all of Cloud's offer to help her descend the rest of the crumbled ruin down to the freeway, "Fan out and look for survivors." Even without his final word, the AVALANCHE unit did as told and Cloud took up his resident place beside at the Cetra's side. The silence was pervasive, and he could feel it creep into his mind like a ghost. It didn't help that he would have to step over the bodies of the deceased as if he were ignoring them, but there was nothing he could do for them. Their mission was to look for those still alive, however it was becoming increasingly apparent that he could very well say that this area now belonged to the dead. "Cloud! Over here!" Quickly darting past a few cars to catch up with Aerith, who was now kneeling beside a flipped vehicle, he peered in to see a man trapped inside. The glass was shattered, the metal dented horribly, but he was still breathing. More accurately, he was gasping. "We have to get him out."

Straightening himself up, Cloud called for help. Cloud bent his knees and rested the bottom bumper of the overturned vehicle on his shoulder while his limited help mirrored his stance. "On three." Cloud said, "One, two, three." Everyone let out a cacophony of grunts as they began pushing the vehicle to give it enough leverage for Aerith to hastily pull out the driver, but the moment they lifted it, he began shrieking. "H-Hurry." Cloud grunted, feeling the weight of the vehicle beginning to bear down.

"Oh no." He could her Aerith gasp from where she was beneath the lifted vehicle, "Cloud, we can't-"

"What?"

"His legs are crushed – ah, trapped in the metal and-"

"Get out."

"What?"

"I said get out!"

Aerith scrambled out right in time before the heaviness of the vehicle got the better of them. They dropped the vehicle and the shrieking stopped. Whoever was trapped beneath was now another body for the GC to collect. Cloud tilted his head down in apology, watching as the Cetra held her hands together in front and whispered a prayer, "May you find your way through Etro's Gate."

Etro; the Goddess of Death and Reincarnation. Was Lightning their Savior? Lightning, the woman who always look perpetually grumpy, who had an attitude problem, and was probably unconsciously suicidal, was and is their means of Sanctuary? She was the Gate keeper. Why did Tifa have to… Cloud let out a heavy breath through his nose and continued onwards, "We should keep going."

"Yes… we should." Aerith murmured. Holding out a hand, he helped pull her back onto her feet. For the next few hours, they gathered a few moments of triumph and found only a handful of survivors, but it was overwhelmingly shadowed by the death toll. He could only hope Tifa was at a better area than he was. "We should get some rest." She glanced at Cloud and the others, then sat down on a nearby chunk of cement.

"Take ten." Cloud breathed, shrugging off his sword. Whatever Lightning did to him, he'd have to ask if this was permanent. The memory of the staggering weight of the blade was still fresh on his mind, and yet now, with an eerie swirl of chaos that burst from the blade's hilt, it felt much lighter and easier to wield. It sank into the ground like a megaton anchor would in the sea. No one else here would be able to wield it except for him. He sat down, using the large blade as a back rest. Exhaustion lined all of their faces, burdened by the amount of death. Their search wasn't as physically demanding as he'd expect, but it certainly required mental fortitude. Peeling his eyes away from the wreckage, he caught Aerith's eyes. She wasn't looking at him though, as her green eyes were distant and seemingly lost. He'd never seen the flower girl adopt such a look for the time he had known her, and when he shifted, her stare didn't waver at all. It was as if she was staring past him. She was staring at the blade behind his back. He had no reason to think it, but for some reason the old flower cart he'd see parked by the patch of flowers in Aerith's church came to his mind. "He… built it for you didn't he?" Light came flooding back into Aerith's eyes, and she blinked to refocus her stare. She looked a little lost at best, because the brunette was as sharp as a tack. "Zack Fair." Cloud continued.

"I…" Never before had he ever made Aerith speechless, and he felt no satisfaction from it. Not if it was because of another man.

"This blade was his, but… he also built your flower cart for you."

"How did you know?" That just confirmed it. He didn't answer, and just shook his head. There was no way he could tell her that he'd always been watching her from the very beginning. That'd only make him come across as creepy. Her slightest frowns, every inclination of her voice that reflected her mood, every smile, and every fake smile, and the lingering glances she casts towards the flower cart; he noticed them all. At first, he had thought that it was a habit of sorts, but the more he saw them, he slowly began to see the meaning behind it. The flower cart was important to her, and he remembered doing everything he could to protect it when he had fought with the Turks in the past because Lightning, the hard-ass GC ace, had thought that it was a brilliant idea to fight in the church in order to get Aerith smuggled out. The rage he had felt had been so palpable because the pink haired woman had risked so much that day without even realizing what she had done. She had risked Aerith's life, risked the flower cart, risked all of the flowers. She had risked Tifa's life, put Tifa behind a disguise and forced them to fight each other. He could've hurt Tifa. He could've killed Tifa that day because he had every intention of putting down the threat. If it hadn't been for Lightning… Shaking his head, he further pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind. Aerith shifted closer, "Cloud-"

He counted it as a blessing when his phone suddenly rang and gave him a means to escape. He stood up and walked a few steps away to take the call. Tifa's name flashed on the caller display, and he released a breath of relief, "Hey." It was good to hear her voice again, and to know that she was now safe in the safe zone. Lightning was there too, although the fighter couldn't give him very much information about what the Goddess had planned. All that they knew was that she talked to Raines and followed him elsewhere before Tifa could get the inside scoop. "We'll head back then." Cloud nodded, and made the mistake of glancing back at Aerith. She was looking at the blade again as if her whole world was consumed in it. "Yeah." Cloud murmured into the phone, "See you soon." His hands clenched around the phone momentarily, then stiffly stuffed it in his pocket. "We're heading back to the safe zone." Cloud announced, ignoring all the surprised looks. Even the usual calm and collected Aerith jilted slightly when he had marched straight back up to the sword and effortlessly sheathed it back onto his back again. If he and Aerith needed to talk, he doubted he wanted to. It was first Tifa and now Aerith. How many times would he have to be a stand-in for someone else?

- Three years ago -

He had woken up earlier than Tifa, which was a surprise. Not that he minded though. In fact, he wouldn't mind waking up earlier from now on if it meant he could see this every morning. She was beautiful. She had… always been beautiful. Lifting himself up slightly onto his elbow, Cloud gently brushed the back of his finger against the smooth skin of her shoulder. She was soft like silk, and she was warm. So warm. If he could just spend his day resting in bed with her, he would. He could see that the sun was just rising above the New Bodhum horizon, and the first rays bled in through the white sheer curtains. Swallowing thickly, Cloud dared to move even closer and gently glided his hand down her arm. There was no way he could truly describe everything he was feeling, because it was more than just incredible. It was damn near perfect. He wanted to hold her again, he wanted to kiss her, to feel her like he had last night. He wanted to make love to her as if it were their first time every time because it was special. Tifa was… beyond special. Releasing a small breathless chuckle, Cloud lent down and pressed his lips against her shoulder before he tucked a few stray strands of her long black hair back behind her ear. She was sleeping so soundly, like a babe, and although he certainly entertained the idea of calling Tifa babe from now on, he knew that he'd be a bit too shy to do something like that. Besides, it wouldn't really go well with his cool guy personality. Her expression was relaxed, peaceful, and her lips were parted just slightly to allow for small puffs of air. Maybe he could take a picture of her sleeping face and set it as his wallpaper. His breath hitched when he saw Tifa's brow furrow, and he quickly lamented the fact that he had missed his chance. What would he say if Tifa wakes up and finds him staring? Would she find it creepy? Resting back down on the bed, Cloud clamped his eyes shut and pretended to sleep. She shifted and turned, and although he still had his eyes closed, he could feel her gaze on him. She doesn't wake him up, she doesn't whisper anything she's too shy to say to his face, she doesn't even touch him. The bed sinks beneath her movements, then rises as the warmth entirely leaves his side. He opens his eyes just in time to see Tifa pull on a robe over her nude body, and then she walks to the balcony and opens the large glass doors. He could feel the contrasting temperature; the dejected cold now that Tifa had left his side, and the humid warmth of the New Bodhum sea breeze.

Easing himself up, Cloud sits on the bed and just watches Tifa. The wind catches her hair, allowing it to flutter lightly behind her, and the rays of the warm sunlight hits her radiant skin. It was a nearly perfect sight… yet… Cloud presses his lips into a thin line, and a bitter weight sinks in his gut. She has that expression again. She always has that expression when she thinks about Lightning. Even if the pink haired soldier was, or should be, nowhere near, somehow that expression still finds itself onto Tifa's face. It was an expression that Cloud didn't know how to describe, but it just felt as if she was perpetually mourning. As if… Tifa was looking for something. Constantly looking as if she wasn't satisfied. Although they've kept Lightning strictly out of their conversations, he just had a feeling that Tifa was searching for her in everything and everyone she interacts with. That one thing Tifa was looking for, Lightning had it. What was it? No matter how many times he would brainstorm, because he was too scared to ask Tifa directly, he couldn't come up with any answer that'd made any sense.

If he had to choose to trust Lightning or Tifa, he'd choose Tifa. He'd bet his life on Tifa. But… he wondered sometimes. That night in Nautilus, when he came across Lightning and Tifa in that tense situation… he wondered if what Tifa had said was true. It had to be, because Lightning didn't protest and he thought that the soldier wasn't one to just take crap thrown at her. Who is Serah? Who is this woman that Lightning tried to substitute Tifa in for? Tifa deserved so much more. Tifa deserved someone who would love her for her, rather than the shadow of someone whom she resembled. What Tifa spoke that night was the truth; Cloud persuaded himself of it. Standing from the bed, Cloud wrapped a blanket around his lower body and approached Tifa, but she hadn't even noticed him until he calls out to her, "Tifa? What are you doing?"

"I…" Tifa's eyes left just as quickly as they had found him and she resumes staring down at the street. He moves closer, close enough to wrap his arms around her to stop her as if she was trying to leave and kisses her jaw, "I was… just looking at the sunrise." Her head had been tilted downwards, and at the angle that he was, he knew that her eyes had also been looking down at the streets. Whatever she was looking at wasn't the sunrise. He searches the ground, but no one is there, or they had already left.

"I'm going to take a shower." Her eyes never leave the entrance of the hotel, she doesn't react at all, and so it was clear that she hadn't even heard him. She nodded though, but he doubts that it really meant anything.

This… definitely wasn't how he wanted their mornings together to be like. Even if they had just spent a passionate night of sex together, it still felt as if there was something between them… like a wall that was too high to scale with just one person. He retreated into the shower, allowing the hot water to pound over his head. It didn't clear his thoughts though, and like the fog misting over the bathroom mirror, he became even unhappier. Was their relationship really just sex to Tifa? He never would've imagined the fighter to agree or even want something like that. She had countless admirers back when they were young, but she had always been humble, bashful, and above all, loyal.

When he re-enters the room again, Tifa had already left her perch on the balcony and was now seated on the edge of the bed, but this time her expression was swamped with deep thought. Once again, ever since waking up, Tifa didn't even look at him. He dresses silently, counting the seconds it would take her to notice his presence. What was she thinking about? Soft murmurs escape her lips, but it was much too quiet for him to hear. "Tifa?" Again. Again, Tifa turned to him only after he spoke, looking surprised, "What are you whispering about?"

"I was just thinking." Clearly; Cloud wanted to say in response to Tifa's answer. "Are you going to go down first?"

When had he mentioned that? Or was it some not so implicit order for him to leave? "Yeah, are you alright with that?"

"Of course." Tifa smiled, moving from where she was to pay the first few seconds of attention to him. The moment she kissed him, he could feel that ugly emotion welling in his gut disappear just slightly. He left immediately afterwards, wanting to part with good feelings. What better than having a healthy, filling breakfast? Just as he entered into the hotel lobby, he caught Fang's loud and obnoxious laughter booming. The spear wielder had just headed into the restaurant herself, and Cloud was left to follow behind her.

He didn't mean to eavesdrop, but there was nothing he could do if Fang was going to talk loud enough for everyone to hear. "Don't tell me." Fang snickered, clearly amused, "You've still got the hots for our Sunshine?" Cloud feigned disinterest the moment he latched onto that nickname. It was the one Fang had for Lightning. "Yeah, yeah, it's over after that one night stand but-" In an instant, Fang held the phone away from her ear with a wince, "Okay, chill. So it ain't like that. If it weren't though, you wouldn't be so damn touchy 'bout it. Just sayin'."

"Fang?" Cloud twisted around and glanced at Hope as he approached before he turned his head back down at the hotel buffet.

"Yeah?" Fang answered, "Oh, on the phone with Lebreau. Say hi."

"Ah… morning Lebreau." Hope spoke a little louder, probably hoping that the receiver of Fang's phone would pick up on his voice.

"She said mornin' too." Fang said, "I'm tryin' to persuade her to let us play an early morning game of beer pong at her place."

"Fang, I'm not sure about that-"

"Beat it, light weight." Fang huffed, kicking her feet out to ward the silver haired man away. He laughed though, and took a step back.

"Anyways, just telling you that Lightning was here earlier. She said she was going to visit Serah today so she'd be late to any morning beer pong games."

Serah. It was that name. Cloud did everything to stop himself from turning around. Although he didn't bother hiding a scoff. Lebreau. One night stand? So she's still chasing after Serah even though she's sleeping around? Was that what Tifa is to her? A conquest only to be tossed to the side afterwards? He never would've thought that Lightning would be one to do something like this, considering how frigid she is, but clearly, there was more to her that meets the eye. "Hm? Oh, sure. Gotta let Lightnin' have her time with Serah or there'll be hell to pay."

"Fang…" Hope began with a warning tone.

"I know, I know."

"Please, just avoid mentioning Serah later. You know how concerned Lebreau is even though she knows there's nothing that can be done."

No matter how hard Cloud tried to keep his mouth shut, his harsh words lashed out, "Just make sure she keeps her hands off Tifa."

"Ah fuck, there he goes again." Fang muttered, "Ah, Sorry Breau, gotta deal with the prick who has princess sickness." She pocketed her phone and crossed her arms, "Why don't you just shut up?"

"I would suggest that you avoid making any comments on things that you have no knowledge of." Hope interjected, but Cloud merely rolled his eyes.

"I know enough. Half the restaurant could hear you. Y'know, it's nice to know that Lightning's been sleeping around. One night stands huh?"

"Funny hearing that from you." Fang snorted, "You don't know even half of the shit you're spitting out. What the hell did you say to Lightnin' to get her so pissed anyways?"

"Whatever. Just keep her away from Tifa."

Fang scoffed, "Or how about you keep Tifa away from Lightnin'? Ever think of that with that bird brain of yours?"

"You're the one that doesn't get shit." Cloud responded, "Your sunshine is the one bothering Tifa, saying how her 'feelings haven't changed'."

"Fuck, delusional to boot." Fang mocked, "You must be a pretty good bang in bed because I guess that's all Tifa looks for in guys. Had enough of the pretty brunette so now you go for Boobs?"

"What?!" No one drags Aerith into a conversation like this, but what enraged him even more was how blatantly Fang had spoken his own insecurities and doubts about his relationship with the fighter. Their argument was pre-emptively cut short before a real brawl happened.

"I wasn't aware that Cloud and I were dating." Aerith smooth voice spoke over them. He could either describe it as one damn sharp knife, or silk wrapped around a mace.

"I don't care what's between you, Tifa, or chocobo here." Fang turned to face the flower girl who had approached with neither of them noticing. "Just don't drag Lightning into it."

"Don't talk to Aerith like that-"

"I'll talk to whoever however I want." Fang threw a menacing glare at him, "Now you can shut up, or I can shut you up and I'll be more than happy to shove my spear down your first shithole, where you talk shit, and out your second shithole, where you actually shit." The spear wielder was able to storm off, and it wasn't because Cloud was backing down from the fight, but because Aerith had stopped him with a raised hand. The anger was still boiling to the point where it overflowed. His body shook, and all he wanted to do now was to beat something up.

"Well…" Hope cleared his throat, "That was… some very colorful language and… creative use of words."

"Sorry, Hope. I'd like to talk to Cloud privately." Aerith said, her tone very neutral and accommodating.

"Yes, of course." He left as requested.

Silence prevailed between them. He couldn't even meet Aerith's green eyes. "It's unlike you to get into fights like that." Aerith finally said, after what felt like eternity. He didn't have anything to say. He didn't know what to say. "Cloud, look. It's about Lightning and Ser-"

"I'm sorry." Cloud interrupted, and shifted uncomfortably on his feet. Fang just had to say what she didn't understand. Things between him and Aerith were… complicated, and he didn't want to imagine what it felt like for Aerith to be dragged into the conversation like that.

"You don't have to apologize to me. You guys were making such a scene that more than half of the restaurant was watching. It's a good thing I stopped you two before the staff escorted you out."

"It's not that. I'm sorry about what Fang said… how... you were dragged in. I know we weren't dating but…"

Aerith laughed softly, "Don't worry about it." She smiled a different smile of hers, but the same smile that Cloud has seen before. Don't worry about it. Was that what her expression at that time meant? During all those times where he thought that there was something between them? Like that time in the Golden Saucer when he had finally worked up the courage to hold her hand? She had pulled away the moment she saw Tifa, and gave him that smile. Or what about that time when he had kissed her beneath the rain in Academia? He smiled at her, she smiled at him, and everything felt so genuine but after a long beat of his heart, he could see her smile slowly deform into this same one. Don't worry about it. Was that what Aerith was telling him all this time? That… everything between them meant nothing to her?

"Don't worry about it?" Cloud couldn't help but ask, "We kissed-"

Aerith pursed her lips momentarily, "You're with Tifa now." It was like a slap in the face and shame instantly overcame what other feelings he had. "But since we're on that topic, I want to make something clear to you. As far as you and I are concerned, it's best to pretend that the kiss never happened. Nothing good will come of it now. I guess we were both too caught up in the moment to think better of it at that time." She might as well had said that the kiss never should've happened. Taking a deep breath, Cloud nodded and turned back to the buffet table. "Where's Tifa?"

"Probably still in the- my… room."

"I see. Then I'll go get her." Aerith said, "She's going to miss the morning buffet if she takes any longer."

"Yeah." Motioning weakly at the table, Cloud inched further away, "I'm just gonna grab a table first. Tell Tifa that I'll save her some food."

"Alright then." He grabbed a seat and stared at his plate, but he had long lost his appetite. Surprisingly, it was not so unsurprising that he ate breakfast alone. Tifa didn't come, and Aerith never returned. Hope did though, and he had no qualms about letting him know that both of the girls had gone off to look for Lightning. Cloud never bothered checking the legitimacy of Hope's words, and he was swept up with Barret, Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge's beach activities. On the beach though, they were bound to go to a beach side restaurant and it was only natural that they'd go to Lebreau's. Fang was there, and so were the rest of her gang. The argument from this morning came back. He was still angry, and so was Fang, therefore things took their natural course. Anger spoke for him. His feelings of being ignored, of being… simply not good enough for Tifa or Aerith spoke for him, and he hadn't even noticed when Hope had left swiftly after taking a phone call. Things only went from bad to worse though. In what felt like such a short time, he managed to completely make himself look like a complete asshole in front of everyone. Worst of all, Tifa took the fall with him.

Serah was actually Lightning's deceased sister? Well… Fuck.

Should he even try apologizing? Was that even possible now? His feet were heavy after being sent away from the bar, and Tifa wasn't doing much better. She had that same expression she had on this morning, so he understood that the fighter's thoughts were filled with Lightning once again. Except this time, it was even harder to look at. Her searching expression seemed to have evolved into one of want, as if she had found what she was looking for. "Cloud-"

"Tifa, I didn't mean for you to get caught. They shouldn't have blamed everything on you because it was my fault."

"It's okay."

"No." Cloud shook his head, "No it's not okay. Serah is Lightning's dead sister. She's dead. It's not okay-"

"I never said that was okay, but I meant that it was my fault. It's… all my fault."

"Tifa…."

Tifa smiled then, but he wanted to tell her to stop. Releasing a shaky breath, the fighter merely shook her head, "To tell you the truth… I knew that Light liked me."

The revelation blindsided him and almost left him speechless, if not even betrayed. "You… lied?"

"Yes… and no." Tifa admitted and everything about her just screamed how uncomfortable she was, but Cloud wasn't about to let her off so easily. "Light's different. She…"

"Different? What does that even mean?"

"I don't know." Tifa ran a hand through her hair; a bad habit she has whenever she's stressed, "I…"

"I can't believe this."

"Cloud…"

He headed towards the elevator, ignoring all of her attempts to talk to him. As of now, there was nothing he wanted to hear. Right before he entered the elevator, Cloud turned around and held Tifa's pleading eyes, "You shouldn't have lied… but… my feelings for you haven't changed."

"Cloud." The elevator door closed, and he suddenly found it funny when he considered how ironic the situation was. Karma was most definitely a bitch. What was this twist of fate that landed him in Lightning's place a few nights before, spouting the same words to the same woman who had played them both? Tifa had a reason. She had to have had a reason to say and do everything she did. Tifa was still Tifa though. Tifa was kind and gentle, and she'd never purposefully hurt anyone. She was still the same Tifa from Nibelheim, and the same Tifa he loved. He still loves her, no matter what.

- Present time -

"Cloud! Cloud!" He turned his head towards the sound of Tifa's voice, seeing her waving at him as they made their way further into the safe zone. "Aerith!"

"Tifa! You're okay!" Aerith said as she jogged up towards the fighter and grasped her hands, "You should've called."

"I know. Sorry about that." Tifa scratched the back of her head, "Slipped my mind…"

"How was your search?" Cloud asked, glancing over the group of survivors the fighter had been standing with.

"Lightning had I found a few survivors trapped beneath a building, but other than that… nothing."

"Still better luck than us." Aerith commented solemnly, "Anyways, you found Light? Where is she?"

"I saw her talking to Raines earlier, but I've got no idea where they are."

"Well…" The brunette shrugged, "It's Lightning. She won't be that hard to find."

They were just about to head off on another aimless search, but Rydgea's voice boomed loud enough to make Tifa shirk back slightly as if she wanted to hide behind Aerith, "Tifa!" The GC waved at them as he jogged up with a two water bottles in hand, "Hey Cloud, Aerith." He handed the extra water bottle to Tifa, "Here's your water."

"Thanks." The fighter smiled a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, and it made Cloud wonder what cringeworthy flirting had been going on to make the fighter flee. If only Rydgea would talk to Tifa like a normal man without making it blatantly obvious that he wanted to sleep with her, he might actually have a miniscule chance to get on her good side. Not that it meant anything because Tifa's bad side was still relatively friendly.

Aerith was the first to go to Tifa's rescue, "We were just about to look for Light. Do you know where she is?"

"Oh, you mean Etro?" Rydgea muttered, "Probably somewhere with the boss man."

"Then would you know where your boss man." Aerith mimicked the same tone Rydgea had used when addressing Lightning by her Goddess name, "is?"

"Probably at the command center – er, transport." The brown haired man responded, looking surprised that Aerith had responded to him like that.

"Great! Thanks for your help." Looping her arm in with Tifa's, the two walked off, leaving Cloud alone with Rydgea.

"I have a feeling. I dunno, just a gut feeling." Rydgea said, standing closer to Cloud as if they'd been buddies forever, "Your girlfriend doesn't really like me?"

Cloud's first reaction was to tell him straightly that he and Aerith didn't have that kind of relationship. His jaw tensed, and before answering him, Cloud began walking after the two ladies. Rydgea, though, not knowing any better, followed after him. "Do you like Lightning?" Cloud asked, keeping his tone even and well-measured.

Rydgea gave him a strange look in the corner of his eye. Stuffing his hand in his pockets, the brunette released a deep sigh, "Can I be honest with you? I just don't trust her." It wasn't like Cloud was unfamiliar with that sentiment, and he knew that Aerith and Tifa would understand that too. Heck, even Lightning purposefully made it and acted so that it was hard to trust her. If Rydgea was looking for some sort of reaction, Cloud didn't give him one. Clearing his throat, the GC tried again, "Truthfully, no. No I don't. Never really did. You?"

"I do, and I don't." Cloud answered quietly. What answer could he give? What did he feel towards Lightning? His answer could very well be substituted in for a silence of neutrality. The positive and the negative balance, but like always, people choose to read deeper into meanings that weren't really there. Rydgea let out a thoughtful hum, and Cloud didn't comment. He had nothing to say to a man who always had his head in the clouds. Just as Rydgea had said though, the moment they approached the Central Command now situated inside one of the larger GC airships, Raines and Lightning walked out. The General glanced at them, and they were within earshot as he made another proposition to the Goddess.

"On one condition." Raines said, turning to face Lightning, "Rydgea will go with you."

Without a wasted second, Lightning shrugged, "Fine. As long as he doesn't get in my way." Ignoring Rydgea completely, the pink haired woman approached the group and announced their next step, "We're going to Mideel."

Happy New Year!

Yep, this is a very Cloud centric chapter. I've got a larger role for him planned in the coming chapters. Oh, and for reference... the flashback takes place at the same time as Chapter 49 - Chapter 50 of Fictus Memoriae.