Chapter 25

Cloud didn't really remember much, as Kunsel found out.

"Yeah," Kunsel said, finished up what had happened in the last few months. "Zack is pretty down in the dumps right now, and now I guess I know why."

Cloud felt terrible. He had done that. Inflected pain on his friends and he never even caught it until the damage was done.

He had the knowledge and the skills. He could stop this. But how?

He had no clue.

How much did Kunsel know? Nothing he supposed to himself. Should he ask? Give anything away?

No, he decided to himself, he'd keep it to himself until he figured out what to do. Would that even help?

It was strange; he didn't normally doubt himself in the way?

"How much do you know?" Cloud finally settled on.

"Well, I know you went on some kind of mind journey when we went to Aerith's and came back different," Kunsel said. "What happened in there?"

"Something strange, it's going to take a lot of explaining and I'd rather not do it in ShinRa's," Cloud explained. "Anywhere else we can go?"

Kunsel blinked at the Ancient in front of him. "I know of this little café up ahead."

"So let me get this straight," Kunsel said. "In a futuristic world, Sephiroth went crazy in your hometown on Nibelheim and attempted to destroy the world 4 years later after supposedly "dying". "

"In short, yes," Cloud said.

"And after Nibelheim, you and Zack got taken to a lab and experimented on for four years by Hojo," Kunsel continued.

"Yup."

"And Zack escaped with you in tow and proceeded to run from ShinRa until you were almost to Midgar, and he died trying to save you," Kunsel finished.

"Yea," Cloud said, looking down.

"That's a lot to take in."

"That's only half the story," Cloud started. "But if I can prevent it, then the other half won't matter."

Kunsel nodded. "Then we have a lot to prevent."

"We?"

"Well I think you'll need some help."

"I guess," Cloud said. "I'm going to need some eye within ShinRa when it's time I go AWOL."

"You're going to go AWOL?" Kunsel said, looking at Cloud with wide eyes underneath his helmet.

"Probably."

"Well good luck," Kunsel nodded. "We should head back."

Cloud nodded and followed Kunsel back. I hope I did the right thing here.

It was late by the time Cloud and Kunsel got back to the SOLDIER complex. It was nice, Cloud decided, not having a pesky curfew to abide by.

Kunsel said his goodnights, leaving Cloud alone for the first time since he lost Jenova in his head and he couldn't help but wonder on why Jenova picked him. She would no doubt return but why him? Now that she was gone, what changed? Was he stronger or weaker?

He felt the real Gaia's presence now. A much nice, pleasant presence. It felt natural. Was that good? Cloud didn't know. All he knew was that he needed to figure out a plan and quickly. The war with Wutai was just beginning.

Something must have happened between the war with Wutai beginning and when I wound up in Midgar thinking I was Zack. Cloud reflected as he thought of the information he had been given just hours before. Did he even know that part of the story? It seemed like he only knew half of what happened.

All he knew was that he was missing a key piece in this story.

He frowned to himself while he attempted to find his new flat. Did Zack know anything? He highly doubted it. Cloud decided that he wouldn't tell anyone for now. He would sound crazy if he said anything at this point. Or suspicious.

Or both.

Most likely both, it seemed like a quick, easy way to get the Turks after him. He already knew more than he should, and most events he shouldn't know about haven't even happened yet.

It was all so complicated and confusing.

He was so lost in thought, he didn't notice footsteps headed towards him.

"Hey," a soft voice said behind him, dragging him from his own personal thoughts.

Cloud blinked once after turning around and looked at his confronter. She was a small, red headed girl who looked about 18 or 19. She was in a Turk issued black suit and had big brown eyes.

Needless to say, Cloud did not recognize her from any previous memories. This meant either she wasn't important or something happened to her between now and the Meteor and something told him that he didn't want to know what became of her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked her voice soft and girly as if she'd never yelled in her life.

"I was headed back to my apartment," Cloud said to her.

"Well," she said, "You're going the wrong way. This way heads towards the Turk apartments."

Wow, Cloud grumbled to himself, Way off track.

"I, uh," Cloud had no excuse for this, other than he was lost in thought. "I was headed the right way, but I got lost in thought and wasn't paying attention."

The girl looked suspicious but didn't ask any questions.

"I'm Cloud," he introduced himself. The girl's face immediately went from suspicious to surprise.

"So you're the new SOLDIER First," she said. "I'm Cissnei."

Cloud nodded. "I need to get going."

Cissnei nodded. "Try not to get lost ok? I may need you in the future."

Cloud nodded before turning the right direction and heading out towards his new apartment.

It was a nice place, Cloud thought when he entered the apartment. He knew he had been in there before, he just didn't remember.

He changed into a comfortable pair of sweats and headed out to the small balcony.

You couldn't see the sky, just a thick layer of gray. And above it, more thick layers of grayness that was impossible to see through.

Cloud thought of all he had learned today, and of the missing link. That one missing piece.

He could stop it all.

But how?

The price of freedom is steep.

Cloud's closed eyes opened as the world ran through his head. Someone had said them in that dead world's time. Sometime in this future.

But who?

Cloud shook his head and turned to head to bed, not noticing the one single star that shined through the smoke.

Alright. I will try to get chapters out faster, but I can't guarantee anything until after Regents, which aren't for another 2 months.

That and I got a job, so that may slow things down.

Anyways, this story needs a Beta, so if anyone is interested, send me a message (or just leave a review saying you want to).

And did Cloud ever meet Cissnei? Just curious. I don't remember.