Tifa watched as Cloud's chest gently rose and fell with each breath he took. His eyes were closed in sleep, but he showed the sure signs of a dream. He had restless days as well as restless nights. She knew she'd probably be waking him soon.

-----The feeling of the sword in his hands, the weight of the blade as he walked toward the silent praying figure. It was all as it had been back then.

He tried to release his grip, but the sword stayed firmly in his hand. In the back of his mind he could feel another power force him forward, the only thing he was able to do was watch. The weight of the weapon became oppressive in his hands as he raised it above his head. Cloud wanted to close his eyes, knowing what would come next. His eyes stayed open and his vision stayed dryingly clear.

This is only a dream. This can't be happening! It's already....happened.... The sword came slashing down. The sickening sound of blade through flesh filled his ears as his vision blackened.

No! I never.....Sephiroth killed her! It wasn't me. His sight was still black, but he still heard. He still felt the pressure and tension in his muscles. He could still feel his hands closed tightly around the hilt of the sword. Then the darkness left.

Aeris was limp, her body held up only by the long blade impaling her through the middle. His hand held tightly to the hilt still.

He watched the White Materia fall from Aeris's bow. It fell off the platform, a small plunk heard as the materia hit the water and sank. He wasn't burning inside with hatred as he had been then. He wasn't tingling with the agony. His eyes didn't burn. What was wrong?

The sword slid out, leaving a clean-cut wound. Cloud's mind raced when he looked down. Why was his hand on the sword? Sephiroth's sword.....

Aeris fell to the ground and where once Cloud was in the past to catch her as she fell, no one was there this time. She lay face down on the platform. His vision was cast into darkness once again.-----

Cloud lay back down and fell into a silent sleep. Tifa lay down back in her bed as well. He had given her the usual blank stare. She didn't even think she had waken him at all. As she closed her eyes, she couldn't help but wonder. He had been dreaming, but what about?

*****

"I'm coming!" Red XIII gasped as he ran, nearly out of breath. He had never before run the full distance of Cosmo Canyon before without stopping. Nor did he care to attempt such a feat again.

"Then get your #$%@ ass over here! You're takin' too much time." Cid shook his fists in the air at the red lion-like creature.

Red XIII, paw over paw, climbed up the ladder into the Highwind. At the top, Cloud helped him into the ship.

"Ladders weren't made for me to climb." He panted as he entered the bridge.

"Then I'll get a ramp built later!" Cid turned to Cloud, who was watching out the front window. "Cloud, we're ready to head to Wutai."

"Wutai?" repeated Cloud questioningly.

"Yeah. Yuffie wanted to pay her respects, remember?"

Cloud reluctantly nodded. He wasn't too keep about having the materia-stealing Wutan around, especially after she had drug him on that date at the Gold Saucer. Cloud had to admit that she was interesting to have around, especially as comic relief. Plus she had part of the team when Aeris had died.

It only took a few minutes for the Highwind to enter the Wutai area. Even before the ship touched down, Yuffie could be seen waving both her hands madly in the air. Cloud had to look twice before realizing that the figure standing behind her was Vincent.

Cid saw the puzzled expression on the blond's face. He chuckled, explaining, "Ol' vampire boy seems to have got over that Lucrecia chick. Found himself someone new."

Cloud glanced back over at the two, who now stood on the deck. Yuffie's hair was a little bit longer, now about shoulder length, but otherwise she looked, acted, and spoke just the same. Vincent, on the other hand, looked almost totally different. His hair was still ong and slightly spiked, but now it was pulled back into a loose pony tail. He also wore a pair of black jeans and a blue t-shirt. His ultimate weapon, the Outsider, was still in it's holster attached to his belt and his metal clawed arm appeared not as menacing as it had been before. Somehow Cloud found it awkward to imagine the two as a couple.

Then again, a lot can happen in a year.

As soon as the Highwind took off, Yuffie assumed her usual position between some crates and took on the color of nausea.

So maybe some thing were harder to change than others.