Cloud woke with a start. At first, he wondered what had interrupteis sleep, but the shrill noise coming from his PHS brought him back tonscious thought.

"...Hello?" Cloud said towards the phone, groggily.

"Cloud, is that you?" Reeve's voice enquired. " Thank God!" He sighed,
without waiting for an answer.

"So what`s up?" Cloud asked. It was not usual for anyone to phonim at what he thought was around 4 A.M.

He knew that Reeve only phoned the group when it was an emergency,
let alone at 4 A.M.

"You know that I phoned yesterday, about the crater. Well, we sent one ohe new genilkas over there about half an hour ago."

"So?" Cloud said, failing to see the importance of the conversation.

" You don't understand, we dropped some test samples into it and they jusisappeared! They were attached to the end of a rope and the line cutraight off! When we pulled the rope back up it looked as though it haeen cut with some type of blade."

"Okay then, we'll go check it out in the morning," Cloud said.

"Great! I'll send Cait Sith down later on. Thanks Cloud."

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he mulled over what Reeve had just said tim. `It looked as if it had been cut with some type of blade...`

..."Sephiroth???" Cloud thought to himself.

He knew that he was not going to get any sleep tonight.

A quick glance at the clock on his bedside cabinet told him that ias nearly three in the morning. Wondering whether Reeve got any sleep all, he fell back into bed and tried to settle down, but after 5 minutes oossing and turning, he decided that sleeping tonight was a lost cause.

Feeling that he might as well do something useful, he started to gell of his equipment ready.

He opened his drawer and took out a box with the words `MEGALIXIR`
written on it.

"Best take a few of these with me..." Cloud thought. He stepped towardis wardrobe and opened it.

As he took a glance around the compartment, he smiled to himself. No-
one, not even Yuffie, could have realized that thee was a secret door ihe back, which opened up a space at the back, in which Cloud stored all ois materia.

He pushed the door and surveyed his materia. Keeping in mind thateria what Tifa was taking, he decided on The Master Magic materia he haeceived from Bugenhagen, (an odd fellow, but a kind heart) And his mosowerful materia, the mastered Knights of the Round Materia.

Next, he pushed aside his clothes and stared at his pride and joy,
the Ultima Weapon.

He slid the materia into the slots in the weapon and went to yet another ohe many drawers in the room. Inside there must of been at least a dozeifferent types of armour in there, Plain ones, small ones, shiny ones antylish ones (they were Tifa`s favourites)

Noticing that he wasn't taking a lot of materia with him, he selectene of his favourites, The Zeidrich. It was a on of a kind armour and iidn't have any materia slots in it, so it was perfect for him.

Putting his equipment in a corner of the room, he sat on the cornef his bed. The clock caught his eye and, with a sudden jolt, he realizehat it was half past 4.

"Geez, the Sun`ll be up in a minute," He thought to himself.

As it was summer, the exotic resort of Costa Del Sol was packed witourists, and Cloud could already hear shopkeepers getting ready fonother day in the sun.

Not wanting to stay in his room all the morning, he went downstairnd started to get the dinner ready.

2 and a half hours later Cloud called, "GET UP YOU LAZYBONES! WE`VE GOT A
VISITOR!"

Finally at half past seven, a very disgruntled group comprised of
Barret, Tifa, Marlene and Elmyra trudged down the stairs.

" Hey guys! How ya doin`? Said a familiar voice to their left.