Sephiroth awoke suddenly, the tormented screams from his nightmare still echoing through his mind. His body was bathed in cold sweat, and panic filled him as for a moment; he had no idea where he was. Realization came to him then; he was in one of the rooms above Seventh Heaven, where Tifa and Cloud had generously, if somewhat untrustingly, provided him with a place to stay. He brushed his sweat soaked hair out of his eyes and fell back against the pillow. The shadowy tendrils of his nightmares rose up to engulf him; he firmly pushed them back into his subconcious and thought about something - anything - else. Today he and Cloud were venturing somewhere to the north, to the City of the Ancients. The thought both excited him and filled him with dread. What if he were to remember his previous life? Would the knowledge drive him mad? Violently insane as it had before? He had no way of knowing, but he had to take the risk.

Slivers of early dawn sunlight peered through the spaces of the shutter and crept across the bare expanse of his chest. He closed his eyes, feeling the weariness that never really left him; the result of many nights plagued with the nightmare. He could hear movement in the rooms around him and in the bar below which would be closed until night. He rolled out of the bed and padded to the bathroom, intent on a shower. Minutes later he was dressed, and when he finished plaiting his long thick mane of hair he tucked it neatly under his coat. Unsure of who he would encounter outside the room, he pulled up the hood to hide his face. He could not yet afford to be recognized. He walked down the hall and then down the stairs, passing a few customers who had decided to stay the night. He entered the bar through the back door, and immediately spotted Tifa and Cloud. Tifa stood behind the bar, Cloud leaning against it from the outside. Both of them were focused on the small television that was mounted to the wall.

They were watching the news, and as he drew closer he could hear the reporter, "- something erupted from the ocean floor near Junon. Considerable damage was done to the Junon harbor, and as you can see here the rift in the ocean floor has created a whirlpool of enormous proportions. All ships heading to and departing from Junon harbor have been delayed inevitably because of this phenomenon. Aquatic specialists, marine biologists and geologists from around the world are flocking to this anomaly to try and discover the cause -"

With the remote she had, Tifa abruptly muted the television. She and Cloud exchanged a grim look. Turning, Cloud caught sight of him, and spoke.

"Are you ready?" His tone was curt. Sephiroth nodded. Cloud's expression was both irate and troubled, and Sephiroth could understand why. He was about to leave on a quest to help the man who was his most hated enemy discover himself. He knew that Cloud's hatred towards him was justified, but it saddened him a little; he could not escape the legacy he had made for himself.

"Good. It's going to take us a day or two to get where we're going." He turned to Tifa, "Will you be okay here?"

She nodded. "I'll be fine. Besides, Barret is due back from his vacation anytime now. But Cloud," she said, her tone serious, "be careful. Please."

He smiled rakishly at her. "Always. See you later," And turning, he left the bar. Sephiroth tossed a hurried farewell over his shoulder and followed Cloud.

Parked outside the bar was a many wheeled vehicle. Cloud defined it as a buggy, and climbed behind the wheel. As they left Midgar, little was said between them.

Upon reaching level ground, with the impressive mass of the city behind him, Cloud's mood seemed to lighten. He answered Sephiroth's question amicably enough, describing his days travelling under the General's command. There was a wistfulness in his tone that Sephiroth wondered at, but he was wise enough to say nothing. It was a bright day, and Sephiroth soon found himself absorbed in the scenery. Every now and then Cloud would point a place of interest, and at the blatant curiousity of his passenger he would elaborate and tell all he knew. It was approaching night when Cloud reached the shorelines of the ocean. It was there they stopped. At Sephiroth's questioning glance, Cloud explained, "We'll make camp here tonight. Tomorrow morning, an old friend of mine will be picking us up in his plane and flying us to the northern continent. I talked to him last night after our discussion."

Cloud began setting up camp. Sephiroth, feeling awkward and unhelpful, gazed at the ocean and the reflection of the setting sun upon its surface. They were a small distance from the actual beach, but the sound of the waves reaching the shore broke the otherwise silent dusk.

"Sephiroth."

Abruptly leaving his reverie, the silver haired man turned to find Cloud regarding him with an unreadable expression. He caught the bundle cloud tossed at him and frowned in bewilderment.

"It's tinder and flint," Cloud explained, moving to the open trunk of the buggy and pulling yet more equipment from within. "Try and get a fire going."

Sephiroth complied, unraveling the bundle and seperating the small pieces of wood from the flint and steel. It took him several tries to get a fire going as he fumbled with it, unskilled, but soon enough a small flame burst into being. Cloud, carrying several larger pieces of wood he had brought from the confines of the buggy, came over and added them to the fire. Shortly after a hearty blaze was roaring, beating away the chill of the enroaching night.

"We'll be sleeping under the stars." Cloud said, returning to the buggy and pulling two bedrolls free of the trunk. Sephiroth accepted his and spread it out a safe distance from the fire.

"How is it," he asked, "that you have all this equipment ready in the buggy?"

"I like to travel; to get away from the city. Whenever I have free time, I come out here, to the wilderness," Cloud said, spreading his own bedroll flat. "I always take the buggy. It's convenient that way."

Cloud handed Sephiroth a piece of dried meat. "If you're still hungry, there's more food in the trunk."

Sephiroth shook his head. He was growing anxious; nervous about what the next day would bring. He began gnawing on the dried meat, however, as he hadn't had anything to eat since earlier that day. They ate in silence, and when Cloud had finished his he spoke up.

"I don't think we'll need to keep watch tonight," he said, climbing into his bedroll, " but if something happens, I'm a light sleeper. Rest well," He turned on his side, facing away from Sephiroth.

Sephiroth didn't immediately try to sleep. He tended to the fire for a while, staring contemplatively into the flames. As his eyes grew heavy he lay back and drew the blankets over him, his head pillowed on his rolled up coat. He gazed at the night sky, asking all the questions that lay in his soul, but the ebony expanse merely answered him with stars. They twinkled and winked at him, seperated from each other by the gaping black holes of space.

He sighed. Holes in the sky, holes in himself.

-----

He was roused by a hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see Cloud above him. "Time to rise," said the blonde man, moving to his own bedroll and efficiently rolling it up, "Cid should be here soon."

Sephiroth took a moment to stretch his cramped muscles, being as he was unused to sleeping on the hard ground. He was winced as something in his back spasmed in protest to the stretch; Cloud watched him with a half smile.

"What?" Sephiroth asked, confused as to the cause of amusement.

"The Sephiroth I knew," Cloud said with a little shake of his head, "Wouldn't be sore after one night on the ground."

Not knowing how to reply, the silver haired man gave a little smile in reply and began rolling up his own bedroll with considerably less efficiency. They began loading everything back into the trunk of the buggy. Cloud withdrew a canvas backpack and handed it to Sephiroth before strapping his own onto his back. He looked up the buggy and turned to look expectantly at the sky.

Minutes later, a shape came into view. It quickly revealed itself to be an aircraft, and soon the roar of its engines was washing over them both. The plane, deep green in color, passed over them but circled back and descended. As it landed not far from where they stood, the rush of air blew past them. The engines cut then died, and the pilot hopped out of the cockpit and headed towards them.

"Cloud! How the hell have you been?"

The pilot was a rough looking blonde man with a raspy voice and a cigarette dangling from his mouth. He paid no attention whatsoever to Sephiroth, but instead engulfed Cloud in a bear hug. As they pulled apart, he hounded Cloud with questions and obsceneties. Sephiroth watched, vaguely amused, until Cloud gestured his way.

"Cid, this is -"

The man named Cid had already looked. His jaw fell open, and the cigarette fell smoldering to the ground. "Shit ..."