Cid had returned to the cockpit after he'd made sure that Tifa's condition was stable. Just as he was about to finish his third smoke, Vincent came through the door.

"How is he?" Cid asked as he discarded his old one and lit a new cigarette.

"Cloud is very fortunate," Vincent said evenly. "The wound didn't seem to puncture any major organs. He did lose a lot of blood, though. He'll probably be unconscious for a while."

"How will he feel about...y'know, us picking him up?"

Vincent shrugged. "I know he probably didn't want to die out there, so I'm sure he'll get over it."

"He damn well better!" Cid replied angrily. "I didn't come all the way here to get chewed out by his sorry ass! He's lucky we left when we did; otherwise, we wouldn't have made it here in time." He glanced over at Vincent and nodded approvingly. "Nice shot, by the way."

"Thank you. It would seem the skills I acquired in the past did not go to waste entirely."

"Don't be so damn modest," Cid remarked vehemently. "We musta been at least one or two miles out! Add to that the fact that we were moving when you took the shot and I'd say it was near the closest thing to a goddamn miracle I've ever seen."

"It is of no consequence," Vincent replied, waving Cid's comment away with his hand. "What matters is that we've found Cloud. Tifa seems to be doing all right, as well. Once she wakes up I would like to ask her a few questions."

"You n' me both, pal," Cid remarked dryly. "I saw that guy they were fightin' and he's definitely no pushover if he could take out Tifa and Cloud at the same time."

"I'm more concerned with what information Tifa was able to get from our friend," Vincent replied. "There are still too many things I do not know that I feel I must."

"Is that why you went out last night?" Cid ventured a guess.

Vincent gave Cid a hard glare before giving a definite: "No."

"Damn, man, don't get so bent," Cid murmured. "I was just askin'."

Vincent let out a heavy sigh. "Forgive me, I did not intend for that to come out so harshly."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Cid replied gruffly. "We're all tense right now. Look, I know you like keepin' to yourself n' all, but if there's something botherin' you just let us know."

Impossibly, Vincent let out a small chuckle. "You sound like Tifa," he grinned.

Cid's face grew wild with rage. "Fine, fuck it!" he yelled loudly. "See if I ever help you again! Compare me to a woman..." Cid murmured almost inaudibly. With that, he stormed over to the controls of the ship and planted his hands firmly on the wheel. "Where the hell are we goin', anyway?"

"No place in particular at the moment," Vincent replied. "If you like, I suppose we could go back to Rocket Town to pick up Marlene."

"The hell we will!" Cid retorted. "If some lunatic's chasin' after Cloud, the last thing we need is some helpless kid runnin' around. She might be killed!"

"If Shera does not mind looking after her, then Marlene can stay there," came Vincent's easy answer. "It was merely a suggestion."

"Then where?" Cid repeated. "This thing costs money to keep in the air."

"Would it be too much trouble to go back to Midgar for a while?" came Tifa's haggard voice as she walked through the entryway.

"Dammit, Tifa, you should be in bed!" Cid fumed.

Vincent cast an irritated glance at the captain but addressed Tifa instead. "He's right, you know. Your wounds need time to heal."

"Just use a cure materia or something and I'll be fine!" Tifa protested. "I'm really not that bad!"

"You cannot rely too heavily on materia to heal all of your wounds," Vincent argued gently. "Your body must repair itself naturally."

"Just listen to the man, Tifa," Cid added. "There's no need for you to be up n' about, anyways."

"Look, will you two stop babying me? I'm fine, really!"

Vincent and Cid exchanged nervous glances, but soon relented. "No arguin' with a woman, anyway," Cid whispered to Vincent. Then, more loudly: "You can stay, but you have to sit your ass down in a chair somewhere."

"Nice," Tifa remarked tartly. Retrieving a fold up chair from the corner of the room, she carried it to the center area where Cid and Vincent had been talking and sat down. "First thing's first: is Cloud gonna be all right?"

"He'll be fine," Vincent answered. "His breathing and heartbeat are normal, and right now all he needs is rest."

"I don't suppose you'd mind telling us what the hell happened up there, do ya?" Cid asked eagerly. "The last thing I expected to see when I came here was you and Cloud about to be obliterated."

"It's...kind of a long story," Tifa cautioned.

Before Cid could reply, Vincent sat down next to Tifa and stared directly into her eyes. "We're listening," he said simply.

FFVII

"Cloud?"

His entire body ached, but he somehow managed to open his eyes and eek out a reply. "I'm here," he answered softly.

There was a slight chuckle before the voice spoke once more. "Cloud, what am I going to do with you? You've got to take better care of yourself than this!"

Once Cloud recognized the voice, he groaned wearily and closed his eyes once more. "Not now, Aeris. I don't have time to listen to another one of your lectures."

"That's so mean!" she laughed softly. "Don't forget, Cloud, that I can see past the act you put on for others, and I can read you like an open book. Especially here," she added.

"Then you know that right now I want to be left alone," Cloud spat.

"Uh-uh-uh," Aeris chided. "Now what did I tell you about using that tone of voice?"

Cloud opened his eyes and saw Aeris' figure standing over him with an amused expression on her face. "What's so funny?" he asked warily.

"Oh, nothing. It's just that you're so cute when you're pouting!" she smiled. Gingerly, she reached out and placed her hand on Cloud's wound, eliciting a sharp gasp from him.

"Argh! God dammit! What do you think you're doing?!" Cloud seethed between clenched teeth.

"I'm helping you," she replied simply. With the speed and efficiency of a professional doctor, Aeris gently began treating Cloud's injury. "What?" she joked, "Can't I help out an old friend?"

Unable to hold his head up any longer, Cloud leaned back so that it was resting against the cushion he was laying on. "I...don't remember asking for your help," he said brusquely. "Why can't you people just leave me alone?"

"It's all right for friends to help each other," Aeris told him firmly. "You seem to have forgotten that."

"No, I haven't!" Cloud retorted childishly. "It's just that I don't want or need anyone's help!"

"If Tifa hadn't been there to help you, you probably would've died back there," Aeris pointed out.

Cloud opened his mouth as if he was about to reply, but then he settled for a slight grunt.

Aeris laughed at his predicament. "You wanna know what I think?" she said as she closed her eyes and focused her energy into her palms. A soothing and pale green light radiated from them; furthermore, its influence began to close the wound in Cloud's stomach.

"No, but I have a feeling you're gonna tell me anyway," Cloud replied bitterly. "OUCH!"

"Oops! Sorry!" Aeris smiled innocently. "Anyway, I think that you're running away from something."

"What makes you think that?"

Aeris flashed an irritated glance at Cloud. "I was speaking figuratively. I already know what you're thinking. I'm just trying to get you to realize what you're thinking."

"I know what I'm thinking," Cloud replied obstinately. "I'm thinking that they'll get in my way if I let them hang around too much."

"...and?" Aeris pressed. "Why would they get in your way?"

"Look, they just will!" Cloud insisted.

"Is it because...hmm, I dunno, that you'd have to protect them?"

"Well aren't you the little detective," Cloud grunted. "Yes, that's a reason, so what?"

Aeris rolled Cloud over onto his back so that she could treat the exit wound the sword had made. "Why is protecting your friends such a bad thing?"

"Because if I have to do it all the time then it'd be a problem," Cloud answered. "It's better for them, anyway, because I can't protect them all the time and they might end up getting hurt."

"Uh-oh!" Aeris sang triumphantly. "I think we've just stumbled onto something! I should've been a psychiatrist!"

"What? Injured people are just a liability. It's only a matter of practicality."

"If it was just a matter of 'practicality'," Aeris spoke the word with a hint of disapproval, "as you put it, then why did you intentionally allow yourself to get injured instead of Tifa? Hm? If you needed to be in peak physical condition in order to protect someone, why put your own life on the line?"

"Because I- er...well...um, that is..." Cloud fumbled for words, but they simply did not come.

"In a way, I suppose I'm partially to blame," Aeris admitted sadly. "After all, I did kinda run off without telling anyone."

"What are you getting at?"

"You want me to spell it out for you?" Aeris chuckled. "Fine."

She rolled Cloud back to his original position and cupped his face in her hands. She leaned in so closely that Cloud could feel her breath on his face, and their proximity was such that he was looking directly into her eyes.

"You think that protecting people all the time is a burden, yes. You know that you can't always be there to protect everyone, so rather than risking the lives of your friends, you chose to isolate yourself and fight on your own so that they wouldn't be in danger."

Cloud found that he could no longer look Aeris in the face and his eyes wandered to another part of the room.

"No, no! Cloud look at me," she commanded. "There's nothing over there, trust me. Look at my eyes."

Reluctantly, Cloud obeyed.

"I'm saying it's my fault because I'm the one who gave you that deep rooted fear," Aeris concluded. "I know it was hard on everyone- maybe on you more than the others, but it was something I just had to do."

Cloud closed his eyes and jerked his head out of Aeris' grasp. "I failed you, Aeris. I had promised that I wouldn't let anything happen to you, but I failed. After you died, I made a promise to myself: that I would become stronger so that I would be able to protect the people that I loved.

"At first I found it hard to believe that the new enemy you spoke of would be so powerful, but I believed you. I left Tifa in Midgar and came here all by myself so that no one would be able to associate her with me. The same goes for Barret; Vincent; Cid, Yuffie and Red XIII- I left them all behind for their own protection and now for some reason they've all started looking for me!"

"U-uuh," Aeris smiled nervously. "About that...um, y'see I kinda..." she trailed off, fiddling with the hem of her dress.

"Yeah? You what, Aeris?" Cloud demanded.

"The little notes that Tifa and Vincent found...I kinda wrote them." She looked up and grinned sheepishly at him.

Cloud stared at her in disbelief. "You...kind of wrote them? After I told you that I wanted to be left alone!? Why the hell would you do something like that!"

"For your own good, Cloud," Aeris responded in kind. "I know you think you can handle this by yourself, but you just can't! You need to trust your friends."

"That's beside the point!" Cloud fumed. "I told you that I didn't want to see anyone and you went behind my back and practically dragged them here!"

"No," Aeris countered, "the point is that you've forgotten how to trust your friends. You believed in them once before so what's the big deal about letting them fight by your side again?"

"You seem to think that people can change overnight, Aeris," Cloud remarked bitterly. He shoved her aside and got to his feet. Without looking back, he began walking toward the edge of the darkness that enveloped them both. "You think I like being alone? Of course not! But I've been alone practically all of my life. Spending a little less than a year with Tifa and the others isn't going to change me. The fact is that I'm just better off by myself, anyway."

"I'll bet Tifa doesn't think that," Aeris called after him. "You know she loves you, and I know you love her back, so why can't you just accept the fact that you're wanted?"

Cloud paused for a brief moment. How could anyone be expected to answer that question? In his heart he knew that Tifa loved him, and it was true that he loved her in return; however, he also realized that he simply couldn't handle the burden of being wanted, because at least in his solitude he didn't have to worry about anyone but himself. In a way perhaps it was selfish of him, but it was the only life he knew how to live.

"I'll live my life the way I see fit," he replied curtly. "If you don't like it, then you can just go to hell. For that matter, anyone else who doesn't like it can go and fuck themselves."

"Ha. Let her try and see through that." Cloud thought smugly. Stepping through the edge of the darkness, he felt himself returning to the material realm. Slowly opening his eyes, he looked down and saw that the wound had almost healed completely.

Wincing slightly, Cloud raised himself up and shifted so that his legs were hanging over the side of the bed. Tentatively, he pressed his feet against the ground to see if his legs would be able to support him.

Nodding satisfactorily, Cloud hopped off of the bed and slowly made his way towards the cockpit. He didn't need a second glance to know that he was in the medical ward of the Highwind. Vincent had probably coerced Cid into coming for some reason or another, but whatever it was, it had better be a damned good one.

He turned the valve on the door and entered the cockpit, startling every occupant who was seated therein. It seemed that he had interrupted a conversation they'd been having.

"Cloud!" Tifa gasped. "What are you doing out of bed! You get back there right now and go to sleep!"

"Vincent," Cloud nodded as politely as he could manage. Vincent, in turn, tilted his head in response. "Cid. Good seeing you."

The great captain could tell that there wasn't any emotion behind the salutation, but he forced a smile and replied, "Yeah, same here. Been a while, huh Cloud?"

"Thank you both for saving me. And Tifa, I owe you my life as well," Cloud said respectfully. "However, I'm afraid that I can't stay here for very long. Cid?" he addressed the pilot of the vessel.

"Yo?"

"Where are we right now? What are our coordinates?"

Cid leaned over and pressed a few buttons on the monitor that was positioned next to him. "Bout ten miles outside of Nibelheim."

"Perfect," Cloud said approvingly. "Set her down right here. I'm getting off."

"What?!" both Cid and Tifa yelled at the same time.

"Cloud, you can't go anywhere in that condition!" Tifa protested.

"Much less ten goddamn miles! Think about it, man!" Cid added.

"Put the ship down now!" Cloud ordered. He locked eyes with Cid in a silent struggle, but the captain soon threw up his hands and surrendered.

"Tsch, fine! See if I care," he grumbled as he took hold of the controls. Cid glanced over at Vincent, who merely smiled knowingly and ducked his head.

Not two minutes later and the Highwind had landed safely on solid ground. Everyone knew that it would be best for Cloud if he stayed on the ship and rested for a little while, but Cloud would have none of it.

Without so much as a simple good-bye, the silent warrior slowly descended the step ladder and made his way toward Mt. Nibel which loomed ominously just over the horizon.

"Cloud!" Tifa called after him. "Wait up!"

Smiling at her two friends, she swung over the railing and began descending the ladder as well.

"Hey, hey!" Cid shouted at her. "Why the hell do you get to follow him?"

"He made me a promise that he has to keep," Tifa grinned at him. Then, more seriously: "Look, there's a chance that Kether may attack again. If you two aren't too busy, do you think you could kinda stick around? Real hush-hush, y'know?"

"Don't worry," Vincent assured her. "We'll make sure Cloud doesn't see us."

"Who gives a damn!" Cid complained. "That kid should be happy we came all this way to save his spikey-headed ass."

"I'm sure he's grateful," Tifa posed. "In his own way..."

"The hell is that s'posed to mean? All we got was a quick thanks then an adios."

"Look, I'm sure he appreciates it. When I catch up to him, I'll talk to him and see if I can't get him to make a more appropriate response."

"Then you'd best hurry," Vincent said as he pointed at Cloud. "It doesn't look like he's waiting up for you."

"Oh! Right! Well, thanks again, you guys. Don't go too far off," she added as she quickly climbed down. Cid and Vincent watched as she ran to catch up with Cloud. They could tell that she was speaking to him, but it was decidedly one sided.

"So," Cid addressed the only remaining occupant on the ship, "Nibelheim ain't that big. Where are we supposed to hide where Cloud can't find us?"

"If Cloud follows the same pattern as before, he will most likely find a place to reside in the mountain. If that's the case, then we can rent a room and stay within the city's limits without having to worry about him running into us."

"Now I like the sound of that!" Cid replied energetically. "Bout damn time I slept someplace without Shera's god awful snoring. This ship isn't much better, either."

"The only problem is that we will have to park the ship some distance away from the town and walk. We can't risk Cloud noticing the Highwing flying towards the city," Vincent said. "Regrettable," he added when he saw the look on Cid's face, "but it can't be avoided. Our presence there must remain a secret."

Cid narrowed his eyes, but conceded the argument. After all, just about anything was better than having to face that uptight asshole again.

"Still, something about what Tifa told us bothers me," Vincent pondered aloud as he made his way back towards the cockpit.

"Yeah?" Cid replied nonchalantly as he lit up a cigarette. "What is it?"

"It's just that I was trying to think of what Cloud may have done to upset this Kether person. People don't just attack someone without provocation."

Cid snorted loudly before he took another puff of his cigarette. "Since when does a psychopath need a reason to do anything to anyone? The kid's just nuts, that's all there is to it."

Vincent respectfully disagreed with Cid's conclusion. "For some reason, I think he genuinely believes that he is the savior of this planet. Either someone has imposed this mentality on him or Cloud truly did something deplorable."

"Y'really think so, huh?" Cid shook his head slowly. "Well, seein' as how Cloud ain't exactly the same as he used to be, I guess it's not completely out of the question. Still, I'd like to believe that's not the case."

"As do I," Vincent agreed. "The last thing I would want is a confrontation with Cloud. Especially considering how powerful he is now."

"And what's up with that?!" Cid said loudly, almost angrily. "How the hell could someone be so powerful that even Cloud and Tifa combined couldn't hurt him?!"

Vincent put a metallic hand to his chin, thoughtfully. "Either he fell into the lifestream, the same as Tifa and Cloud, or it was some other biological process. I'm afraid the only way we'd be able to find that out would be to ask him ourselves."

"Tsch. When hell freezes over, maybe," Cid murmured to himself. "I fight first and ask questions later."

"That may not be a wise decision in this case," Vincent countered. "Tifa said that when he first showed himself to Cloud, it was his intention to merely observe. To me, that says that he is not merely some homicidal youth- that there is a level of control in what he is doing."

"You wanna talk to the bastard, don't you?" Cid interrupted Vincent's monologue with a disgusted look on his face.

Vincent nodded firmly in reply. "Now is not the time for unnecessary confrontations. There is something much bigger going on here right now. If it's at all possible, it would be good- maybe even beneficial- if we could persuade Kether to side with us, rather than fight against us."

"Something big, huh?" Cid posed thoughtfully. "I don't suppose you'd care to...elaborate on that, would you?"

"Not really, no."

Cid flashed a suspicious glance over to his taller friend. "Don't you try anything funny, Vincent. We may be comrades, but I wouldn't hesitate to cut your ass into a thousand tiny pieces if you betrayed us."

Vincent couldn't help but smile, which led Cid to believe that the threat may have gone in one ear and out the other. "Rest assured, my intentions are honorable. There are many...sins that have yet to be absolved from my conscience. I cannot- no, I will not discuss them with anyone at this point. I am simply not ready."

"Go tell it to someone who gives a damn," Cid replied casually. "I don't care what you do, as long as I don't wake up dead." Vincent raised his eyebrows at that statement, but Cid held up a finger to silence him. "You know what I mean. I'd like to trust you, pal, but the way you're talkin' makes it really difficult."

"My apologies," Vincent replied, bowing lowly. In an effort to appease his friend, he said seriously, "Please believe me when I say that I don't mean anyone any harm. I hope that, as a fellow warrior, you can accept that as the truth. I will explain everything when I am ready."

Cid regarded Vincent silently for a few moments, but then he shrugged and grabbed hold of the ship's helm. "No worries," he replied. "We all have our skeletons. I guess some are just more...uh, scary than others."