The apartment was small and cramped, and from what Cloud could see there were only two rooms, the bathroom and the bedroom…that also happened to be the kitchen, dining, and living room. The bed was a dingy mattress on the floor, with blankets and a pillow. The small sink was chipped and rusting, with dirty plates piling high. The floor was littered with clothes, beer bottles and cans, papers, and other junk…

And Cloud was in heaven.

Terra laughed melodically, snaking her arms around his waist, pulling him closer into an intimate embrace. Eyes hooded with lust, Cloud's breath caught in his throat as the woman whispered, lips teasing his…

"Make love to me."

The swordsmen crashed his lips against hers in a bruising kiss, not thinking why he was doing what he was doing, but just doing it…because her eyes told him to.

And Terra had beautiful eyes.

Stumbling toward the mattress, the two crashed down onto it, Cloud quickly tossing off his shirt as he captured the woman's lips again.

Her hands raked across his bare back, and she moaned from deep within her throat as he deepened the kiss. Feeling her beneath him, Cloud let out a groan of his own and ran his hands up and down her sides hungrily.

The promised drink had long since been forgotten.

In a flash, the buttons on Terra's shirt were undone, and before Cloud knew it, the positions were switched, and Terra was on top of him, straddling his waist. Both were flushed in the cheeks and breathing heavily. The woman gave Cloud a feral smile and leaning in she hissed, eyes flashing, "Bring me back to life…" her lips inched closer to his and-

"Get away from him."

Terra's eyes widened and she drew away sharply, twisting around to see whom the intruder was. The women from the bar were standing in the doorway, eyes narrowed in distaste. In their lustful craze, Cloud and Terra had forgotten one thing…

They had forgotten to shut the front door.

Terra let out an inhuman hiss from deep within her throat. Cloud watched in horror as her beautiful crimson eyes turned orange and soulless.

"Wretched beasts!" she screeched. She leapt off of Cloud, her nails cutting painfully into his chest as she did so. With a thump, she landed on the ground next to the mattress, crouching like a frog. The swordsmen quickly sat up, and his eyes grew twice their size as Terra's arms and legs turned green and tenuous.

"Get away from her!" It was the blonde woman. Eyes glowing with a blue light, she raised her hand. Cloud began to scramble to other side of the room, off the mattress and onto the littered floor. What the hell was going on?

The woman's hand glowed with the same blue light of her eyes, the energy and light flickering off her fingers like flames and dancing in the air like wisps. There was a blast as something shot out of the icy inferno, and with a sharp crash it hit Terra in the chest, pinning her to the floor. Cloud gulped. Hard.

It was a thick ice shard, and it had impaled Terra's chest…but instead of crimson blood seeping on the carpet…there was a thick oozing green liquid pouring out instead, steaming and hissing as it touched the carpet, as though it were acid. Terra's eyes bulged and she gurgled, more of the liquid gushing from her mouth. Her face, to Cloud's terror, began to lengthen and steadily turn greener until the woman lying on the floor was no longer the woman Cloud had come up with. It was a thing…a horrible thing with grotesque, long, spindly limbs, with stretched green skin that looked dead and rotting. The face was gaunt and the mouth filled with jagged, black teeth.

Cloud closed his eyes and rubbed at his face. "Damn…" he shook his head, "What…what-!"

"Succubus."

Cloud opened his eyes again and looked up to see the raven-haired woman kneeling down next to the monster's corpse, examining it. "A female demon that preys on human men, they lure them in with illusions of beauty and during intercourse…literally suck the life out of them." She gave a disgusted look, "Damn things…I hate these! …Why couldn't we find an anthromorphic? Those aren't so bad…"

The raven-haired woman was young and fair, with almond shaped eyes and long silky hair that reached her waist. She wore a red plaid skirt and thigh high leather boots that squeaked in protest whenever she moved. Apparently not dressed for the warm weather, she wore a light green, long sleeved shirt and a heavy emerald green cloak.

The blonde, who had returned to normal (her eyes and hands didn't glow anymore), responded dully, "If we had gotten something like…a cat demon, we'd still be fighting. You know how wily those things get."

The raven-haired woman glanced up at Cloud with a raised eyebrow, "And you're supposed to be some world renowned hero?"

The blonde turned to him as well, crossing her arms. She was a mid-size woman, with fierce gray eyes and pale blonde hair that resembled his hair's spikiness and rebelliousness. She wore a white blouse, gray pants, black-heeled boots, and a dark navy blue cloak over her shoulders. Brows knitted together, she regarded him coolly, "You're Cloud Strife?"

Cloud nodded slowly. Getting to his feet, he dusted himself off. He was still shaky. His hands wouldn't keep steady and the adrenaline was still running fresh through his veins…

"What is this?" he demanded, sounding shaken.

The blonde woman sighed. "My name's Rae," she gestured to the raven-haired woman, who stood. "And this is my companion, Jenila." The woman gave an informal wave. Rae glared at her.

Jenila ignored the glare and picked up where the other woman left off, "We were sent here to look for the members of Avalanche, and to find any way to stop the coming dangers in the future."

Cloud shook his head again, trying to shake off the dizziness now sweeping over him. All those drinks…

With a plop, he fell back onto the floor again, landing on his rear. He gave a slight shout however, as he landed on a fork. Pulling it out from underneath him, he glared at it groggily before throwing it away. Rae and Jenila exchanged looks.

"Look…uh, Mr. Strife?" the blonde one began, starting forward, "Maybe we should escort you back to our hotel room…we'll be able to discuss matters better there."

But as she reached for his arm to pull him up, Cloud drew away, scowling. "Leave me…" he muttered.

Rae and Jenila exchanged looks again, "I'm sorry Mr. Strife, but-"

"I said leave me!" he shouted. Who the hell were these women? What did they want with him, really? Were they just a pair of crazed fans, taking advantage of his drunken stupor? Well they wouldn't be taking advantage of him…even when drunk, Cloud still managed to think straight…if only just a little slowly. Of course coordination was a whole other story.

But then, if he really could think so clearly when drunk, then just what in the gods name came over him in that bar? What drove him to follow that woman? Terra?

"Her eyes…" he croaked, eyes flickering over to the green corpse lying on the other side of the mattress. "They were so beautiful…I couldn't look away from them."

Jenila kneeled down next to him, looking at him long and hard. Her dark eyes swept over his disheveled state, to his messier than usual hair, to his rumpled clothes. On the swordsmen's chests were the gouge marks Terra had left when she jumped off of him. They were still bleeding, but he didn't seem to notice. Or care. Cloud's eyes were spaced out as he became lost in his thoughts, sitting there slumped in all the litter and garbage. It was a sad sight, but this was the leader of the famous rebel group, who had saved the world.

"The mighty fall hard, don't they?" she whispered, tilting her head to one side.

Dull, blue eyes drifted to her face, narrowed slightly in resentment…resentment because her words were so painfully true.

The woman spoke again, her eyes lowering to the ground. "You were cast under a spell. The succubus was leading you into her lair, ensnaring your mind with her magic. It was no fault of yours that you're here now…"

Cloud turned his gaze back toward the corpse. "That…thing…is a 'succubus'?"

Jenila nodded mutely.

Cloud looked up at both of the women, his eyes clouding over in confusion. "…Who'd you guys say you were again?"

Jenila faltered. "We're…"

"Exterminators." Rae finished, her face blank.

Cloud frowned, still disbelieving, but he said nothing.

The three of them all sat there, letting the awkward silence sink in deep. Cloud continued staring ahead, while Jenila and Rae exchanged worried glances.

"Mr. Strife…?" the blonde started tentatively.

"Don't call me that." He snapped. He stood clumsily to his feet, swaying a little, "I'm going home…" he mumbled. Cloud staggered toward the door.

"Wait!" Jenila cried, standing, "But we've come so long to find you!"

"A pair of 'exterminators' wanted to find me?" Cloud said sarcastically, glancing back at the two with cool eyes.

The women blushed.

Rae wrung her hands. "Okay, Mr.-" the swordsmen glared, and she corrected herself, "Okay…Cloud. We're…not exterminators." She bit her lip, "We were sent by higher powers to find you and your friends. Trouble really is coming, and this isn't some small thing. In fact this is 'end of the world' stuff here."

"And just how do you know this?" Cloud was finding it harder to concentrate. He really had drunk too much…

"There have been monsters…creatures popping up all over the place. And these aren't your run-of-the-mill monsters either."

"Oh really? Why haven't I heard of these monsters?" The room lurched. Cloud shook his head as he tried to keep himself steady.

"Because, they're blending in with society. They're taking cover among ordinary monsters, and nesting in out of the way places where no humans go. There haven't been many sightings, because these creatures don't want to be sighted."

Cloud tried to get out a response, but he couldn't. The whole world was spinning. His knees were growing weak. He lurched forward and heard Rae and Jenila shout as the floor rushed up to meet him…

--

"Gawd, he's so freaking heavy!"

"Will you quit complaining? We're almost there!"

"But he weighs a ton…and Great Alexander! He reeks!"

"I told you we should have got him before he drank himself into a stupor…now look at him!"

"Was I the one trying to be formal with a drunkard? 'Mr. Strife'…you sounded ridiculous!"

"I was being proper! Unlike you, who was speaking to him like he was just some schmuck off the street…"

"He was drunk, Rae! Do you really think he would have cared whether we were formal or not? Besides, I get the impression this world isn't so big on formalities."

Rae and Jenila were slowly making their way through the back alleys of Costa del Sol, their feet dragging as they carried the unconscious Cloud along with them. His boots scraped across the pavement, but the two women didn't take notice. They were trying to get back to their hotel, and trying to resist strangling each other in the meantime.

Rae, the mature and seemingly older one, was adamant when it came to procedure and proper behavior. Jenila however, was a bit more rebellious and energetic, and was prone to speak her mind at the worst times. They were a team, the two of them, and they had been for the longest time…however, it was the first time either of them could remember ever having to drag a drunk, ex-rebel leader, who happened to have helped save the world, back to their place of stay.

It was surely a new experience for the both of them.

That didn't make it a pleasant one, however.

Rae growled, "Why'd you have to go and tell him about the succubus? We could have kept it simpler if you hadn't started spewing that bestiary garbage…"

Jenila scowled across at her, hefting the arm she had slung over her shoulders a little higher to keep it from slipping. "Rae, what did you want me to do? We killed the thing in front of him, he would have wanted to know."

"The keyword there is 'would' have. It's like you said, he was drunk, not only that, shocked and scared. Over-loading someone with information is never good in a situation like that."

"Did you see the look on his face? He actually thought he had done something wrong! I had to tell him."

"As sweet as you're reasons were, this is still going to be a pain in the ass trying to convince him of everything now…"

The other woman shrugged, "Well, at least we got him…maybe now we'll find the others soon to."

"I heard three of them are in Corel, Mideel, and Cosmo Canyon."

"Do you know where those are on the map?"

"Generally, yes. You would to, if you did a little researching for once…"

Jenila smiled sweetly. "But why waste my time doing that when you do it so well?"

Rae rolled her eyes.

As they rounded the corner into another alley, the hotel came into view, the dilapidated building looking like heaven from where the two women stood.

Jenila sighed in relief. "Finally…" lifting Cloud's arm more securely on her shoulders, she began to move, "Come on, before someone sees us!"

Rae cried out as Cloud slipped a little from her grasp, "Hey! Watch it! We have to move in unison!"

"What are we going to do when he wakes up?" Jenila asked as they emerged from the alley onto the sidewalk. The two glanced around cautiously, before proceeding to cross the street.

"What else can we do?" Rae puffed as they entered the building. "We have to tell him the truth. We'll have to wait till then though…it looks like he'll be unconscious for a while…"

"Damn alcohol…" Jenila cursed. They pushed the elevator button, and waited impatiently for the elevator to come down. "It makes the lives of the sober a living hell."

"I wish we knew where he lived…I get the feeling if he doesn't make it home soon, there'll be trouble."

"And you think he'll be okay when he wakes up in his room and sees us there?" The elevator doors opened and they stepped on.

Rae sighed wearily. "I guess you're right…either way, this isn't going to be pretty…"

The doors slid shut.

--

Tifa came into the villa, a t-shirt and shorts pulled on over her bikini. Blanket held to her chest, the fighter glanced around the dark home. The curtains were pulled shut, and the house was quiet. A distinct stillness was in the air, and it felt unwelcoming. Tifa sighed.

Cloud was gone again.

Tossing the folded blanket on a nearby chair, Tifa went into the kitchen, opening the fridge. She frowned as she looked inside, pushing aside the milk carton and jar of olives. They needed to go grocery-shopping…Well she needed to go grocery shopping. Cloud wouldn't go anywhere with her or do anything remotely helpful anymore.

In a sudden burst of anger, Tifa slammed the fridge shut, several magnets clattering to the floor. "Just what am I supposed to do!?" she cried, pounding a fist into the refrigerator door. She stood there heaving; her eyes shining with unshed tears. Frustration and anger was bubbling up inside her, but it all died away as quickly as it came, replaced with a cold despair. Tifa slumped to the ground with a groan.

Looking down at the scattered magnets, the fighter spotted one that brought back many memories…both bitter and sweet. Slowly she picked it up and examined it.

It was rather large for magnet, and was very colorful and decorative. With blue flower designs and lavender frame, in the center it showed a picture of her and Cloud on their wedding day. Both were smiling and holding hands. By the time the picture had been taken, they had already taken their vows.

And now, nearly two years later, those vows were about to be broken.

Tifa threw the magnet away from her.

If Cloud hadn't loved her, then why did he marry her? Did he feel obligated? Did he think he was doing her a favor?

Tifa hugged her knees to her chest, her face darkening. He did her no favor, stringing her along like this. He brought her no joy, wearing that wedding ring and not meaning or believing the vows that stood behind it.

Tifa was a patient woman, but her patience was lost now.

Years of hurt, disappointment, and frustration burned in her eyes as she stared morosely ahead of her. She had always been the understanding one, the one who sacrificed and always gave to others. She had never been perfect, and maybe not as 'heavenly' as Aeris had been, but she had always been determined. But just how long could one person, one heart, persevere against so much pain? How long would she have to wait for happiness? Tifa was tired of waiting.

So, simply put, she wasn't going to wait anymore.

The moment Cloud came home, she was going to have a talk with him, and he would hear her. She would make him hear her if she had to.

It was the only way Tifa could tell him goodbye.

--

Cloud woke with a groan, his head pounding with pain. Groggily he opened his eyes and glanced around, wincing as the light invaded his senses. He was in a bedroom. That much he could tell. His head was pillowed and his body was covered in soft blankets. There were bandages on his chest, and it throbbed with a dull pain. Next to him was a bedside table and chair. Down right of the bed was the door, slightly ajar. A shaft of light splashed onto the bed and the opposite wall, hinting that there was a window behind Cloud. Guessing by the light, it was late evening.

His ears perked at the sound of someone eating chips, and a second later someone came into the room.

It was the raven-haired woman, Jenila.

In her hand was a bag of tortilla chips, which she was eating cheerfully. The cloak and boots were gone. Now she wore only a simple pair of sneakers and a light sweater.

She gave him a slight wave. "Morning, sunshine."

Cloud winced at her voice. "Where am I?"

Jenila sat in the chair next to his bed. "You're in our hotel room, we carried you here."

The swordsmen closed his eyes, and groaned. "What do you want with me already?"

"We just want your cooperation." The woman said with a shrug. She ate another chip.

Cloud scowled, "Can you-?"

"Hey, Rae! He's awake!" Jenila shouted, turning towards the door. The swordsmen winced again, gripping his head.

"Keep your voice down!" he hissed vehemently.

Rae, the blonde woman from before, came into the room, quietly shutting the door behind her. "You did that on purpose, Jenila." She snapped in a low voice.

Jenila shrugged nonchalantly. "Of course I did."

"Well don't do it again, or I'll clip your wings." Rae knelt down next to the bed, looking apologetic. "I apologize for my companion here…she can be a pain sometimes." Jenila glared reproachfully.

"Why'd you bring me here? What do you really want that's so important?" Cloud asked, aggravated.

Rae frowned at him. "We had to. That apartment you were in, the one with the succubus, would soon be crawling with other demons from around the area. If they found you, you would have been killed immediately."

"…Demons? What-?"

"I know you have a lot of questions…but please, give me a moment to explain."

Cloud looked as if he were going to protest, but he thought against it, and shut his mouth with a snap.

Rae ran a troubled hand through her hair. Jenila had stopped eating chips and was watching her companion carefully.

"We…that is to say, Jenila and I…are not…from…around here." The woman finished lamely. She blushed a little and rubbed the back of her neck. Mentally she tried to sort out her words as best she could.

How could she explain this to him?

"We know few things about this city…or any other cities for that matter," she stood and went around the end of the bed, towards the window. Cloud rolled over onto his back and gazed at her quietly. His original suspicions of them being wacky activists or crazed fans were quickly fading…instead he began to feel a foreboding deep within his gut. They spoke of a danger…what danger? These demons?

Rae continued quietly, turning toward the window. "This world, and the people in it, is all new to us." She held out her palm and gazed down at it with half-lidded eyes. Turning slightly, she gave Cloud a sidelong glance. "Nothing is familiar…all we know is that a rebel group named Avalanche had saved the world from complete destruction, and that a new danger is emerging straight from the planet's heart and soul, ready to threaten it's existence again…"

Her hand began to glow with the light from before, the energy flickering in the air like flames. It hurt to look at it, because of the hangover, but Cloud continued to stare. This wasn't a normal ice spell…

"Our superiors sent us to stop the danger before the planet could be overrun. Because, if this planet's taken over, it could greatly endanger our race, my race, in the long run…"

Rae turned to Cloud completely and held out her hand. Cold blue flames danced rhythmically in her palm before the movements slowed and the flames began to take shape. It twisted and solidified, turning white, until it finally transformed into something. An angel, made completely of ice, hovered eerily over her palm, wings out spread and her hands held reverently in front of her. It glistened, and a flurry of snow swirled around it as it began to turn slowly, like a twirling ballerina from a jewelry box. Cloud watched entranced.

"We're different from everyone here, we know nothing about this world, it's customs, or it's people, because we're from another realm. We…aren't human…" she closed her palm, and the ice angel and snow vanished instantly. Cloud blinked.

"We're angels. And we're here to stop the demons from taking over you're world."

Cloud stared at her, then at Jenila. He slowly sat up, pain shooting through his head as he did so. "And what do you want with me and the others?" he asked cautiously.

"Right now, you and your friends hold the most power in the world-"

Cloud snorted derisively, "You really think that? The only ones who have any real influence are Barret, Reeve, and Nanaki. Tifa and me live off our fortune and have no jobs. Vincent and Yuffie have dropped off the face of the earth as far as I'm concerned. And Cid is still just a simple mechanic."

"But the world looks to you. All of you. And it's been said you hold the power of the Knights of the Round. No one in the world has more experience than Avalanche when it comes to matters like this."

Cloud scowled, "If you think we saved the world because we're powerful, you're wrong…"

"And the fact that you defeated Sephiroth and all of the Weapons isn't important?" Rae said coolly.

"…Just how much did you guys look up on us, anyway?"

"Enough to know that you're capable. Should you and your group help us, we promise, you won't go through this alone."

Cloud sighed, "This is still hard to believe…"

Jenila rolled her eyes, tossing her chip bag on the bedside table. "Oh boy…" she stood and backed up from the bed, taking off her sweater, "Look Rae, I'll save you the trouble of asking. All right?" She was wearing the shirt from before, but as she turned around and pulled her hair over her shoulder, Cloud noticed something that the cloak she had been wearing had covered.

The back of her shirt, the upper half, was cut out, so that it revealed her shoulder blades and upper back.

The woman glanced back at him, a smirk playing at her lips. "Don't pass out on me, okay? This may be a bit of a shock…"

Her body began to glow with white light and she flexed her shoulders, arching her back as she did so. Cloud's neck hair's stood on end, and he leaned away instinctively, eyes narrowing against the glow. It hurt to look, but as before, he couldn't look away. There were only two other times when something had captivated him so much.

First was when Aeris died on the altar, and second when her ghost had come to him after Sephiroth's defeat.

White things sprouted from Jenila's back, the sound of bones crunching as whatever it was grew. The things spread and the light grew so bright, Cloud couldn't bear it anymore. He closed his eyes.

When he opened them again he was greeted with the sight of large ethereal wings, folded against Jenila's back. Stretching her arms, she sighed happily. "Ah! It feels so good to bring these babies out…"

"Well don't get used to it…I don't want to have to sweep feathers up from the floor again." Rae muttered. But the corners of her lips were twitching.

Cloud could only stare in wonderment. Jenila turned carefully around, so as not to knock the bedside lamp to the floor with her wings. Grinning smugly, she crossed her arms, "There. Now do you believe us?"

The swordsmen could only stare.

--

"It'll be hard getting the group back together."

"Yes, but if they'll help us, then it will be worth it."

"I wonder how Tifa will take this…"

"If we have to, we'll convince her, just like we did with you."

"No it's not that…its just…things haven't been the best between us."

"Oh? What's wrong?"

"…I don't really wanna talk about it."

Cloud took a deep swig of the bottle of water he was carrying, his hangover still pounding his head, but less now thanks to the mako in him. At this thought however, a dark scowl played across his face, and he took another swig of his drink.

Mako did a lot of things to him. It heightened his eyesight, it quickened his recovery time, and it boosted his stamina.

It also shortened his lifespan and lowered his sperm count.

He had found out two weeks before his wedding, from the same doctor in Mideel who had tended him when he had received mako poisoning.

"The side effects," the man had said, "Were not immediate. But you had taken such large amounts of mako in your body, that coming out of it, though you, by all means, should have died, would have taken on some kind of unpleasant long term effect no matter what. This, I'm afraid…is it."

Cloud had been stunned.

He would most likely die around his mid thirties or early forties, if not sooner. Worst of all, he wouldn't be able to produce a family before then. He had wanted to move on, to start a new life, to be normal. Now with death hanging in the not so far off distance, Cloud found himself running out of time. But the question was; what was he running out of time for? The world no longer needed a hero out of him. He was just something to be worshipped and admired, something for the media to poke and dissect at their leisure. He could produce no offspring of his own, and knowing the wishes of his wife, Tifa, he couldn't grant her that wish either.

He was useless.

But this new dilemma brought back a shadow of his former self, one who had been lost in the winds of time. The world needed to be saved again, and the fate hanging over all their heads could very well be considered twice as worse as the one Sephiroth and Meteor had offered. As the ex-leader of Avalanche, was it really his duty to go out and try and save the world a second time?

Cloud didn't really care.

He was needed again.

He would fight out of want to be useful, out of simple need to be needed, and the desire to prove himself once again to a world who now looked to him as a mere figure.

Cloud took another swig of his water bottle, letting the mako in him do the rest to take care of the toxins in his body.

Rae was walking briskly next to him, her cloak once again over her shoulders. Jenila was flanking his other side, walking just as quickly. She glanced at Cloud out of the corner of her eye and grinned.

He glared at her reproachfully. "What?" he snapped.

Jenila snickered once before quickly gaining her composure again. "Nothing." She said dismissively, looking ahead in a determined stare. But the corners of her lips were twitching.

Cloud sighed, getting irritated. "Why couldn't you guys get my shirt from that apartment?" he grumbled, his face blushing a little.

He was wearing a red t-shirt, the words "Princess" glittering on the front. He looked much too large for it.

Rae shrugged, "The place was a mess, and I would have vomited if we tried sifting through all that garbage."

Cloud pulled at his collar in disgust. "But did you guys have to give me this shirt? I'm getting stares…"

Jenila grinned again, her eyes lighting up mischievously. Cloud was distinctly reminded of Yuffie. "Relax," said the woman, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Would you have rather worn the pink shirt with the fairy on it?"

"No…"

"Then there ya go! This shirt was the best choice! It was the only one that fit anyways…"

"Fit!? This thing is strangling me!"

"If you can talk, then you're fine."

The three of them rounded a corner coming into the small plaza. The villa was not too far from here. In fact it wasn't very far at all.

The sky was painted a dark violet, the stars coming out for their nightly spectacle. Cloud began to dread having to face Tifa.

How would she take this?

How would she react?

It had already been hours since he had left home for the pub. Was it really wise to come back home, flanked by two women, wearing a skin tight t-shirt? As they turned the corner he quickly saw his answer.

A taxi was revving in front of the villa. Tifa was sitting on the steps, a stony look on her face. Cloud sped up his walk, alarm coming over him. The fighter's eyes flickered in his direction, narrowing a fraction. "What happened to you…?" she asked quietly, not moving as Cloud came near.

The swordsmen scowled, "What's going on?" he demanded pointing at the taxi.

Anger flashed briefly across her face before her expression once again turned blank. "I asked you first. I've been waiting for hours, I had to pay the taxi driver to wait."

"Wait? Wait for what?"

"To leave, Cloud."

He stared at her, flabbergasted. Mouth hanging open slightly, he felt his body go numb.

Tifa was leaving?

Her eyes snapped up, glaring at something behind him. Cloud closed his eyes. Jenila and Rae.

"Who are they?" she snapped, her eyes flashing dangerously.

Cloud rubbed his face, "Their…some people I met…"

"Really?" she sneered. Tifa stood to her feet briskly, shaking her head, "I can't believe this…" she muttered. She started for the taxi.

Cloud grabbed her arm, "Tifa, it's not what you think!"

Weak words for a desperate man.

Tifa ripped her arm away. "What am I supposed to think, Cloud!?" she screamed. The raven-haired woman looked particularly scandalized. She looked like she was about to say something when her companion nudged her hard in the ribs. Tifa gestured wildly at them, "You come home late, you're wearing a shirt that says 'princess' on it, and there are two women following you home!"

"But I have a reason!" Cloud shouted, growing angry.

Rae shook her head quickly. "Cloud, wait-!"

"What is it?" Tifa challenged, purposely cutting the woman off.

"Demons!" he hissed in a low voice, as if it were the answer to everything. Rae buried her face in her hands and Jenila rolled her eyes skyward.

"Demons." Tifa repeated flatly, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes!" Cloud growled. If she would listen, maybe she would see…

"There was this thing called a succubus-" he began, and Jenila muttered to Rae out of the corner of her mouth, "Should we stop him?"

Rae shook her head in exasperation. "It's too late…I swear, human men do the stupidest things…"

Meanwhile, Cloud had been reliving the encounter with Terra, the succubus demon, while Tifa listened with dangerous attentiveness.

"…So then these two came in-"

"And just who are they?" Tifa asked curtly.

Cloud faltered. "These are…Jenila, and Rae…" he scratched his head. "Their angels." He finished lamely.

Tifa rolled her eyes. "Uh huh." She turned again. "Good bye Cloud."

He frowned, "G-Goodbye!? Tifa, I'm telling you the truth!"

"The truth!?" she shouted, whirling around. Cloud cringed at the look on her face. It was one of cold anger. "Cloud, you have never been honest with me about anything, ever. Since the beginning you have been nothing but a wall, anything but the husband that was supposed to love me." She grabbed Cloud's hand and squeezed it passionately, her eyes burning into his. "I can't keep doing this…How can I keep waiting for you to open yourself up to me if you won't talk to me? I won't force you Cloud…But I won't wait anymore either. I can't. I just can't." She turned to the taxi, opening the door. But she stopped.

Cloud watched her with an expressionless face as she turned slightly. She looked at him with tearful eyes, "You know…I always found myself wishing, these past two years, that you would see how much I loved you…how hard it was to tell you my feelings, in the face of everything that ever happened to us…But you didn't. I found myself wishing, you would say the words 'I love you' without me having to force it out of your throat."

She turned to him completely, the tears cascading down her cheeks. She shrugged, disheartened. "Then I realized just what I was really wishing for…"

Tifa turned and quickly sat in the taxi. "…I was wishing for you to love me."

With a slam, she shut the door and the taxi drove off, Cloud staring after it with a dead gaze. Jenila and Rae stood there awkwardly, feeling ashamed to have witnessed something so personal.

None of them moved.

--

It was done.

Tifa let out a shuddering gasp as she gazed out at the passing buildings. Pain was shooting through her heart like bullets, slashing at the bloody remains and scattering the pieces on the floor for the doves to peck at. Wiping forcefully at her eyes, Tifa tried fruitlessly to steel her will.

She had to leave. It was time for her to move on.

But as she continued to gaze out the car window, a feeling akin to guilt began to bubble up inside her.

What if Cloud had been telling the truth? He never was one to come up with stories.

"Yes," said a voice in her head, "But he's also never been as cold to you as he has been recently."

Tifa thought back, "It's not like him to lie."

The voice sneered. "It's not like him to treat you like he has."

"It's not like him…"

"No, it's not like him at all…"

The taxi continued to drive on to its destination, the neon lights of dance clubs and bars playing shadows across the woman's face. Doubt was taunting at her, poking at her will, but she only closed her eyes and hummed a song in a vain attempt to keep the hampering thoughts out. Fisting her cheek, she leaned against the door, watching with disinterest as things zoomed past in a blur. Recognition waved at her mind as she began to recognize the streets they were passing.

They were almost there. They were almost at the docks. There, Tifa planned to sail away. Away from Cloud and Costa del Sol…

The taxi driver glanced into the rearview mirror, brow creasing slightly at the sight of the troubled woman. This scenario had played itself out before him many times, but watching as this exchange unfolded, he immediately knew this was different.

Most of the kids he picked up were beach brats, spoiled and ungrateful. They were careless and driven by lust and greed, the disloyalty and dislike shining like fire in their young eyes. Couples at this age, as far as he knew, never seemed to know the value or importance of love. To them, it was something they did, not felt.

But this woman held something else in her eyes.

Sincerity.

Love.

Pain.

Like an open wound, it was exposed to all through her hazelnut eyes. Meanwhile, her idiot lover could only stand making up ridiculous stories to explain himself. And when she was turning to leave, he did nothing more, only stared after her blankly.

The taxi driver glanced into the rearview mirror again. "Good for you, kid." He thought silently. He came to a stop in front of the docks. "Leaving him was the best thing you could have done. He was a lost cause anyways."

"Here we are." The driver said gruffly, bringing Tifa out of her trance.

She smiled at him weakly. "Thank you, very much." She reached into her jacket, but stopped, biting her lip. "Um…how much do I owe you?"

"11 gil."

She gave him the money. "Here you are…Thank you again for waiting. You didn't have to."

The driver shrugged, "I didn't mind."

Tifa opened the door and began to get out.

"Wait!"

She stopped and looked back at the man in confusion. "Yes?" she asked, frowning slightly.

"Here." He handed her back the extra money she had given him before, for waiting. "You can take this back. I don't need it."

She frowned. "But-"

He waved her off, "Look, forget it. You'll miss your boat!"

She smiled in sincere thanks before getting out and shutting the door. The trunk popped and she went around, taking out the large roller suitcase.

Tifa had taken only what she needed. Everything else...Cloud could burn it for all she cared.

Shutting the trunk, she moved to the sidewalk and waved as the taxi drove away. When it had turned out of sight, she turned and went to the ticket master, feeling her heart quicken.

She was really leaving.

The man in the booth looked up at her boredly. "Where to?" he asked.

Tifa blinked.

She hadn't thought where she would go; she just knew she was leaving to it. Biting her lip, she thought quickly.

Junon? No, she had never enjoyed the giant city. It also harbored many memories she didn't want to relive, just like Nibleheim. Corel? No, Barret was there, and she didn't want to show up on his doorstep, only to dump all her problems on him. Rocket town? Cid and Shera were expecting a baby and with all they had to prepare for the wedding, she didn't want to interrupt that.

In fact, just about all the places she had in mind were place she didn't want to go.

Reeve was there…Nanaki was there…she didn't like that place…brought back more unwanted memories…The more she checked off, the more desperate Tifa became. Where could she go, where she wouldn't have to run into any of the others, and start a new life on her own?

Then it hit her, like a fat chocobo out of the sky.

Icicle Inn.

It was perfect. No one she knew was there; it was a nice homely town explicably absent of any painful memories. No one would find her there…not to say that she was hiding, of course. But she felt like she needed some time to herself…

And away from Cloud.

She placed her money on the counter. "One way ticket to Icicle Inn please."

A/N: A classic case of a chapter run away on itself. Yes, I'm aware that this chapter is absent of any real 'action' but ironically enough I enjoyed writing it. Mainly I guess because I'm introducing two new original characters of mine. Rae and Jenila.

These two originated from the same RP (role-play), which I started some time ago on a forum, and I've kind of grown fond of them. Rae especially. I've got a lot of funny moments with her…And if you care to know, Beatrix and the other lycans also came from an RP, and I've kind of toyed around with them in various little mini stories that I've yet to show anyone. Beatrix was one of the first characters that I've ever created for an RP, and though she isn't necessarily the same from when I first wrote her (I've toned down her randomness and eccentricities A LOT) she's still the same audaciously adorable werewolf from before. I have a whole roster filled with RP characters that I've created, and if I really wanted to, I could dump them all in this story…of course, you'd probably have a hard time keeping track of all the names, so I most likely won't be doing that.

I'll be honest with you. I have really no idea where I'm going with this story. Nothing was planned…in fact I threw Beatrix and Taerk into the first chapter on a complete whim. What I really wanted was to write a story about Yuffie, two years after Meteor, turned into a cat. That's it. I figured it would come up with some interesting scenarios and as the story begins to progress (albeit, painstakingly slowly) I'm beginning to fully realize just how much fun I could have with this.

This chapter is roughly 19 pages long. I've been trying to keep things short, but if I keep on going the way that I am, I'll end up writing 60 paged chapters like in my other fanfic, which, needless to say, was a headache and a pain in the ass to do. The minimum I wanna keep it is at least 15 pages, but I have to learn when to stop first…

On a completely different note…just how much would a taxi drive cost in the FFVII world? I have no idea, as most of the things Cloud and his team bought on his adventures weren't ordinary everyday things that normal people used to get by in the day.

Let's just screw promises, all right? I seem prone on breaking them…So if there is no action whatsoever in the next chapter, please don't mob me.

Anyways…thank you for reading. I'll update as soon as I can.

As always, please leave a review.