It had been a hard night. No one, not even Yuffie, asked any questions. They hadn't even asked when Cloud and Tifa slept in different rooms. Actually, for them, that had been perfectly natural. Cloud's silence at dinner had been, too. Besides, that night, everyone had been too preoccupied with the noise from Cid and Vincent's room.

Cloud got up and out of bed. He hadn't packed any clothing, he had realized, and was in his underwear and Vincent's cape. "It's cold outside! Yuffie, get out of the bathroom!" He knocked on the door. "Yuffie!"

The Wutaian girl yawned, bunny pajamas and matching slippers seeming to twitch their noses. "Cloud-chan, stop calling my name. If you can't stay away from me for a night, I can totally understand, but you're gonna have to explain that to Tifa."

"Wait, Yuffie... if you're not in there..."

Cid walked out of the bathroom. "Morning. Nice underpants, Cloud." Vincent walked out after, smiling and pulling Cid by the collar for a kiss, other hand trying to straighten out the messy black locks of hair. "It's so great that you lot know," said Cid, eyes still locked on Vincent's.

"Nn," muttered Cloud. "If you left anything in the bathroom, and I step in it... I'm gonna... gonna... ugh." He shook his head and just walked in the door, closing it behind him.

Yuffie giggled. "He's just mad because he's not getting any. Don't worry, I'm happy for you two. Now... go somewhere else, because as happy as I am for you, it's starting to get a little... you're not even listening, are you?" She shook her head and headed back towards her room.

Cloud walked out after a few minutes, hair still damp. He hadn't paid much attention to his shower; he had been too distracted thinking about what his teammates had done in it. All he found was a lot of Vincent's hair. He'd never found so much of it... and... He tried to erase the image out of his head. "Next person!"

Yuffie came up to him and slapped him. "I can't believe you... you... and Tifa... that's why she was crying last night! After six years of leading her on, and you... you drop her! So, Cloud, who's the other woman?"

"There is no other woman," came his reply.

"Well then, what is it? You're just not in love with her anymore? I refuse to believe you left for five years and just realize that now. So, the joke's up, Cloud. Who is it?"

"Ask Tifa. If she told you all that, I'm sure she would be able to tell you everything else you need to know."

"She didn't tell me anything. But let me tell you, Cloud. She never takes off that ring of hers. Every time she looks at it, she gets all... nostalgic. Never. You... you broke her heart." She wagged her finger at him, and her eyes narrowed. "Sleep with one eye open."

"I don't really feel like discussing this with you. I didn't even really discuss this with Tifa. Please, just... let it go. It's over, and it's in the past. There's nothing you can do; there's nothing I can do."

"I can't believe you're saying this! She's loved you since she was thirteen years old. She talks about you every night I call her. Endlessly! Sometimes, I just want to say 'shut up!' but I can't, because I'm a good person. Cloud, are you a good person? I mean, really!"

"I don't know. I don't even think anymore. Not before I speak, not before I act, never. Listen. I love Tifa, but I'm not in love with Tifa. I'm not entirely sure I've ever been. She's twenty-seven. Resilient. She'll find someone who deserves her."

Yuffie looked at him, mouth agape for awhile. "But she doesn't want someone else, Cloud! Don't you remember-- she wants you! She's always wanted you! And you made a vow to her. You promised her that she could have you, and that promise is irrevocable!"

"Really, then I wonder what divorce is," he replied, now very annoyed.

"Just tell me who it is, Cloud."

"I don't want to tell you who it is," he replied.

"So it is someone else," she said, eyebrow raised.

He looked at her, looked down at his feet, and looked back at her. His mouth opened and closed to say something a couple of times, and failed. "D..d...damn you, Yuffie!" He walked off, shoulder brushing against hers as she smiled to herself.

Before he could get back to his room, he ran into Tifa. Before he could say anything about last night, a packet of paper was shoved into his chest. He took them and looked at the print, marred only by a fancy signature at the end.

"I got up early this morning. All you have to do is sign them, and it's all over."

"How'd you get them without me?"

"Easy, I told them the truth. You lied about your sexual preference. I showed them that picture of you in Wallmarket... And then I brought that one where you ran into Mukki that one time. The time where he practically raped you? They didn't doubt me for a second."

"Yeah, but I don't remember ever consenting to Mukki. Wasn't it obvious that I wasn't all that happy in all the pictures?"

"Not really. They looked at me, and then at the pictures, and handed me the papers."

"And I hope you burn those pictures," he said, as he took up the pen in her outstretched hand and signed on the line with the x next to it. "So that's it, then. We're officially not married to each other anymore."

"Yup. No more marriage... you're free of me, and I of you. We'll be out of each other's lives forever. Well, except for Yuffie's birthday parties."

"Well, I don't know about that. I'm not on very good terms with her anymore, now that she's found out about the divorce. So, after today, I guess we're never going to see each other again. And if we did, we'd be friends, right?"

"Yeah." She looked down. "Great friends. We were always friends before we were together, Cloud. Even though I may not have acted like it at some times, I always believed in you. And I always thought I'd end up with you, and we'd live somewhere modern and have little kids running around."

"...Tifa..."

She quieted, and sniffled a little, before putting her hand up to her nose and turning away. She quickly walked away from him, for the second time within twelve hours. Cloud could never get a break.

He walked back to his room and sat down on his bed. He was a single man now. And even if he could ever get over who he was in love with... even if he could bring him back, and Sephiroth loved him back... He wasn't kidding anyone.

He was in love. He was deeply, madly in love, too. That feeling that had harbored in his heart for ages... and it was resurfacing its ugly head. How long? He didn't know how long. He didn't really want to know how long. He... There was no "how long." Always. Always was his answer.

He leaned his head back on his pillow, and closed his eyes shut. He'd sleep it off... Yeah, he'd just sleep it all off and everything would be okay. But he knew that he couldn't... He couldn't just sleep it off. In fact, he couldn't even just sleep. He switched over to another side and tried again. Nothing. Nothing but an eternity of trying to erase everything from his mind so he could sleep.

Laughter rang in his ears. Cold, cold laughter that bit like the freezing morning frost. He knew what was coming, and didn't try to stop it. In fact, he tried to run towards the laughter... Acceptance. He knew that he wouldn't get over the whole ordeal until he accepted himself for who he was and whom he loved.

He ran, and the laughter got louder, warmer. Where ever he was seemed like an endless white void with soft lighting. It looked kind of like death had. He hadn't seen it for five years, but the familiarity rushed over him. He stopped. Could he see anyone here? No... The only time that had happened, Aeris had been in a field of flowers. So then why?

But there he was, with his arms outstretched in a wide gesture. Cloud stopped mid-run and walked over to the one-winged angel, but shook his head with a small smirk. "First, an explanation."

"On?" Sephiroth walked the last step between them and lifted Cloud's chin with his fingers, softly but with a little force. He leaned in for a kiss but stopped when he realized his lips were to make acquaintance with a cheek.

"Why am I here?" he asked. He tried to make his voice sound as annoyed and serious as possible.

"Obviously it's because you've been thinking about me lately. And hearing me. I thought I lost you after the northern crater... but then again, here you are. So I guess I already know the answer to 'did you miss me?'"

"Why do I still love you?"

"I'm irresistible."

Cloud snorted. "Well, you haven't lost your ego." He turned to look at the silver-haired warrior. "But that doesn't mean I don't believe you. So... you know I missed you, but did you miss me?"

"There's no one to spar with up here. It gets boring."

His expression changed to one that resembled slightly of Yuffie's. "Is that all I'm good for? A quick spar? I think I'd be less insulted than if you had said all I was good for was doing it!"

"You need to die sometime; it loosens you up when there are no stresses." His arms were around Cloud and he moved his hand to tilt the younger man's head to his chest. "Of course I missed you."

Cloud heaved a nervous laugh. "You're getting too sappy on me. I think I liked it better when you were insane." He lifted his head and gave Sephiroth a quick peck on the lips. He then leaned upwards again, deepening the kiss.

The response was a warm one, as Sephiroth returned the gesture and pulled Cloud closer to him. His hands were warm and strong, still. His grip was that of confidence, just like always. He was always so sure of his actions.

When they broke away, Cloud's lips were all too aware of the cold in the air. His eyes opened slowly and he lowered his heels back down to the ground. "I love you, Sephiroth..."

Sephiroth smiled, and that smile turned into a laugh. At first it was a small laugh, and it rose. It rose so that his head tilted back and his shoulders shook, and as one hand clutched his stomach, the other was over his eye. The laugh was the epitome of evil.

As Cloud backed away with confusion and hurt all over his face, the body before him morphed into a great blue creature... no, it was a monster. The laugh became high-pitched and shrill, causing Cloud to cover his ears and wince in pain. Those dark blue arms reached out for him and those eyes opened to reveal the only resemblance she had to her 'son.' "Weakling boy, foolish! Heehee!"

His eyes opened and he snapped awake in bed. "It was just a dream," he reassured himself. "Just a dream..." He put his head in his hand and heaved a sigh. It took him a moment to realize that a blanket had just been over his chest.

He got up and out of bed, ran a hand through his hair and he smoothed out his shirt. "Just a dream," he muttered to himself. "Just a dream..." Last time he checked, Jenova had one red eye and one nonexistent, and she didn't have arms anyway. Yeah, that was it. Everything had been a dream.

It was already noon, and he could feel it in his stomach. He walked out of his room and into the kitchen to fix himself something. He looked in the cupboard and took out two slices of bread. It was just like Tifa to get the household whole wheat. He twisted the plastic together and put it back in the cupboard. If he left anything out and it went stale, his head would be on the line.

There was absolutely nothing good in the refrigerator to put on a sandwich. He settled for a slice of tomato and a dash of pepper. At least it was something. He'd just wash it down with something more substantial.

When he finished, he walked into the main bar area and looked to Tifa. She was sitting down and watching a little television that they had installed in the top corner of the building. She turned around hearing Cloud's cough. "Morning, sleeping beauty. The others already left. Sorry for not telling you... but they had to get back to their lives, and you were so peaceful napping."

"Nnn," he replied. He started walking towards the door, but before he opened it, he looked at Tifa. Her ears were a shade of red and the earrings he had bought her were dangling from her lobes. They were slightly swollen and he could barely see the black mark surrounding the punctures.

He assumed it was Yuffie who pierced them that morning. He turned back around and walked into the sunlight. "Goodbye, Tifa." He didn't even get an acknowledgement. He walked slowly to Fenrir, as if there had been some mistake and she would come running to say goodbye before he had a chance to leave. It had to be... she wouldn't ever let him leave without the least bit closure, especially since this time, he was sure not to return.

So he waited. He waited for a few more minutes, and thought he should leave. But he pulled out his cell phone and thought: "until the ten minute mark. I'll leave then." Soon, those ten minutes turned into fifteen, and then a half an hour. Nothing.

It was already well into the afternoon when he gave up, and taunting laughter followed him with the wind. That shrill sound reverberated in his ears and he had to stop when his eyes closed and his ears were about to bleed. Or at least, it felt that way.

It took a few moments to realize where he was. Then he saw the women, the men, and the men dressed rather convincingly like women. And the house at the end of the road was a dead giveaway. He tried to start up his bike again, but the laughter turned more into a scream with high frequency when he tried. Instead, he got off.

There were memories of the place, but none of them had been fond. Especially when he had to wear that set of lingerie. He was glad to have had a chance to change out of them afterwards, because going into battle with them on would have killed him.

"Hey there, lonesome," said an androgynous voice. The owner of it walked towards Cloud, heavily mascara'd eyes trailing up and down his body. It was evident to Cloud that matching was not a fashionable thing to do in Wallmarket. The "it" that walked towards him had a black wig shaped like a bob on, with a maid's bonnet tied onto the plastic strands by rhinestone barrettes. The person was wearing a corset showing off a pair of obviously unnatural things that could not be referred to anything else but "knockers." The person also donned a pair of cut-up denim shorts, arm warmers, and shiny black "fuck me" boots. "Looking for someone to pass the time with?"

He wasn't sure whether to say "sorry, I'm straight" or "sorry, I'm gay" to avoid confrontation, so he decided not to take that route. "No thanks, I'll pass. Besides, isn't a little too early for you to offer services?"

The person shrugged and looked off to the side. "New to this place, aren't you? There's no such thing as too early in Wallmarket. Unless, of course, you'd like to take it up with the new Don." He had completely forgotten. Reno had killed Don Corneo seven years ago.

"Not really, no. I was here seven years ago... but that's really not an experience I'd like to relive."

"Oh? Did someone show you a bad time? Aww come on, don't base that on one time. Besides, you're back, right? Give this place another shot. It's like that old saying... 'When in Wallmarket, do who the Wallmarketers do.' Otherwise, you won't get the most bang for your buck."

"Actually... Well, I'd explain why I stopped but you'd think I was crazy. It doesn't matter. I'm leaving." He tried to get back on Fenrir, but as soon as he touched the handle, he retaliated. It was as if the handle had been under the sun too long and burned him. Foolish boy, you're not beautiful enough.

The it tilted their head, a smug grin spread across that finely-tuned scientifically altered face. "Now, if I didn't know better, I'd think that you'd actually want to stay in this place..."

"It's really not my decision," he said, waving his hands and forcing a laugh to make it seem like it was all some big joke that wasn't very well planned. Maybe it was on Jenova's part...

The it arched a meticulously sculpted eyebrow and touched Fenrir. It shrugged. "Fine, pretend my hospitality isn't good enough for you." Then, reaching into their corset and pulling out a business card, they winked and handed it to Cloud. "Ta-ta! If you need me, you know where to reach me!"

Cloud looked down at the card in his palm. "Peridot de Amethyst. Reach me at 4241-2958-3525." Well, that didn't answer any questions about Peridot's gender, but he assumed that it wanted to be referred to as a female. Though, he'd never see her again anyway, so he crumpled up the card and threw it on the ground.

One of the Honeybee Manor girls walked past him, head down, accidentally running into him. Obviously she was on her break and not particularly happy. "Watch it, bitch," she said, not bothering to look back at Cloud.

He decided to ignore it, until someone else bumped into him and muttered obscenities at him. Slightly annoyed, he grabbed the girl by the shoulder and pushed her out of his way. He wasn't having a good day, and he wasn't going to stand for being treated rudely twice in a row, either.

He stopped walking when he heard sobbing behind him. Walking back to the girl, who was now in the dirt and crying, he realized just how young she was. He crouched down and offered her a hand. "Listen, I'm sorry."

She took it and got up. "It's okay, mister. You just... push hard, that's all." She rubbed her side because the skin on her oblique was slightly damaged from the impact on the ground. A bruise was starting to form on the part where her body met a rock. She laughed and wiped away her tears. "I'm just being weak," she stated.

"No... sometimes I don't know my own strength. I truly am sorry... can I do anything to make it up to you? Do you want me to take you to the hospital, or something?"

She shook her head no, and looked back up at him. "But, you could treat me to a drink down at the bar," she suggested. She thought he'd laugh in her face and then turn around and leave. Actually, if he was like most of the locals, he would have pushed her back into the ground, "where she belonged."

"Yeah, sure." He took her gently by the arm and walked her, hand-in-hand, to the nearest bar, because she was in shock at his response. He opened the door and let go of her. "Pick out whatever you want. In fact, pick out a couple drinks."

"Are you... sure about this, mister? I mean, it'd be easier if you just picked up one of those hookers down the street, you know. They don't want drinks or nothin', and they're probably better in bed--"

Then, he laughed. "It's okay, you're not my type in any matter."

"Oh. Well, in that case, I'll just have a beer."

He waved to the bartender and gave his order, putting a little gil on the counter. The bartender was amazed at how much he had, and he hadn't realized that he had taken out so much. He started to put the coins back in when the girl put her hand on his arm to stop him.

"Mister, don't. You should order something to drink, too. You look like you've had a rough day. In any case, it looks like you've got money to spare, so why don't you treat yourself?"

He was about to say: "No," when he decided against it. After all, he had nothing to lose and there was absolutely no one who could hotwire Fenrir. And she was right, he had had a bad day. He lifted his hand from the gil pile and said: "Beers all around, please."

The bartender looked at him in confusion at first. Nobody who came by his bar had such nice clothes, was so kind, or used any manners. But then it registered in his head, and he rushed to fill up mugs of beer. He wasn't about to lose a fine customer.

Cloud took his mug and lifted it to his lips, swallowing it all in one gulp before anyone else could even have taken a sip. When he looked back at the awe in the girl's face, he sported the same look that had been on the bartender's. "Is there something wrong?"

"No... it's just... how do you do that?"

"I don't really know... I guess... being a gluttonous anorexic." She looked confused and he didn't want to explain how for most of the time, he didn't eat, and then he would just binge on whatever looked good. Instead, he ordered another beer.

Amber liquid slid down his throat endlessly, and everyone had stopped drinking to watch him. Ten mugs turned into thirteen, which turned into twenty-one, which turned into thirty, which turned into forty-five, which turned into fifty-seven.

Finally, by his fifty-somethingth glass, his speech became slurred and he started talking about his life story and how unfair it was for him. "And then it was all over, and she gave me back the ring... But it didn't matter anyhow... You know, his mother says I'm not pretty enough for him. Do you think that's why he's not back yet?"

The girl was equally as drunk but hadn't drunk a fourth of what Cloud had. "Naah, you're gorgeous. Hey... maybe it's 'cuz you're a guy. You ever think that guy you like is straight?"

"Not really... he kissed me. Okay, well, maybe it's because I was asleep when he kissed me... It was a really good kiss though... But you really think he's not back because I'm not a woman?"

"Well yeah... That, and he's dead and all..." she said. "Hey, mister? Maybe if you dressed up like a woman, you could see if that was the reason. And you wouldn't have... to like, cut off anything."

"There's an idea... But heeyy, your thinking is way too co... mpre... something... You get another drink! Bartender guy!" Cloud waved his arm frantically in the air, accidentally hitting the bartender on the nose as he came over to deliver another beer.

"Man, if I drink another one of 'em, I'm gonna piss my pants... Besides, one of us... should be so-ber 'nuff to take you so you can get all... girly... and shit." She got up and took his arm, which was probably good because if she hadn't, then she would have fallen over.

"Wait, wait." Cloud dug into his pocket and put another handful of gil on the table, which the bartender stared wide-eyed at. "Yeah, you just go 'n keep the change 'cause I'm kinda gonna be busy in the next hour or something."

The two of them stumbled into a clothing shop, but he had shook his head and looked in disgust at first. She convinced him by reminding him why he was going through all this, and he walked right in without a second thought. The first thing she picked out was a blue number that, if sober, would have caused him to reminisce about Tifa's old one. "It brings out your pretty eyes."

He went into the dressing room to try it on, and when he came out, it was much too tight-- especially in a place he didn't want it to be. He shook his head no, and she had already picked out another dress. This one was emerald green. She had said it would have brought out the warmth in the yellowish tone of his skin.

When he walked back out, he looked rather ridiculous. It was far too asymmetric and sheer for him too wear. It was too delicate for his bared arms and six-pack that showed through the fabric. Not worried, she took up a pale pink one with gold sparkles. "It looks good on everyone," she promised.

He walked back into the dressing room and tried it on. When he walked out, the girl immediately put the dress in her hands back on the rack. "That's the one..." She giggled. "Come on, pay for it, 'cause we gotta long way to go!"

As soon as he put the money on the table, she had grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him out of the store to go fit him for shoes. After all, that was the second most important thing besides the dress. Immediately, she found a gold pair of strappy sandals. It was hard finding them in Cloud's size, but there was one last pair and it was paid for immediately.

He was then dragged around Wallmarket further. They went to a cosmetic store. By the time she was done with him, his eyelids were painted sparkling champagne, and heavily mascara'd. His blush made him look like he had just been punched in the face, and his lips were a frighteningly shiny shade of pink. His neck was decked in false diamonds and his Cloudy Wolf earrings were replaced with giant chandelier earrings that would've put any nineteenth-century opera house to shame.

"Am I done, yet?" he whined. "'Cause, you know, if you keep draggin' me around, I'm gonna puke from the dizzi...dizziness..." Her response was a giggle and she sprayed his face with something that smelled strongly of flowers. He spit.

"Now we're done! Well, I wanted to get you gloves and do your hair, but there's no time for that! Now, go and find your prince charming!" She nudged him in the side and he nearly fell down.

Just then, Peridot walked over again. She almost missed him, but backtracked and looked at him. "Hey... weren't you that cutie from before? Damn... you're working that dress, girl-friend! Who're you all dolled up for?"

Cloud giggled at being referred to as "girlfriend." At least his costume was effective, or at least, he thought it was. It didn't quite register to him that Peridot had known he was a man. "I'm all 'dolled up' so that the man I love will come back, 'cause I think he likes women."

"Oh. Well, my deepest apologies, then." She had a look of pity on her face. She could tell that he was very obviously drunk and that he was going to look like a complete fool in front of whoever it was that he was pining over. She thought she could help him anyway. "Is there anywhere in particular that you want to go to try and find this guy?"

"I dunno... he's kinda not on The Planet anymore. He's kinda... a part of it. Like, you know the lifestream? He's like, the lifestream. Sort of. He's a part of the lifestream! But he used to have long, silver hair. It was pretty."

Peridot sighed. "Darling, he's dead. He's not coming back."

"No, no. He's dead, but he's sooo coming back. He came back at least..." he counted on his fingers. "Three times before! I remember, because every time he died, I was there. In fact, every time he died, it was my fault! Imagine that, huh?"

She shook her head. "Sorry dollface, but he ain't coming back for you."

"No... no! He's coming back because I wasn't pretty enough before, but now... I'm different. I'm beautiful now, and not even his damn mother can argue that! I'm beautiful enough for him! And I love him, I love him so much. He promised... you know what he said to me five years ago? He said that he'd never be a memory... He wouldn't lie to me, not about that."

"I'm sorry doll, but you're being a little delusional. The dead don't just walk again. That's impossible. It's a myth. Like that guy... I heard about him once. That great SOLDIER guy that turned evil? Probably wasn't even real..."

"Sephiroth..." started Cloud, "was very much real."

She looked at him. "Oh, you knew that guy? But... didn't he... Oh my god. You're... you're that Strife guy, aren't you? Damn... I always thought you'd be some old guy with huge arms and who could like, fly and shit."

"...Sephiroth... could fly..."

"...That's fucked up. Man, I don't remember the details, but didn't he like, try and kill everyone? And you're feeling sorry for him! Didn't you kill him? Why weren't you sympathetic then?"

"...I..." His face turned into an angry one and he slapped Peridot. "I don't have to give you a damn answer, whore! I love him; I love him! That's all that matters, and he'll come back to me..." He ran as Peridot was recoiling from the slap.

He ran and ran. There was no stopping, until his heels caught up with him and he realized that it was so much easier to run wearing comfortable boots. He stopped at a cliff, somewhere close to the vicinity of Zack's grave. He fell down upon his knees and just... waited.

Five minutes passed... which changed much too quickly into half an hour, and then an hour... two... The sun had set already and the sky was a dark lavender color. He looked up at the sky and finally spoke, after two hours of waiting. "Why won't you come back to me!"

He got up in anger and kicked a rock into the water. He looked up to the dark heavens that now resembled the clouds from when Sephiroth had turned the whole city dark. "Is that supposed to be a fucking sign or what!"

Beautiful. Strong. Smart. Nice. Was he any of those things? Was he someone that Sephiroth would even be interested in? No, no, no. He wasn't. He was a human... He was... "Please... please, no. I can't change that, I can't." Nothing.

"Do you hear me, Sephiroth! I love you, but I can't! I can't change that I'm a human!" He shook his head violently, even though it hurt his head to do so. "I love you! Isn't that enough? You burned down my town, you killed my friend, you manipulated me... but I love you, I love you! Please..."

Jenova's laugh rang in his ears, and he tried covering them, he tried shaking his head harder. "Isn't it enough for you?" He screamed as the laughter gained frequency. It was all in his mind, and anyone who stood next to him could have said that. It didn't stop the blood from falling down his earlobes.

He looked down at his bloody hands, and he looked back up at the heavens, and he was just aware that he was still screaming, and it became louder, and louder... and then everything just went blank.