Cloud heard Barret's voice outside and he got to his feet and ran to the window. His breath caught in his throat when he saw Vincent and the others but, most importantly, Tifa. Tifa seemed to be in a mood about something. Cloud wanted to run outside and hug her so tightly but he was unsure of what his friends would do if they found out that Cloud was hiding Sephiroth.

"I feel strange" said Sephiroth who had just come down the stairs.

"What do you mean?" Cloud asked

"I feel somewhat ill" said Sephiroth sitting down on the stairs. Cloud looked back out of the window and saw that Vincent was carrying something very long in a black cloth. Cloud had no doubt that it was the Masamune and that it was psychically calling out to its master.

"I think I know what's causing it" said Cloud

"What?" Sephiroth asked

"Your old sword" said Cloud "My old friends, the people who helped defeat you in battle, have your sword"

"Are they here?" Sephiroth asked as he paled.

"They have gone over to a friend's house" said Cloud

"What are you going to do?" Sephiroth asked. Cloud closed his eyes and thought about what he was going to do.

"You need me at the moment" Cloud decided "If they come here I'll tell them what's happened with you"

"But they hate me" said Sephiroth.

"I hated you when I found you, remember?" said Cloud "If I can forgive you then I hope they will too"

"If they don't?" Sephiroth asked

"I don't know" said Cloud who walked over and sat by Sephiroth "We'll have to just deal"

"Okay then" said Sephiroth "This world just got very complicated" he added as he put his head in his hands.

"Don't I know it" said Cloud

"Don't you think you should go be with them?" Sephiroth asked "Wouldn't it be better if you went over there now and told them first?"

"I don't know" said Cloud "Do you think I should?"

"I think you should" said Sephiroth "It would probably be difficult but at least you've told them"

Cloud mulled it over then got to his feet.

"Alright then I'm going" said Cloud.

Vincent sighed as he got a glass of water; going back to sleep after he had actually made friends would be difficult. He looked up and his heart almost stopped in surprise.

"Hey!" he shouted at the empty room "It's Cloud!"

Barret and the others came running down the stairs and looked through the window at Cloud who was now walking down the path. Barret pulled open the door before Cloud had even got to it.

"Hey!" said Barret "How did ya get here?"

"We need to talk" said Cloud walking into the house and walking into the kitchen.

"Where have you been?" Nanaki asked him

"In the Mansion" said Cloud.

"Why did you leave the Northern Crater?" Vincent asked putting down the glass and lifting up the black cloth.

"Cloud!" Tifa said as she came down the stairs. Tears welled up in her eyes and she ran and hugged Cloud. Cloud could not bring himself to hug her back, not until he told her about Sephiroth.

"Well?" Vincent asked "Why did you leave the Northern Crater?"

"Don't start Vincent" said Tifa turning to face him "He's not working wit Sephiroth"

Cloud hung his head and the room went silent. Tifa turned around to face him

"You're not working with Sephiroth, are you?" Tifa asked him

"You don't understand" said Cloud "When I found him" Tifa stepped away from him as though he was plagued.

"No" she said stepping back again.

"Just listen" said Cloud "Please just listen to me" Everyone in the room seemed to be eyeing him suspiciously.

"I am listening" said Nanaki who was sat in the entrance of the room.

"Maybe you should come see" said Cloud to Nanaki "You're the smartest of us, maybe you'll know how to help"

"As you wish, Cloud" said Nanaki standing up "But I'm only coming with you because I have trusted you in the past and are willing to give you the benefit of a doubt"

Cloud walked with Nanaki to the door.

"Wait" Cloud said turning around "Vincent, give me the Masamune"

"You want to give him back his weapon?" said Nanaki surprised

"Being without it is making him physically ill" said Cloud "It's psychic after all" Vincent threw the weapon to Cloud who caught it.

"Be careful, Nanaki" said Tifa who turned and walked away.

Nanaki and Cloud crossed the square in silence until they reached the door of the mansion.

"You sure you want this?" Cloud asked Nanaki who thought about it before nodding.