Here's chapter three! I'm getting these out pretty fast, but that's because the inspiration for it is still strong and I have the time. Once both of those are gone, I don't know how long it will be between each one. So, I'm trying to get as many out as I can. Please read on and enjoy.

[Edit: 4/23/20]

No real changes to this chapter. Just some minor corrections in spelling and the like.

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Chapter 3

"Who are you?"

"My name is Minerva. You know me best as the Lifestream, or the Planet."

"The Planet? What about Aerith?"

Minerva smiled, and he felt warmth flood through him. It was a fantastic feeling. "In the past, I have asked her to speak on my behalf in order to give you a familiar face. This time, I wish to speak to you myself."

"About what?"

"First, dear child, I wish to thank you. If not for you, I would have fallen to the Calamity long ago."

He could hear voices, but they were muddled.

His eyes widened for a moment before he looked away. "I wouldn't have gotten anywhere without help."

"The fact that you so readily admit that only further proves your character."

"...You said 'first,' Ma'am?"

She laughed softly. "So polite...Yes, there is something else I wished to discuss with you."

"What is it?"

He felt something soft beneath him...A bed? And what was that smell?

"If given the opportunity, would you go back?"

"Go...back?"

"To the time before these events began."

"...Do you want me to go back?"

He felt that warmth again when she shook her head and cupped his cheeks with a smile. "I only wish for you to be happy. You, who have suffered so much on my behalf, I ask because I want to give you a chance at a better life."

It was so familiar...like he'd come across it before.

"You're serious?"

"But of course."

"...What would that mean for me?"

"I would send you back to a time in your youth. From there, your choices are your own. Be warned, however, that, while those you love will have their lives restored, so will those whom you have fought against."

"You said you wanted me to have a chance of a better life...Does that mean you would help me?"

"As much as I am able."

It was a comforting smell. It reminded him of cold nights and warm arms.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think I would not have removed the Calamity myself had I the ability to do so? I am strong, yes, but I have limited influence on those in the mortal plane once they are born."

"Then...how is it that you can send me back?"

"You are in the Lifestream now, are you not?"

"Oh...right."

"Do not feel forced to go. Gaia is at peace, and if you wish to remain, then you are more than welcome."

It reminded him of home.

"I-...I'd like to try it."

"Are you sure?"

"No. But...if there's even a little chance at making things better for everyone...I'd like to try. I want to help them."

Minerva beamed. "Lovely child, your heart rings true. Such selflessness." She kneeled down and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. "Sleep now, Cloud. When you wake, you will find yourself in your new life."

He felt his eyelids grow heavy. "T-...Thank you."

"Just do your best. I have already made some changes that I think will help...Good luck."

Cloud groaned, awareness slowly making him aware of the fact that he was in pain.

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My breath hitched as I tried to control my tears.

Cloud had been out of it for a day now, and all I'd been able to think about was how it was all my fault. This wasn't supposed to happen- at least, I was mostly sure that it wasn't. The only sort of fall that I could remember him going through was when he and Tifa were on the bridge, and that hadn't happened yet.

"Come on, Cloud. Wake up..."

It was one thing when he had been nothing but a little sprite in a virtual world, but I'd seen Cloud grow. I'd talked to him and played with him. I'd helped him with his homework and brought him treats from the store. I knew he liked looking at pictures of planes and motorcycles, and that he always tried to sneak his vegetables under the table for Lilo to eat. He didn't like the color maroon. He had a weird fascination with wolves even at this age. He loved singing, even if it was just a silly song.

I choked back another sob.

He was real to me now. He wasn't just some character anymore. He was one of the few people I had in this life.

"Oh, how in the world am I supposed to let you go to ShinRa now?" I moaned quietly with my head in my hands. "They'll tear you apart, and I don't want that."

I felt bad for Angeal, Genesis, and even Sephiroth. Zack had been one of my favorite characters. The Turks were the bad guys who eventually weren't all that bad. AVALANCHE and all those other people were good too...but that was what I had felt before I'd arrived on Gaia. Those feelings, while still there, had gotten overshadowed by my closeness to Cloud. I didn't care so much about them anymore. I wanted to keep Cloud safe even if it meant that the others wouldn't have their hero. It was a horrible thing to admit, but it was true. Was it wrong to feel that? Was I selfish because I was willing to let hundreds of people suffer just to keep one person out of danger?

"What a mess," I whispered with a sad laugh. "The easy choice or the right one...it's not as black and white as people think it is, huh?"

I wondered if Zack ever had these kinds of thoughts while on the run from ShinRa...

A groan snapped me out of my thoughts, and I felt my heart leap up to my throat when Cloud began to stir. When those too blue eyes fluttered open, I practically tackled him in a hug before I even realized what I was doing.

"Y-You're awake! Oh, you're awake!" Now I was crying, but screw that, I was so happy. "Do you know how worried I've been?! How worried Ma and Da have been?! You're never going anywhere near the water tower ever again, do you hear me?!"

When he didn't respond, it was then that I noticed how tense he'd gotten. A bit of dread starting sinking into my gut when I realized he might not be as okay as I'd thought. Pulling away anxiously, I felt the dread turn into confusion and fear when I noticed him staring at me with a frown. Cloud didn't frown. It was wrong.

"C-Cloud?"

"Who are you?"

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The girl stumbled back with wide eyes, looking for all the world like she'd just been punched in the stomach. To her credit, she recovered a moment later and gave him a shaky smile.

"Come on, Chicky, it's me. Castalia...You know me..."

His frown deepened slightly at the name. "Don't call me that."

Something deep inside him cried a bit at the way something in the girl's eyes seemed to break, and his confusion at that only got worse at the feeling that he'd just made a terrible mistake. It didn't help that she seemed to be on the brink of tears. He might not know her, but Cloud never liked seeing anyone cry.

"Hey-"

She jerked back from his outstretched arm, shook her head and ran out the door. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose when she was gone. What the hell was going on?

"Cloud?"

Thoughts of the girl were pushed aside as he froze at the voice. It was a voice that had almost disappeared from his mind, replaced by Jenova's cruel hisses. A voice that brought tears of his own to his eyes.

"...Ma?"

When he saw her step through the door, there was a moment where he couldn't breathe. He had spent countless nights trying to remember anything he could about her- her face, her laugh, her smile...Looking at her now, he knew there was no way he could mistake who she was. Their resemblance was too strong.

"Oh, Cloud," she sighed, before rushing over and bringing him into her arms, "I was so worried."

His throat felt tight as he hugged her back. "Ma."

It was like a dream. He was with his mother again. He was holding her and talking to her. She was alive.

'I'm sorry...I'm so sorry I couldn't save you, Ma.'

"There, there, my little Cloud," she soothed while running a gentle hand through his hair and wiping away the tears he hadn't realized were falling. "It's okay. You're going to be just fine."

Being in her arms again...the feeling it gave him...he couldn't help but believe her.

"Cloud?"

He froze at the new voice- the new male voice. Looking out from his mother's embrace, he saw a man standing there with a concerned expression. Immediately, he frowned again. Here was someone else he didn't know. Light brown hair, green eyes, an average build, and slightly tanned skin...He tried searching his memory for any hint of him but still came up with nothing. Just like what happened with the girl.

The man was now frowning a bit himself. "You okay, sport?"

What was it with the nicknames? He'd had enough of that in the future. "Don't call me that."

The man stared at him a moment before something seemed to click. His eyes widened and he stepped closer, flinching a bit when Cloud tensed up and glared.

"Cloud!"

He jerked and looked up at his mother in shock. Why was she scolding him? This man wasn't supposed to be here, and he was pretty sure he hadn't been there in the past...So, why was his mother acting like this wasn't strange at all?

The man just sighed. "It's fine, Skye. I-...I don't think he remembers me, that's all."

Skye...That's right, his mother's name was Skye.

She looked at him in surprise, her own eyes now just as wide as her hold tightened. "But-...But he remembers me," she protested. "Surely, he remembers you too."

So his mother knew this man...and from the sounds of it, he was supposed to know him too. Before he could think much on the strange situation he now found himself in, the man shook his head with a sad smile and turned to him.

"Do you know who I am?"

Cloud didn't hesitate. "No."

His mother gasped, one of her hands shooting up to cover her mouth as her eyes teared up. The man just nodded, a grim, disappointed look flashing in his eyes for a moment before sadness took place again. Once again, Cloud felt like he'd messed something up.

"At least now I know what got Cassie all worked up," he sighed.

"You're not-! He didn't-!" His mother looked down at him. "You didn't forget her too, did you?!"

How could he forget someone he never knew to begin with? It seemed his silence was all the answer they needed, however.

"Matt-"

"She'll come home eventually," he interrupted gently. "You know she will. Bringing her back right now won't help."

"But-"

"If she's not back by nine, I'll go look for her. Promise. In the meantime, why don't you fill Cloud in? I'm sure he must be confused, and me being here probably isn't making it easier."

Confused was an understatement, Cloud thought, but the man- Matt -was right in saying he'd be more comfortable being alone with his mother.

"...Will you be all right?"

"I'll be fine."

His voice said the opposite. His mother hesitated, probably hearing it too, but eventually nodded. "We'll be down when I'm done explaining."

The sad smile was back now. "Take your time."

He didn't slam the door behind him, but it seemed to echo loudly in the silent room just the same.

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Vincent was worried.

He would admit it to no one but himself, but he had grown fond of the young girl who visited almost every day. At first, he had remained awake in order to make sure that neither she nor her brother ventured back into the manor again, but it was during that time that the girl came back with food and another thanks for saving their lives. He accepted it well enough- it had been a while since he'd had any sort of food and it was quite good -but he had thought it was a one-time thing. When she came back the next day, and the day after that, he'd been, admittedly, frustrated.

So long as she continued to return, he could not return to his self-imposed punishment. Not if he wanted her to remain out of danger. So, he had tried to convince her to leave him alone. When that hadn't worked, he had let her be, keeping an eye on her as she explored, but never giving more than a few noncommittal sounds when she spoke to him, all the while thinking she would eventually lose interest.

One year later, as he watched her read on a vastly cleaner couch in one of the manor's sitting rooms, he realized that she wasn't going to leave.

He hadn't really known what to think then. Had he come to the realization when she'd first started visiting, he would have been angry. However, a year could do a lot to a person's opinions without them noticing, even his. Instead of anger, he found that he was curious. Why did she continue to return? It couldn't have been because of him. He'd made an effort to keep her at a distance. Yet...she always sought him out the moment she arrived...Maybe, it really was because she wanted to keep him company.

A part of him had softened at that.

It had been a long time since anyone had treated him with genuine kindness. The last had been Lucrecia, and even then, there had always been that barrier created by their own hesitation to act on their feelings- a barrier that only grew after their argument and her marriage to Hojo. Here, there was no barrier. Here, there was just a girl who brought him food and who understood that she had no business prying into things in the manor (the books in the study were a prime example- he had noticed her curiosity around them). However, she still took him into consideration by cleaning it up, and would start talking to him if the silence dragged on for too long, but never to the point where it grew annoying. It was...nice.

So, he decided to talk to her.

He couldn't deny that he'd been amused at her shock, but he also couldn't deny that he'd been surprised at her intelligence. That she was already at the level of most adults was impressive, and it definitely explained some of the books he'd seen her read. She was also surprisingly insightful. She could tell that there was something wrong with ShinRa, even if she wasn't sure what it was, just by putting together a few facts that most people overlooked. She was still a child, however, as evidenced by her request for him to teach her his "super silent walk thing."

He smiled a bit at the memory, but it quickly faded as his concern returned.

After spending another year with her, he knew Castalia was not the type to not show up without reason. Any other time that something came up, she always let him know beforehand. Now, it was long past her usual arrival time, and there was still no word from her. He couldn't help feeling that something was wrong.

Just as he was contemplating going out to check up on her, the door burst open, and two small arms immediately latched around him. After a moment of initial shock, he realized that it was Castalia who had rushed in, and that she was crying.

A deep frown settled onto his face. "What happened?"

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It took a few moments for Vincent's question to register in my mind, but when it did, everything came crashing down on me again.

He didn't remember.

If I thought the feeling of Cloud being injured was terrible, then this felt a hundred times worse. All of those movies and shows that had someone with amnesia...it had seemed like something distant. Something that wouldn't happen to me. Living through it now, I realized that they could never truly demonstrate the type of pain it brought. How it felt to have someone you loved look at you like you were nothing to them...To know that everything you went through- the happy times, the sad and angry ones, everything -was gone. They were a blank slate, while the ones left behind had to deal with the loss- had to live with seeing the face of someone they cared for, knowing it wasn't them anymore...

"Castalia?"

"H-He-...Cloud had an ac-accident," I managed to choke out. "When he woke-...W-When he woke up..." I clenched my eyes shut and couldn't stop the sob that escaped me. "He didn't know who I was!"

Was this because he'd been too different from the Cloud he was supposed to be? Was Minerva resetting his personality so that there was no chance he wouldn't join SOLDIER...? I refused to believe that. Why would she send me here...let me get close to these people...

...if she was just going to take it all away?

"Why...? Why did this happen...?"

Vincent didn't answer. Honestly, I don't know if I would have preferred it if he had.

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Cloud sighed as he watched his mother leave the room, wondering just what Minerva was thinking. The Goddess had told him she made some changes, but this?

How was he supposed to deal with having a family?

He might have been able to deal with it if it had just been his mother. He knew, more or less, how to act around her. In this new life, however, he had apparently grown up with a man he considered a father, and a girl who was his sister.

Guilt flooded through him as he remembered their reactions to his "amnesia."

He had hurt them.

He sighed again and buried his head in his hands as the realization hit him. He hadn't even been in his new life for a day, and already he was the cause of pain for two innocent people. Why hadn't Minerva told him what was waiting for him when he woke up? At least then, he would have been a little more prepared!

Prepared to act?

He paused as this second thought hit him. Had Minerva told him he had more than just his mother this time, what would he have done? Would he have pretended to know them, even if he didn't, just to spare their feelings?...It sure sounded like something he would do. After all, he thought almost bitterly, he had pretended to be his best friend.

In the end, hadn't that hurt the people close to him too?

Tifa had always known, but she had gone along with it to protect him. Later though, she had confessed how much it had hurt to see him, but not really know him anymore. To have him remember almost nothing but the fact that they had been friends once. If their positions had been reversed, he didn't think he could handle it nearly as well. So, how must these people feel now that he couldn't even remember he knew them?

He shifted, starting a bit in surprise when he felt something bump against his side. Looking down, he noticed a plush little chocobo toy with blue button eyes. He picked it up, absently running his hand across the soft material with a small smile. Marlene would have loved something like this.

"I know you wanted the model plane, but the store in Rocket Town was all out. So, I got you this cute little chocobo instead. Isn't it adorable? It looks just like you, Chicky."

His breath hitched as the voice whispered across his mind. Chicky...Isn't that what the girl- Castalia, he reminded himself -called him? So, she had given this to him...but how had he known that? Had Minerva fused him with his past self somehow? Was it possible that those memories were inside of him now, waiting to be remembered? He gently placed the toy to the side and clenched his fists in determination. He was going to do his best to find out.

There must have been a reason for Minerva to do this, after all...Right?

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I don't know how long I spent crying, but when I finally came back to my senses, I was surprised to find myself on Vincent's lap, clinging tightly to his cloak. At some point, he had picked me up and carried me to a couch, offering me nothing but silent comfort as I cried myself out.

If I wasn't feeling so awful, I might have smiled.

As it was, my throat hurt, I could feel how puffy my eyes were, and I was all shaky and weak. Doing my best to push this to the side, I rubbed the tears off of my face and looked up at Vincent.

"Sorry...for crying on you..."

He just sighed softly and stood. "I will take you home. It's getting late, and your parents will worry."

I stared up at him in shock, but adjusted my hold nonetheless. I had to keep myself from crying again in sheer gratitude. Vincent didn't have to be so kind to me, and really, I didn't think I'd done anything to deserve it. Yet here he was, taking me home after I'd done nothing but blubber on him for hours.

I smiled as I realized I was so lucky to have a friend like him.

"Thank you..."

He didn't respond, but I think I felt his arms squeeze back a bit.

All too soon, we were standing outside the front door. Vincent set me down but made no move to leave as I stared at it blankly. Instead, he placed his hand on my head- a gesture he had only done once before. There were no words of reassurance. No promises that it was going to be okay. Maybe that's why I had gone to him...because I knew that there might be a chance Cloud never remembered, and I knew Vincent wouldn't offer that sort of false comfort.

"...I'll see you tomorrow."

His brand of comfort was different but no less effective. It was his kind that I needed right now, I think.

"Okay...Night, Vin."

"Goodnight...Tali."

I blinked, but he was gone by the time I turned around.

Tali, huh?...I could get used to that.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo ~Chapter End

If I had continued, I wouldn't have had a good stopping point for a while.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Reviews, questions, and the like are welcome so long as they are given in a polite, respectful manner. I don't really have much else to say besides that, so...until next time!

Oh, my dog's name actually is Lilo, but it's after the character in Lilo and Stitch, not the person.