Hey, everyone, it's been a while. Sorry it took me so long to get this out, I've been pretty busy lately (still am, actually). So, a couple of things to address from previous chapters:

One- A reviewer pointed out that Reeve didn't actually create the first reactors. I am aware of this. I meant that he was improving their design enough that it was practically as if he'd made a new one. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

Two- I think I stated this in a previous chapter, but just because Castalia likes Reeve, it doesn't mean that she's going to end up with him. If anything, it's more of a reflection on the one I find the most attractive in the series (you have to admit he's a good looking guy- and sane. That's always a plus). I think that in Castalia's circumstance, any romance would depend heavily on the sorts of things she goes through. Basically, what I'm saying is it could be anyone, even generic villager #73.

Three- No one has made any mention of this, but I figure I should get it out of the way. Don't expect Castalia to pick up the Buster Sword and start swinging at Sephiroth any time soon (see: never). While this story will focus on Cassie, Cloud is still very much the hero. She's not going to be taking anyone's place, and I'm not going to make important canon plot points focus on her. I might edit them a bit to include her, but she won't be in the center of it. Final Fantasy 7 got along fine without her before, and it will continue to do so even after this story ends.

Anyway, that's enough babbling in the author's notes; I'll let you read on. Feel free to ask me about anything that I don't address at the end of the chapter.

New disclaimer since I keep borrowing characters: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

[Edited on 4/23/20]

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Chapter 6

My brain was going to explode.

"Almost. You switched the type of poison produced by these two."

I sighed as Vincent pointed to two of the plant names on the paper, and then dutifully made the corrections.

When I sent the first letter to Reeve, I knew that he was smarter than I was regardless of the extra years. What I'd failed to realize, however, was just how much smarter he was. I quickly found myself going to Vincent for help in what to write so that I could at least appear to be of the same intelligence. What ended up happening instead was that Vincent helped me write the letters, but also made sure I learned everything relevant to the topics discussed within.

It was definitely a humbling experience.

I'd never considered myself an intellectual while growing up, but I didn't think myself stupid either. I caught on quickly and did better than most in school (when I didn't procrastinate, that is), so I guess a small part of me had thought that I would be able to keep up- that I would be able to be on the same level as these incredible people...

It was probably for the best that this happened. I could only shudder to think how I might have become if that thought had been allowed to grow unchecked. Besides, it wasn't all bad. While Vincent was a bit of a taskmaster, he explained things well. I soon found- to my pleasant surprise -that I could actually look back on the previous letters and understand them better than before. It was still very much Vincent's words under my name, but I would take what I could get.

"I think that's enough for today."

I smiled sheepishly and nodded. No matter how I tried to hide it, Vincent was always able to tell when I'd reached my limit. Part of me wondered if all Turks could read people this well or if it was just a level exclusive to Vincent. I hoped it was only Vincent. While it was nice to have a friend who could read me with a glance, it lost that nice sentiment when a group of company killers for hire had the very same skill. I did not want ShinRa even suspecting that I knew more than I let on, and I didn't trust my luck enough to risk it.

Now wasn't the time to worry about that, though. I would enjoy these peaceful days as they came.

With a smile that was entirely too pleased, I closed the book (courtesy of the manor library) and moved it out of sight. "Hey, Vin, how is it that you know all this, anyway? I know you have to know a lot to be a Turk, but things like plant species don't seem like they would be on the syllabus."

Vincent was smiling slightly as he watched me scoot further away from the text (and it was so awesome that I could get him to smile more now), but was prompt in his reply. "Natural sciences were a requirement for Research and Development and, to a small extent, SOLDIER in order to help them in the field. I imagine it has only become more so with the war in Wutai. Still, it would help a Turk more than you would think. I always did very well in missions that had me follow a target outside of Midgar."

"Huh...I can see that, I guess. So, was it just you, or did other Turks learn too?"

"Most didn't bother, at least not until they had a mission that led them into the wilds. I am unsure as to whether they still do, however."

"I don't think the sorts of people the Turks are assigned to follow really spend too much time outside of a city or town anymore, so I doubt it."

"They were hardly the sort even while I was still with the company."

I could feel a more personal question forming, but held it back. Vincent may have been more open with me than I thought I deserved, and he never hesitated to answer questions about ShinRa, but I knew he was uncomfortable answering questions that were focused more on him and the life he'd had before. I really wanted to know (games couldn't even begin to cover the sorts of things I'd learned about Gaia and its inhabitants during my time here), but I wouldn't risk the friendship I had for a few obscure details.

"If they all looked like that Palmer guy, I'm not surprised," I snickered instead.

I knew I'd made the right choice when he placed a hand on my head and gently ruffled my hair (I loved it when he did that. It made me feel special). Unfortunately, the fuzzy moment couldn't last.

"I should probably start heading home, Vincent. Same time tomorrow?"

"Perhaps a little later. I wish to go a little farther away from the manor this time."

"Okay. I'll be here later, and if you're not home, I'll just read a book or something."

"That's fine."

"Great! See you tomorrow, Vin!"

"Until then."

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He knew she had questions.

It was impossible not to notice her growing curiosity about his life in ShinRa, or perhaps, just him in general. Regardless of which aspect she wanted to know about, he appreciated the fact that she held back. It had been many years, but the pain was still fresh in his mind. He wasn't ready to face his past just yet.

Still...a part of him couldn't help feeling she already knew- or at least suspected.

He figured that finding him in a coffin couldn't have helped very much, but there were times when he would catch her giving him concerned, thoughtful glances while they were both reading in the study. Glances that, to his surprise, had made him feel exposed- like everything he had gone through and what still lurked within was all there for her to see. It was, admittedly, a bit unnerving.

Veld would have snatched her up in an instant.

He frowned at the thought as he trailed along behind Castalia (a practice he had never really fallen out of, even after she had proven capable of taking care of herself). If the standards hadn't changed as far as recruitment went, Castalia was prime Turk material. She was intelligent and insightful, a quick learner, and knew when to be discreet. He probably hadn't helped by teaching her stealth techniques and how to wield a gun, both of which were highly valued skills in that particular branch of the company, but what was done was done and the benefits of her knowing currently outweighed the risks. She was also young which, to ShinRa, only meant that they had more of a chance to mold her to their liking without her even realizing it.

It was only now, after he had suffered at their hands, that he was able to see how easily they manipulated others.

Castalia had reached the town borders by this point. With a near silent sigh and a shake of her head, she looked up at the trees (almost to where he was, but still off- he would have to work with her on that).

"I know you're there. Maybe not where you are exactly, but I know you've been following me to make sure I make it home okay..." She trailed off for a moment, but then smiled gently. "Goodnight. Thank you for looking after me."

Thank you for being there.

He froze, and for a long moment, he just stood there, his heart twisting in something other than guilt and sorrow at the sincere statement behind her words. It wasn't an entirely unpleasant sensation, but it had been too long since he'd felt anything like it. The question was if he should allow himself to care about someone again...

Could he trust her?

"Are...Are we friends now, Vincent?"

"What do you think?"

"Well...I'd really like to say yes, but that would be kind of presumptuous of me, wouldn't it? It's not friendship if only one of us thinks of it that way..."

There was a strange tone to her voice, and a part of him suspected that she might have gone through something like that before.

He did his best not to frown. "I...suppose we could be considered friends."

"Really?!"

"Why do you sound so surprised?"

"Eheh...no reason."

He allowed himself a smile. Perhaps, he could try one last time. Minerva help him, though, if ShinRa ever hurt her, there would be hell to pay.

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This was new. Apparently, I was a role model.

I smiled nervously as I stood in the center of a group of girls. I wasn't really sure how it happened, but some time in between finishing up at Cole's shop the next morning and heading home for lunch, I was cornered and bombarded with giggling admiration.

This was so awkward. What the heck was I supposed to do?

It was different with Cloud. He looked up to me, sure (not so much now as before), but it was more in the "Sissy can do anything" sort of way, not the "I want to be just like you" way. My past life didn't help much either, seeing as I was both the youngest in my immediate family and was never close enough to my younger cousins to garner that sort of attention.

To make matters worse, I could see Tifa hovering uncertainly on the edges- like she wanted to join in but didn't at the same time. Tifa. Who would grow up to be a thousand times more badass and impressive than I could ever hope to be. Why in the world was she looking up to me?

"We want to make potions too! Can you teach us Li-li?"

I blinked. Li-li? Since when did I have that nickname? "Er...sorry Helena, but you need to do really well in school before I could do that."

She pouted and crossed her arms, and I sighed. I knew it. I was no good with kids...

"It's not that I don't want to. It's just that it's kind of dangerous. I had to read all sorts of books and do lots of homework before I started."

I almost laughed at the way she'd paled when I mentioned homework. I couldn't blame her. No doubt we would have been kindred spirits if we'd actually grown up together. It made me feel a little better.

"Tell you what, once you're done with school, if you still want me to teach you, ask again and I'll see what I can do."

She beamed and nodded the affirmative which, to my immense relief, seemed to settle the other girls down enough to leave. Soon, everyone but Tifa had gone.

"They really look up to you," she began after a moment of silence.

"I guess so."

She frowned slightly. "You don't sound too happy about that."

Jeez, even as a kid, she was pretty observant. "I just don't know if I'm the best role model, is all. I'm kinda nervous that I'm going to mess up or something."

She giggled, and I couldn't help but smile a bit at the sound. "I thought big kids didn't mess up?"

"Whoever told you that has to be the biggest liar ever."

She laughed again, and the remaining tension between us faded away. I had to admit that it was kind of nice to talk to another girl- one who treated me like an older person instead of a younger one. It was one of the things I missed about being an adult.

"Anyway, did you need something, Tifa?"

"Umm..." She fidgeted for a moment before looking up with a determined expression (which happened to be absolutely adorable, by the way). "I was wondering if you could ask Master Zangan if he could teach me."

I blinked. "Huh?"

This was also new. I had no idea how Tifa came to study under Zangan the first time, but I'm pretty sure it sure wasn't through a third party- and wasn't it also after Cloud had left for ShinRa? What had changed to move that up the timeline? Luckily, she took my confusion for disbelief and only straightened her posture even more.

"I want to learn how to fight."

"Ah...that's all well and good, Tifa, but- uh...are your parents okay with that?"

She huffed and crossed her arms. "Does it matter?"

I couldn't entirely stop my laugh, but quickly stifled it when she started glaring. "Tifa, in a small town like this one, things don't stay secret for long. Even if Master Zangan agreed to teach you in secret- which is highly doubtful -odds are that someone would find out eventually and tell your parents."

Which, in retrospect, made my daily visits to Vincent a sort of minor miracle...or Divine Intervention now that I thought about it.

"But that's not fair! Why do you get to fight and not me?!"

"Well, I never asked for it, honestly," I admitted with a wry smile. "The villagers just thought I was too violent, so when Master said he'd help me with that, no one argued. T-That doesn't mean you should start beating people up!" I quickly added when I saw the thoughtful expression on her face. "It just means not to get your hopes up. I'll ask him for you, but that's all I can do. If he agrees, it'll be up to you to convince your ma and da."

She grinned widely and grabbed my wrist. "That's fine. Let's go!"

"W-Wait, Tifa! Slow down!"

She fidgeted impatiently and I laughed. It was kind of funny to see her so eager when she'd seemed so calm and collected as an adult. Now that I thought about it though, that innocence was probably something that would be lost with the destruction of Nibelheim.

I frowned inwardly. I'd never really interacted with Tifa in this life, but from what I could see, she was every part the bright, happy- if slightly tomboyish -nine-year-old girl. It was endearing, and even though the suffering she went through was part of what made her such a strong person, just like with Cloud, a part of me didn't want her to lose it.

Would it really be so bad if she grew up a little differently?

It was hard to say. Her life was so closely tied with Cloud's, regardless of the different lives they led. If she grew up without any hardships, it was entirely possible that she wouldn't make it through the battle with Jenova. The only way I could see to avoid it was destroy Jenova before it (she?) became a legitimate threat, but the chances of that happening were slim to none.

Then again, things were already starting to change. Maybe Minerva had something in mind...

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Cloud watched Tifa drag Castalia along to Master Zangan's with mixed feelings. On the one hand, he was both amused by how awkward the older girl seemed to be around the younger ones (he supposed that came in hand with having above average intelligence) and glad that Tifa was already on the path to becoming the girl that he knew. On the other, he was a bit confused for that very reason.

The details were a little fuzzy, but he was pretty sure that Tifa hadn't started her martial arts training until some time after he left for Midgar. Had she truly wanted to start earlier, but hadn't had an in like she did now? What would this change, if anything? Did he cause this change somehow?

Thoughts for another time, he supposed. For now, he had other things on his mind. Like the rather interesting conversation going on downstairs...

"I'm not entirely comfortable with this, Matt."

"I can't say that I am either. But so far, there doesn't seem to be anything bad going on in the letters. We shouldn't confront her about them unless he starts hinting at things no decent, self-respecting man his age would ever suggest."

"It's not the age difference I'm worried about! I honestly wouldn't care about that if he proved to be a good man and Cassie truly cared for him. What does bother me are the sorts of things that could come out of her associating with those people. You know as well as I do they're not as they seem. Heaven knows Mr. Bugenhagen provided us with enough proof of it in all our trips to the canyon."

Cloud frowned, a bit of worry slowly creeping into his gut. Ma sounded really worried, and anything that Bugenhagen warned people about wasn't to be taken lightly (and it was still a bit strange to know his mother knew him now- she'd never traveled to Cosmo Canyon in his old life). Still, he was more than a bit confused at what was going on. Who was Cassie writing to that merited such concern?

"It's a small branch, though, and not very likely to pull attention..." Matt sighed. "Then again, if he does manage to pull one over us and get her to leave, it's highly doubtful she'd stay unnoticed for long, small branch or not. Just look at what they talk about! I knew Cassie was smart, but this- I was learning some of these things in my university classes! Combined with her knowledge of item synthesis, she'd be snatched up by one of the bigger departments in a heartbeat."

"...We can't let that happen, Matt. Not to our little girl."

She sounded so terrified that Cloud fought the urge to run downstairs and comfort her. All the while, his mind was starting to connect the dots, and he did not like where it was leading.

"I know. If it comes down to it, we'll fight tooth and nail to keep her here, but for now, we should just keep an eye on the letters. She doesn't seem to show any signs of wanting to leave Nibelheim, so maybe we'll get lucky. This could just be a passing interest coming from her need to learn new things."

"Oh, I hope so. I swear, between her and Cloud, I'm going to worry myself gray in a few years!"

"If you do, I'll be right there beside you," Matt chuckled. "Anyway, I should go put these back before she gets home. It wouldn't do to let her know we know about the letters- they were surprisingly well hidden."

"Then how did you find them?"

"Accident, thank goodness. We probably wouldn't have known otherwise."

Minerva probably had something to do with it too, Cloud thought as he scrambled back onto his bed at the sound of Matt reaching the top of the stairs and heading for Castalia's room. Sending her a quick, mental thanks, he managed to pull a model plane from the shelf above and settle back down onto his stomach in the time it took Matt to stop outside his door.

Now came the hard part.

Just like with Castalia, he had found himself slowly relaxing around the man. He was a hardworking, honest, and genuinely cared about his mother, Castalia, and himself (although he could do with a bit less of the latter if only to finally be able to sneak away for a while). The only problem was that he remembered a different Cloud- one who didn't carry the burdens of another life. Amnesia could only explain away so much, and while he might be able to get away with acting differently around Castalia, who was still young and would likely not think much of it, it was harder to do so with him.

Still, he gave it his best effort to act the age he looked. He felt he owed the man that much, at least, especially after hearing that last conversation.

It seemed to be working well enough, seeing as Matt smiled when he saw him there. "Hey, Cloud, what are you up to?"

"Playing."

"Yeah? I see you're favoring the Tiny Bronco today. You know, Cassie went through quite a lot to get that for you."

He'd almost choked upon hearing the name (although now that he looked at it, the little plane was identical to the one he'd flown on in the future. How had he not noticed that before?) but was able to push it down and look at Matt with not-quite-feigned curiosity. This was another thing that he really appreciated the man for doing. Ever since he'd "forgotten," Matt had made sure to tell him stories about everything, occasionally triggering new memories and giving him a better idea of what his life with them had been like.

"She did?"

He laughed. "Uh-huh. It was actually the year you got your chocobo toy. You see, you'd noticed the plane in a magazine a few months before your birthday. You didn't say anything about it, of course, but all of us could tell you really wanted it. So, your Ma kept the magazine tucked away, and about a month before your birthday, we clipped out the order form and sent it in. Two weeks later, we got it back with a letter saying that they didn't make that model anymore."

"Then, how did you get it?"

"Well, Cassie wrote another letter asking them if they could make an exception. There were sure to be people who remembered how to make it, and she told them that she would be willing to pay extra for it."

"And they agreed?"

"No, they still didn't want to. And every time she tried to write after that, her letters came back unopened."

By this point, Cloud didn't even try to deny he was curious. "What happened then?"

Matt grinned, amusement shining in his eyes. "She went through all of your magazines and found Mr. Highwind's address- he's the one who built the real-life Tiny Bronco. Course, he wasn't too happy when she told him what was going on- it turned out they weren't supposed to have stopped making them yet."

Cloud's eyes widened, and he bit back a laugh. Knowing Cid, that couldn't have ended well for the other party.

"Long story short, a different company now makes all the Highwind model planes, and Cassie got one for free as thanks."

Cloud couldn't hold it back anymore. He laughed. Although, with his physical age, he was a little mortified to find out that it was more like a giggle. That feeling eased slightly when he saw how happy it made Matt, but it returned with a vengeance when he was suddenly lifted into the air, and he squeaked- actually squeaked! -in protest.

"H-Hey! P-Put me down!"

He was too old to be carried around like this, damn it!

Almost as if reading his thoughts, Matt laughed. "What, too old to play airplane with me now, Cloud?"

Dear Minerva, yes!

His voice seemed to have momentarily abandoned him, however. So, it was with a red face and wide eyes that Matt carried him downstairs to the kitchen, where Ma and Castalia- who must have come back sometime during their conversation -watched in amusement.

Now would have been a perfect time for the earth to swallow him up.

"Da, you might want to put him down now," Castalia giggled. "If any more blood goes up to his face, he might explode."

"We still have one more loop around the table, Cassie!"

"No!" He cried, uncaring of its whiny quality. Screw his dignity. After this, he wasn't sure he had any left. "Put me down! Please, Da!"

He froze, as did everyone else in the room, and it was with agonizing slowness that he was placed back on the floor. A part of him wished he was still up in the air so that he could avoid the awkwardness of this situation.

He'd never known his father. Ma said that he had died in an accident on their way to Nibelheim shortly after he was born. That didn't mean that he was eager to replace him, however. He'd always had an idea of him in his mind: strong, brave, caring- everything that a father should be.

...and wasn't that the kind of man Matt was?

He absentmindedly bit his lip as the thought came unbidden. He couldn't deny that he'd wanted a father like Matt while he was growing up, but he was an adult now! He was too old to be playing childish games- much less with a man that was technically his age! It had been a slip of the tongue, nothing else.

"Y-You called me Da again..."

But, if that was the case, then why did his heart ache so much at hearing the stifled sob in that statement?

"I..." He looked around the room, noting that Ma and Castalia seemed to be holding their breath before turning back to Matt's painfully hopeful expression. He sighed. How could he deny him this one thing after everything he had done? "Y-Yeah."

The next thing he knew, he was in a tight embrace, and his eyes softened at the growing dampness on his shoulder. He knew that he had caused Matt more than a little pain when he first woke up in this new life, but he hadn't realized quite how much it was. How much must Matt have cared about the other Cloud (although it was still technically him, given the extra memories) that he was reduced to tears just because he called him Da?

'You're too good for me, Matt. I don't know why Minerva put someone like you in my life this time around...'

He was pretty sure that he would still wonder about his real father, but as he tentatively wrapped his small arms around Matt and asked him not to cry, he couldn't say that he minded having another one all that much anymore.

He wasn't too old for his Ma...so why should he be too old for this?

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Hey Dad,

How are the front lines? I hear things are at a bit of a standstill over there. I hope you're taking advantage of that to get some food and sleep in you- I know how you are when you're worried.

Anyway, you'll be happy to hear that Lieutenant General Sephiroth and Friends (I feel like that should be trademarked) have safely made it back to ShinRa. Although...there's this rumor going around that they rode into the building on chocobos. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that now, would you?

Auntie tells me that Zian is the same as always (the little brat), but that Alani has come down with a cold (and refuses to believe it because she's "too strong to get sick"). She told me to ask you to send Uncle their love. Isn't he supposed to be on his way back soon, though? Well anyway, if he's there, be sure to tell him okay?

As for me, my training is going well. I think my instructors are going to recommend me for SOLDIER 2nd, but that could just be the ego talking. What I do know is that I'm going to be assigned on a long-term mission soon. It's nothing too dangerous, so don't worry. One of the SOLDIERs that was part of an escort group for Mr. Tuesti (he's the new head of Urban Development, in case you didn't know) got on the wrong end of a monster or something, so he has to leave and I'm taking his place. It shouldn't take too long- they're already halfway done, I think -but in the meantime, my letters might be a little scarcer. I know how you like traveling, though, so do you want me to pick up some souvenirs? We'll be passing by Rocket Town at some point, so I'll have the chance to send them over...

I'll be joining the group at the enclosed address for a while, so you can send me your answer there. For now, I should probably get going. If I want to make it to 2nd and join you over in Wutai, I can't just laze about on my bunk writing letters. Take care, Dad, and wish me luck.

Lots of love,

Your fantastic, awesome, totally cool son who is, without a doubt, the favorite grandchild.

...

When finished, Iroh tucked his son's letter away with a huff of laughter and a shake of his head.

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So, chapter six is done. Would anyone mind if I said the last two parts totally stole the show?

It wasn't my intention, but this chapter focused a lot more on Cloud than Cassie. I don't mind that, but I hope the rest of you are okay with it. Anyway, not much here as far as the plot moving forward, but I like to think there was some good character progression. Whether or not you agree is a different matter, but I'll delude myself until the first reviews come in.

I actually rewrote the beginning of this chapter a few times, with one of the versions actually having the letters between Castalia and Reeve. They were kind of lame, though, so I cut them out (Nibel dragons and cucumbers, that's all I'm going to say about them). Maybe if I figure out a way to make them sound better, I'll include them, but for now, I think it's best if I let you guys provide your own ideas as to what they wrote about.

Tifa finally made an appearance. In all honesty, I kind of forgot about her for a while. It's not out of dislike or anything, it's just that I was writing about other things. This, I think, actually makes it an accurate representation of what I would have done in that situation. I would be far too busy getting used to my new family and life to try and make connections with "important characters" unless I was practically shoved in their direction like Cassie was with Vincent. It should also be noted that Tifa doesn't look up to Cassie like the other girls. There's a bit of childish admiration, yes (like most little girls look up to older ones), but she's not aiming to follow in Castalia's footsteps. Tifa is very much her own person, and that's not going to change any time soon.

All that aside, I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter. Sorry it took me so long to get out. I've been pretty busy lately (still am, actually). Thanks for reading. Take care!

Question: should I keep Lu-Ten's name as Lu-Ten? Or should I alter it like I did Zian's and Alani's?

[Edit: 04/23/20]

No real changes to story content. Just some spelling corrections and sentence rearrangement.