Greetings from Southern California. I am still alive, and in good health.

Me and mine have, fortunately, not fallen ill to Covid-19, though we are keeping a wary eye on things as they continue to progress. However, as I work in pharmacy, I am one of those whose job is necessary and must still venture out rather than stay home. It's been a pretty hectic couple of weeks and, honestly, despite some statements to the contrary I still believe that things are going to get a lot worse before they get better.

That aside...

IT'S HERE! IT'S HERE AND I'M SO HAPPY I'M TEARING UP!

I was on the waitlist for the First Class Edition way back when, but it always sold out before I could reserve one. Eventually, I just gave up and bought the Deluxe Edition. Now, I'm sitting here while the data is downloading and I am just. So. Excited!

So much so, in fact, that I'm posting part of the next chapter up before it's really done. Once again, it's becoming much longer than I anticipated. But, in order to celebrate the release of this remake, I had to post something, you know? I'll be frank; it's probably going to be a bit rough since I tend to do only brief revisions before the chapter is completely finished and then I go over everything with a fine-toothed comb. I hope it's not too bad. Consider it a teaser of sorts until I manage to finish the rest of it and do the final editing. Some things might change, but I can assure you if they do, they'll be more than likely be little things. I'll be sure to mention anything that does when I post the completed chapter, and I'll do my best to make sure it's not another long wait.

Since I'd been planning on posting this sooner, some of the author's notes I'd written are a bit out of date, but my reaction to some of the first trailers that came out was thus:

"YES! Yesyesyes! Cloud, you look amazing and I love you even when you're an amnesiatic little Chocobo (that wasn't the sound of my heart breaking at how weary and confused he sounded what are you talking about?). And Aerith! Oh my goodness, you're so beautiful! Jessie and Biggs look awesome and Barret's so cool and Sephiroth and the combat style and asdefoiajdfg! I'm freaking out!"

Ahem.

Can I just reiterate how psyched I am right now?

Moving on with the announcements. Story wise, once I actually finish this chapter, we'll be just about done with the first part (arc?). If all goes according to plan, there should only be a couple more chapters (as in one to three) until we're done with what I have been jokingly referring to as the Prelude.

*Insert FF music*

Joking aside, I started this story so long ago that I'm a little embarrassed to admit I'm surprised I got this far. Still, I'm excited to finally have reached this point, and I'm sure you are too.

I think I've kept you long enough. Thanks to all of you who have reviewed and messaged me. I hope the bit I'm posting today is enjoyable and at least somewhat worth the wait. Please read on, and please take care of yourselves. I know these are difficult times, but you've all got this. I have faith in all of you.

Also, uh...I have a tumblr now. Not sure what I'm going to do with it yet, but I figure it'll be related to my fics. Somehow...

The name is silverforestpen7 if you want to look me up. There's nothing there right now, though. Feel free to message me if you want, or ask questions? I'm still trying to get the hang of using it...

[EDIT 04/22/20]

*Distant Stare*

This game...Oh my god, this game...Nomura and Co., you beautiful, devious bastards. I love you so much for what you've done.

The rest of the chapter is up. There was one minor change in the previous scene with Castalia, Cloud, and Mrs. Strife. The latter isn't present anymore. I couldn't really make it work, so I took her out. There's also a bit of a time jump at the end, which will lead into the next chapter. Hope you like it.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I still need some time to take everything in...

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 10

~ Day 3 of ShinRa's visit

Nibelheim was quiet.

Reeve took a moment to study the subdued townsfolk, sighing inwardly as more than a few of them sent enraged glares his way. He honestly couldn't blame them. To say the day before had been a disaster was...putting it lightly.

What bothered him was that he still had no idea how it had happened.

He'd known as soon as the explosion went off, of course. The reactor had been shut down for half an hour at the most- not nearly enough time for the mako to have drained completely -so even the small explosives they'd been setting up to weaken the structure became much more powerful. It had killed three of his workers instantly and injured a handful more. The rest had immediately tried to contain the resulting fire, only to scramble for cover when the monsters came out of whatever holes they'd been hiding in before being startled. The SOLDIERs he'd been provided for the project had been hard-pressed to deal with them all, and that had been before the dragon decided to come and play.

A dragon. That was going to give him nightmares for a while.

It was only hours later, once they'd managed to kill it along with everything else, that they'd deemed it safe to head back. Once there, they were met with a battered, grieving Nibelheim and the fading corpses of dozens of monsters- most of which he assumed had fled down the mountain at the arrival of the bigger threat.

He wondered why their bodies vanished upon death. What happened to them, exactly?

That train of thought could be shelved until later. For now, he had to figure out what to do. The rebuilding project had been put on hold because of the incident, and until ShinRa reached a decision as to whether or not they would continue, his hands were effectively tied. It grated on him for a variety of reasons, the least of which being that this was the last reactor that needed to be remodeled. Not to mention, he felt he owed it to the people here to finish; otherwise the ones who'd died would have done so for nothing.

"I already told the last person who came by! We're. Out. Of. Potions!"

He paused at the familiar, though agitated voice and turned to see Cole arguing with one of the construction workers. The man looked exhausted, but it didn't seem to deter from the scowl on his face.

"Can't you make more?!"

"Nothin' as strong as what you're asking! You'll have to wait 'til the order from Junon gets here like the rest!"

"I don't understand. You were able to do it yesterday! What's changed?!"

"What's changed?" came a snarl so biting it actually made him wince a bit. "You some kind of idiot? Look around, and you'll see what's changed."

The worker had the grace to look abashed.

The shopkeeper sighed, his frustration visibly leaving him as he wearily ran a hand over his face. "Look. I'd love to help you out. Really. But my remainin' stock went to treatin' the ones with more serious injuries- includin' my assistant, who made the damn things in the first place."

If Reeve hadn't been paying attention to the conversation earlier, he was now. Almost unbidden, his feet moved him forward until he was standing beside the two of them.

"Castalia was hurt?"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

There was a brief moment of absolute silence after the shaking stopped. It couldn't have been more than a few seconds, but it was just enough to make her pause.

Then Lilo was whining, and Cloud was urgently tugging at her hand, an unusually solemn expression on his face.

"Cloud?"

"We've got to get inside somewhere, Ma."

She looked so young.

Skye sighed as she ran a hand through Castalia's hair, smiling a bit at the soft texture. Most people didn't expect it, but her daughter was actually a bit particular when it concerned her hair. Short as it was, she took good care of it, wanting it to be smooth, shiny, and free of split ends. It was a bit childish, but it was also a relief, to be honest.

Castalia very rarely acted her age, after all.

No sooner had the dojo's doors closed behind them, the first scream pierced the air. She jumped in fright, then felt her blood grow cold when more began to join in. They were screams of pain and sheer terror- as if Bahamut had descended from the sky and was destroying everything in its path.

A glimpse of that terror shot through her heart as realization struck, and she quickly turned toward the door. Cassie and Matt!

A firm hand on her shoulder kept her from running back out.

It had been the most obvious when she was younger. The way she would sometimes look around with eyes too old for a little girl, full of grief and awareness of what she'd lost. It had lessened with the years, but even now, there was always that hint of shadow in her gaze that seemed to weigh them down. In sleep, however, they were hidden from the world, bringing a soft innocence to her face that was usually absent.

'Well, if one could look past the slightly drooling mouth, that is,' she thought with a halfhearted smirk.

A result of sleeping on her stomach, yes, but no less amusing. She should take a picture- that way Castalia could be appropriately horrified as any other teenage girl would be at the sight. Of course, she would have to wake up first...

She knew Master Zangan had a point. Going out there was foolish, especially taking her condition into account, but as the dojo continued to fill with people, she grew more and more anxious.

None of them were the ones she wanted to see.

"You should sit down, Ma."

She looked down and met Cloud's eyes, a part of her lamenting at the deep concern she saw within them. It didn't belong on her little Cloud. He was still just a child- he wasn't supposed to have that knowing look that said he knew what all the stress and worry could do to her. He-...he was supposed to be clinging to her, letting her comfort him as he worried over his father and sister.

...Just when had he grown up so much?

"Ma? Ma, please."

She swallowed heavily, focusing on his voice as the world seemed to whirl around her. "Okay."

She sighed again, the smirk falling as her thoughts continued to spin. Wearily, she rubbed her eyes. "Wake up soon, sweetie. We're all waiting for you."

The house hadn't been this quiet in ages- since Cloud's accident, in fact -and just like then, she hated it. She hated the way the silence seemed heavy and suffocating, draining them of the strength to do anything other than mope around. Her husband was the worst, but Cloud was a close second, though he had managed to pull himself together enough to comfort Tifa at least. The poor girl hadn't uttered a word since yesterday and had been near inconsolable those first few hours.

Understandable, given what had happened, but it still broke her heart to see the ordinarily cheerful girl so desolate.

An eternity passed on that chair, and it was all she could do to keep from being violently ill as another went by. Cloud had reluctantly left her side some time ago, promising to be back as soon as he found out what was going on. She wished he hadn't- she needed something to focus on to keep her sane.

A ghost of a smile slipped onto her face when she felt movement in her stomach, quickly followed by a wet nose nudging her hand.

Ulric tried to be there for his daughter, but in between coordinating the town's rebuilding efforts, continued meetings with ShinRa personnel, and the funeral arrangements, he was stretched thin. She doubted he'd even grieved the loss of his wife himself yet. Still, he knew better than to think Tifa would be alright on her own, so for the time being, she was staying with them.

"Skye...?"

Her gaze snapped up (when had she started staring at the ground?), and it took her a moment to pair the familiar voice with the exhausted man before her. Once she did, however, it was as if she'd received a jolt to her body.

Castalia had been with Cole this morning.

"Where is she?!"

She felt her heart stop when he hesitated, and felt like she couldn't breathe with what followed.

"Look...there's no easy way to tell ya, but...Cassie's hurt."

The sound of someone knocking on the door pulled her out of the memory. "Come in."

She had to admit, of all the people she'd expected, Reeve Tuesti was not among them. He looked hesitant, and concern made itself known when his eyes landed on the bed.

"Please forgive my intrusion, Mrs. Strife. I heard what happened and, well...your son let me in."

She smiled a bit. Given how protective Cloud was of Castalia, that must have been interesting.

"It's fine," she assured. "Cassie will be happy when she finds out you visited."

He'd probably been worried that he'd be chased out, going by the slight relief she saw on his face. Not that she could blame some of the townsfolk for wanting to do just that, but it was hardly fair to the man. From the little she'd interacted with him, he did seem to have good intentions.

"How is she?"

"The doctor said she'll probably be out of it for a few more days. Her back was badly injured, and she used up an alarming amount of energy trying to fight the monsters off."

"Is there anything I can help with?"

"Her body simply needs time to recover," she said with a shake of her head. "All we can do is wait."

Though she appeared calm while she said it, she wanted nothing more than to scream in frustration. Waiting, waiting, waiting. It seemed that was all she did when her children were hurt. She wished she could do something instead. She hated the helplessness just as much as the silence.

"Are you alright? You look a little pale."

"Just a bit stressed, I suppose," she sighed. Admitting defeat to the needs of her body for now, she sat down beside the bed. "With everything that's happened..."

A brief silence fell, during which she saw the curiosity- the way his eyes glanced from her daughter's face and back -and smiled. It really wasn't a wonder that Castalia liked this man, given his intelligence.

"You're wondering why she doesn't really look like my husband or me, aren't you."

"The thought had crossed my mind before," he admitted. "But, I thought she might just have gotten her appearance from a grandparent."

"No. From what my husband tells me, Castalia looks very much like her mother."

"A previous marriage?"

She felt her smile turn a bit sad. "Nothing quite that simple, Mr. Tuesti. The truth of the matter is that neither of us are her biological parents. They were traveling merchants, but they both died when Cassie was a child."

"I see...Does she remember anything?"

"If she does, she's never said."

She had no doubt that Castalia did remember her family, but that felt a little too personal to mention. There was another slight pause as he mulled over what he'd learned.

"If there's anything I can do," he said at last, sending her a concerned glance that made her think she might not look as okay as she'd thought, "please don't hesitate to ask. While yesterday's events are being labeled as an accident, I can't help but feel responsible. I'd like to make amends."

"You don't need to do that, but thank you for the offer."

"Think nothing of it," he murmured, seeming to find it time to leave as he took a few steps toward the door. Just as he was about to step through, he paused and looked back. "I'm glad to see the rest of you have made it through unharmed, Mrs. Strife."

A tired smile pulled at her lips. "Me too. If Cassie wakes up before you get the chance to visit again, I'll be sure to let her know you're okay."

"...Thank you." It was said quietly, the undertone of guilt taking her aback. However, he was gone before she could reply, his brief goodbye echoing behind him. Alone once more, she sighed, stress and exhaustion pulling at her smile until she sat in a daze, staring unseeingly out the window.

Soft whimpers pulled her back into herself.

The interruption was far from unwelcome. Instead, she relished in it, her mood lightening considerably as she stood and made her way over to the bassinet settled against the wall. Bright blue eyes stared up, clear and vibrant as the sky and complimented by whisps of golden brown and blond hair. She could not stop the rush of joy and affection from welling up inside her any more than she could stop the world from turning, and it was all she could do to keep from crying as she reached in to pick up her babies gently.

Born a bit early and under duress but both wonderfully, beautifully healthy.

"They're ready to meet you, Cassie," she laughed softly as she settled back into the chair. "So get better soon."

Gentle singing filled the room a few moments later.

"Dream of the river, oh child of the mountains.

Dream of the sky, and the warm earth below.

Let your heart show you all the world's wonders,

And know when you wake, you'll be safe here at home..."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

...Where...was I?

"Castalia..."

It felt kind of like I was floating, but...

"Castalia..."

Was I dead? I was dead, wasn't I? Was the reason I was floating because my soul couldn't decide whether to go to my world's heaven or the Lifestream? Was that even possible? Not to mention I wasn't even sure which one I would prefer at this point, which was actually kind of scary when I really thought about it.

"Wake up."

I opened my eyes and was met with rolling hills of soft, green grass spread as far as the eye could see, filled with clusters of those lily-like flowers I remembered grew in Aerith's church. The sky above was a beautiful blue, filled with soft white clouds...

It felt otherworldly, and if I was where I thought, it probably was.

"Oh no, I did die..."

This was terrible. Not just in the sense that, you know, I was dead, but in the fact that I was going to be leaving behind yet another family I'd grown to love. How was this even fair?

Soft laughter interrupted my increasingly panicked thoughts, and though it helped to clear my mind, it did nothing for the realization and heavy guilt that followed soon after as I stared into wine-colored eyes...

Eyes that were the exact same shade as her daughter's.

"M-Mrs. Lockhart..."

My heart ached.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

It wasn't paranoia

He was sure of that now, and growing ever more restless the longer he forced himself to remain. The only problem was that, once he'd decided to risk going out, movement within the mansion had resumed, and was much closer to where he was than before.

He did not regret the quiet snarl that escaped him when he heard Hojo's voice among them.

If he hadn't already loathed the man with every fiber of his being, he would have after Castalia had told him everything she knew. However, unlike the horror that had gripped her when she realized that the very cruelties she was describing could be a very real possibility if not stopped, he had felt an almost overwhelming rage.

Rage that he couldn't even blame on the monsters within.

He sighed quietly as the voices faded after a while. Yes, Hojo Eiding had much to answer for- and the man would pay for his crimes -but that time was not now. For now, he had to figure out a way to get out undetected and find out what had happened.

He just had to be patient.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

~Day 4

He was tired.

"Tifa-"

"I already said I'm not going! Leave me alone!"

It had been two days since the attack on Nibelheim. Most of the time had been spent recovering, with repairs only just beginning, but everyone knew this was something that could not be put off any longer. Until now, Tifa had been silent. It was only when she'd heard talk of the group funeral that she'd broken out of her lifeless state, and while this was definitely an improvement from then, Cloud knew it wasn't a big one. Anger never was.

"It's your mother's funeral."

Tifa froze, then turned to him with an expression of mixed anguish and fury. "You think I don't know that?!"

"Then go. If you don't..."

"What, you think I'll regret not going?!" She laughed bitterly- a sound he hadn't been expecting to hear from her in a long time, if at all. "No, the only thing I'll ever, ever regret is not staying home. If I had-" She choked on her words, seeming to struggle for a moment. "...I-If I'd just stayed..."

Her eyes filled with tears, and she swallowed shakily as she looked away, unable to continue...

"It's not your fault, Tifa."

...But he understood, and it hurt him to know she was feeling this way.

"You're wondering if things would be different if you'd been stronger."

She winced, and while he felt some guilt at what he was about to do, he knew it had to be done. He knew firsthand that blaming yourself for things out of your control never helped- he'd even felt himself falling into that familiar despair shortly after the attack. Then, he'd remembered how Tifa had helped him see clearly the first time, so now it was time to return the favor.

Even if he had to drag her to that realization kicking and screaming.

"All you can think of is when it would have helped to be a little faster. A little more alert."

Her eyes squeezed shut as she looked away. "S-Stop it..."

"Maybe if you were as skilled as Master Zangan, or could use materia, you could have done something."

Now her fists were clenched into tight fists. "Stop..."

He hesitated for a brief moment, then took a quiet breath and continued. "...You feel like you could have saved-"

"I said stop, Cloud!"

She ran towards him, fist raised and ready to strike, but he'd known it was coming. Combined with the fact that she hadn't yet learned how to fight while feeling such intense emotions, it was even easier to pin her to the ground.

"Don't run away!" he told her, hearing the echo of her older self in his mind.

She stared up at him with wide eyes. He couldn't blame her, given that he'd never spoken to her so firmly in this lifetime, much less raised his voice.

"I understand," he said, much more gently now that he had her attention. "Something happened that can never be undone, and you lost someone important to you."

"Ma! Ma, please! Answer me!"

"It's not just that it hurts to lose them, but you're also afraid that it can happen again."

"Goodnight...Zack."

"Afraid that if it does, you still won't be able to make any sort of difference."

"Aerith will no longer talk. No longer laugh, cry, or get angry..."

"But you need to accept what happened! It's going to be hard, it's going to hurt, and things won't ever be the same, but unless you're planning on living the rest of your life like this, you'll just have to deal with it!"

It felt strange- more or less repeating the very words she'd used to scold him when he was still caught in his own regrets -but it had been good advice, and it was something that had stuck with him throughout the years.

He almost smiled at the thought. Even now, she was helping him, even if she didn't know it.

"I'm not telling you to forget about her. I'd never ask that. But...I don't think your ma would want you to be like this. She'd...want you to be strong and move on, right?"

Her eyes began to water, and her jaw trembled dangerously as she nodded.

He got up, offering a hand with what he hoped was a comforting smile. "So let's go."

The smile quickly gave way to panic when she started bawling.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

It felt like I was crying for a long time, but eventually, even those tears ran out, leaving me alone with a handful of regrets.

"I'm sorry. I-I'm so sorry I couldn't-"

Mrs. Lockhart shook her head, cutting me off even as she continued running a comforting hand through my hair. "There's nothing to forgive. The fact that you pushed yourself so much...It's so much more than could ever be expected of one person, and yet you still tried."

"It wasn't enough to save you."

"But it was enough to save someone else."

I didn't respond. What could I say, anyway? So, I just stood there, quietly ashamed of the part of me that wanted to tell her that I didn't save the one who mattered.

"You're going to have to go back soon," she said after a period of silence.

She hadn't said a word about it, and yet at some point, I knew that I wasn't really dead. I was just here while I recovered a bit. She, on the other hand, was here to keep me company, and would fully join the Lifestream once the danger had passed.

The injustice of it all made me want to scream.

"I-...I don't know if I can face them."

"You have to."

I nodded, but just the idea of it made me miserable. All I could think about was Tifa. I didn't care if this was something that her other self had gone through once upon a time. All that mattered was the Tifa I'd come to know- the headstrong, cheerful girl that was always quick to smile. The one who seemed to savor every moment as if it was the best part of her day. The one that could talk on and on about some of the most ridiculous things and still manage to make you laugh.

A little girl who loved her mother more than anything in the world.

Much like I had loved my first mother.

"She shouldn't have to know this kind of pain," I breathed out, my throat tight. "Not right now, and definitely not like this..."

"...Oh, Cassie," she sighed. "You always were a kind girl. I feel better knowing you'll be there for her."

I could feel myself trembling as I shook my head in denial. "Don't do this. Don't go."

"Promise me you'll look after her."

"Don't leave her alone."

"She'll never be alone."

Her gaze was heavy with meaning, and I knew without asking that she meant me. She meant Cloud. Ma and Da. Marlene and Denzel and all the people she would come to call her friends and family. Tifa wouldn't be alone because she would have us.

"It's not the same."

"No...but it helps." She pulled away, and I felt a painful throb in my chest as I finally caught sight of the tears trailing down from sorrowful eyes, and a face twisted in heartbreak. "Please...be strong for her until she can stand on her own again. Can you promise me this, Castalia?"

"It would be better with you-"

"Castalia. There's nothing that can be done."

I wanted to protest. I wanted to tell her that there had to be a way that she could come back. But I knew, just like how I'd known I wasn't dead without being told, that she was right. Part of me was still in denial that this was happening. The other part was recalling just how bad her injury had been. I doubted even the mako enhanced could have walked away from having most of their chest impaled...

I stopped thinking about it, though I had to restrain sobs I thought had passed. She was patient, however, and watched as I calmed myself and came to terms with what she was asking.

Finally, I sighed. "I promise."

She smiled softly and brought me close in another hug. "Thank you...And thank you...for giving me a few more years with my daughter."

I tensed in her arms, but she only tightened her hold. Somehow, she knew about how she'd originally died. Maybe it was because of where we were. Maybe Minerva had told her before I'd awoken in this place. I wasn't sure, and honestly, it wasn't really the time to think about it. So, I tried my best to ignore it and the fact that she was shaking.

"Tell her that I love her. That I am, and will always be, proud of her. So, so proud..."

"I-...I will."

"Thank you," she breathed out, her body beginning to fade even as I held her. "T-Thank you. Thank you..."

Then, she was gone.

"Goodbye..."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

~Day 5

"Her injury is healing nicely. It should be safe to lay her on her back now- it puts much less stress on the spine."

"Just give me a moment to slip this on her...Okay. Like this?"

"Careful now, Matthew. There we go."

Cloud watched from his seat in the corner as the town's doctor checked a few more things. Technically, he wasn't supposed to be there, but he wasn't about to point that out while both of the room's other occupants were too distracted to notice. Instead, he stayed quiet as the man finally straightened up with a tired smile.

"Everything is fine. I can't say for sure since I lack the necessary equipment, but it seems her energy levels have also recovered to an acceptable range. If all goes well, she should wake up within the next day or so."

A relieved smile broke out onto his da's face. "That's great news."

"Yes. Of course, there are a few things to be aware of. She'll experience some disorientation and might not immediately remember what happened, for starters. This is normal, but make sure to monitor her condition. If she is still unable to recall anything after a few days, let me know. Disassociative amnesia, while a bit uncommon, has been known to occur with traumatic or stressful events.

She will also be very lethargic. While she'll have gained enough strength to wake up, it won't be enough to do much else. Expect her to still sleep for long periods of time. Once she's awake for most of the day again, I need you to start her on a few basic stretches- I'll let you know what they are in a bit. This is to make sure that the skin and muscles finish healing correctly. It will cause some pain and discomfort at first, but it's best to start as soon as possible in order to keep the areas limber and less prone to reinjury.

Last of all, do not, under any circumstances, allow her to use magic while she's recovering. I cannot stress this point enough. Her actions a few days ago, while understandable given the circumstances, were extremely risky. Her body wasn't used to that kind of strain, and it's going to take some time to recover. Should she practice any sort of magic before she's ready, she not only runs the risk of hurting herself through spell backfire but of severely damaging her casting ability. So, no materia, and no item synthesis."

"Sure, but-...If you don't mind me asking, what does item synthesis have to do with magic?"

He was wondering the same thing. He'd thought that the process was more chemical than anything.

"Item synthesis is more than just mixing ingredients, son. Ever wonder how said items are absorbed into the body so quickly, or even just the types of conditions things like Maiden's Kiss are meant to cure? Magic's as much a part of the process as the technical know-how, with each item being imbued with it during creation. Normally, the alchemists don't even feel it. But with Castalia being as drained as she is, even a potion could potentially send her back into a coma, and that's something most can make a hundred of before feeling any kind of fatigue."

It made sense, now that he thought about it. He didn't really remember what it was like when Castalia first started, but he could easily recall how tired she'd been when learning how to make a new item. Cole always let her come home early on those days.

"So, magic ability also determines how many items can be made?" he asked before he could help it.

They gave a slight start and turned to look at him in surprise.

"Cloud? I thought I told you-...How long have you been there?"

"Since the beginning," he admitted.

Matt looked like he was going to say something but ultimately sighed, a wry smile appearing on his face. "Both of you are too curious for your own good. Come on then. There's no point in sitting over there anymore."

He stood and walked over, grateful that he wasn't going to get kicked out. He could always eavesdrop from behind the door, but he always appreciated not having to go through that if he didn't have to.

"To answer your question," the doctor continued, his own expression somewhat amused, "magic affects not just the amount, but also the item itself. The better the skill of the alchemist, the better the item. That's why even though a way to mass-produce most of them has been created, they never seem to be at the same level as the hand made ones. Don't get me wrong, they still work, but it's like comparing the food of an intermediate chef to that of a professional."

"You know a lot about this," he pointed out.

"All doctors are required to learn the basics of item synthesis. Not only does it give us better insight into how they might affect the human body, but it also gives us the ability to make our own items in a pinch." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I must admit, however, that your sister has surpassed anything I was ever able to make."

"She's really that good?" his da asked aloud, before realizing how it sounded. "Not that I'm doubting her ability, it's just-...I didn't realize item synthesis was so complicated."

"It's not just anyone that can make a Phoenix Down, much less a fifteen-year-old. It's part of the reason they're so expensive, other than the fact that getting ahold of the feathers is a pain in and of itself. I'm glad, though. Without her items, many people could have come out of the attack much worse for the wear. Be sure to thank her for me when she wakes up."

"I will. Thank you for coming over."

"It's no trouble. I'll do another checkup next week, but don't hesitate to tell me if there's something you're concerned about."

"Sure thing, Doc. Let me show you out."

As the older men left the room, Cloud remained sitting next to her bed, studying her. He hadn't had the time to do so, as he'd been alternating between keeping an eye on the twins when the adults needed rest (Were all newborns really that small...?) and making sure Tifa would be okay. Now that he had the chance, he had to admit that the doctor was right- she was recovering well. Her breathing wasn't pained or wheezing like a few days ago, and her face had gained some color. She was still pale, but she didn't look nearly as bad as before.

It still hurt to see her like this, though.

"You're so stupid..." he told her, making sure to keep his voice low.

He didn't bother asking why she'd pushed herself so much. He knew why, and he knew he probably would have done the same. He smiled slightly at the thought. She had given everything she had and more.

As much as it hurt, he was proud too.

"I hope we're never forced into that kind of situation again. But...if it does...I'll be there fighting next to you. I promise."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

It was hard to believe such a small boy would grow up to be Gaia's hero.

Vincent stared at the blond as he slept. He had finally managed to slip away from the mansion, though he had quickly discovered that something serious had indeed happened. Many of the town's buildings were damaged in some form, and there were a few Shinra guards patrolling the borders. As he approached Castalia's home, he even saw a young man garbed in the standard SOLDIER uniform, speaking quietly with one of them.

It was concerning, but not nearly as much as the sight of his closest friend lying so still and pale on a bed.

Her brother had probably fallen asleep on a self-imposed vigil, not that Vincent could blame him. The hour was late, and the boy's face held traces of exhaustion even in slumber- no doubt he had been forcing himself to stay awake as long as possible. It was endearing in a way, and, coupled with Castalia's stories, he briefly felt a whisper of the same fondness he held for her. It was good to know that she hadn't been alone.

Shaking himself from that train of thought, he quietly approached the side of the bed opposite of Cloud.

Confronted with the sight of her once again, he wasn't sure what to think. He felt relief that she had survived the incident that had injured her, anger at himself for not being there to help, guilt at her condition...but an apology seemed empty at this point. What could he say that would make it up to her? Was it even possible?

...

"-...You said Lucrecia was incredibly smart. And, from what you told me you discovered in the mansion, it does sound like she came to regret her decision, but the fact of the matter is that she agreed in the first place. I don't know about you, but I could be approached by the nicest man in the world, told that I would birth the next Minerva, and I still wouldn't agree to have someone conduct experiments on my child. It's all kinds of messed up."

"...What point are you trying to make, Castalia?"

"You feel guilty. I get that, and I can't stop and won't try to stop you from feeling it. But what I'm saying is that you shouldn't think it was your fault. Whatever part you think you may have had wouldn't have been enough to cause that disaster on its own. Lucrecia also made her own choices- ones that no one forced her to make -and those choices only contributed to the problem. So, Lucrecia's just as much to blame for what happened, if not more so since it was her child she was experimenting on...Do you get it?"

...

He sighed almost inaudibly and pushed the memory away. He and Castalia did not disagree often, but that particular conversation had been one of those times, and it had led to one of the more severe arguments they'd had in the five years they'd known one another. Still, it served to remind him that she would, most likely, think him foolish for taking any of the blame for her condition.

He ran a hand through short, feathery tresses, carefully brushing an errant strand away from her face before allowing his hand to fall with a slight shake of his head and a small smile.

'Stubborn girl...I'm glad you're all right.'

The only sign of his departure was a brief fluttering of the curtains.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

~Day 6

"U-Uhn..."

He jerked in place from where he'd been dozing and turned to the bed with wide eyes. Was it possible? He could have sworn he'd heard-

There was a sharp intake of breath followed by a hissed string of rather vehement curses.

"Cassie?"

"D-Da?"

It honestly felt like he teleported to her side. "Hey there. How're you feeling?"

There were tears in her eyes, and she still looked a bit pale and weak, but she was awake. Immediately, the tension he'd been feeling for these past few days seemed to dissipate, making him feel almost lightheaded in relief.

"...Like I-" she rasped, then grimaced at the sound. "Can I have some water?"

"Oh! Sorry."

"It's fine."

He quickly poured a glass of water from the pitcher Skye had left on the bedside table and carefully helped her sit up so she could drink. Castalia sighed once she was finished and slowly leaned back onto her pillow.

"Better," she said, then smiled wryly. "Though I still might prefer being unconscious. Everything hurts like you wouldn't believe."

"I kind of got that impression from the wonderful soliloquy you had going. 'Damn those shit-faced monsters to the deepest pits of Ifrit forsaken hell,' indeed."

He couldn't hold back his grin at the embarrassment on her face as he repeated some of what he'd heard earlier. He rarely heard her curse, if ever, so he supposed he could let it slide given the circumstances. If anything, it was striking him as rather funny. Who would have thought she'd have such a colorful vocabulary?

Of course, that quickly faded when she tried to move again and immediately jerked in pain.

"Careful. The doctor said your back isn't quite healed yet."

"Kinda figured," she snapped, then paused and sighed. "Sorry, Da."

"It's fine," he told her with a slight smile. "I don't handle pain all that well either."

He felt the mood shift at the ensuing silence, and did his best to steel himself for the conversation he knew was coming.

"What happened?" she finally asked a minute later. "...After I...y'know..."

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"A lot of it is a blur," she admitted. "Especially toward the end. But-...Mrs. Lockhart-"

"She's gone," he affirmed, helplessness filling him as he saw her tightly close her eyes and clench her fists.

"I thought as much...I just-...I'd hoped-..." She trailed off, taking a shaky breath before continuing. "Tifa?"

"She's been staying here. Mayor Lockhart's been so busy that we thought it would be best."

Castalia grew quiet at that, seeming to stare into nothing for a long time.

"She'll be glad you're awake," he offered, trying to cheer her up. "She's been waiting."

It seemed to do the trick. Her eyes lost their distant look, though they were heavy with emotion.

"Sorry...for making you worry."

"Don't be sorry about something like that," he told her, sitting beside her on the bed and carefully pulling her close. "Think of it this way- if you have people worried about you, it means that you have people that care. People that won't mind if you make them wait, as long as you come back in the end."

He placed a hand on her head when she slowly tucked herself into him and buried her face into his chest. "But...that's not all that's bothering you, is it?"

"We-...We were right there," she said quietly, her voice breaking at the end. "We could have made it-...Why...?"

Why did she have to die?

His eyes shut at the sorrow in her voice as his mind finished the statement. It made his heart ache to hear it, but he knew it would be worse if she kept it bottled up.

"I don't- didn't -want Tifa to-...to ever feel anything like what I did."

His breath caught in his throat at the near-silent admission. It was the first time Castalia had broached the subject of her family with him- though he and Skye had long suspected she remembered more than she let on. Her pained statement proved that she not only remembered but that the wound had probably just been reopened in the worst possible way.

"Oh, Cassie..." He gently squeezed her, feeling his heart tighten in tandem when he felt her breath hitch more than once.

She didn't cry, but she was close. Part of him wished she would, while the other was guiltily hoping he'd never have to see her tears because he didn't think he could bear it.

"I'll be okay," she quietly told him a few minutes later. "I just...need a bit of time."

"I'm not going anywhere. Well, except to eat and the like, but otherwise, I'll be here."

She laughed- barely more than a huff of breath, but a laugh nonetheless -and wrapped an arm around him. "Thanks, Da."

"Anytime, Castalia."

He smiled up until the moment her breathing grew deeper in sleep, at which point, he let it fall along with the tears that had finally broken free.

"I'm so glad," he whispered aloud into the room.

He knew she would understand- Castalia had always been very mature.

"I was so scared..."

But...a daughter shouldn't ever have to see her father cry in fear or sorrow. He knew that sometimes, it couldn't be avoided, but if he could keep even just the slightest bit of pain from her...If he could maintain that solid presence so that she wouldn't hesitate to rely on him...If he could keep up that image of being unshakable so that she felt safe in telling him about anything that could be troubling her...

For that, he would hide a lifetime's worth of tears.

"Please, don't scare me like this again. Please."

Right now, however, he would give himself this moment.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"She woke up, and you didn't tell me?"

Tifa might have found Cloud's indignant expression kind of funny if she hadn't felt the same way. Still, the giant ball of...something that had been churning and tightening in her stomach since the attack finally seemed to settle down a bit, so it wasn't all bad. She was brought back into the conversation when Cloud's dad sighed and sent them an apologetic look.

"It wasn't for very long," he told them while carrying a pot over to the table. "She fell asleep after asking a few questions, so there wasn't enough time to let you know."

"The important thing is that she finally woke up," Mrs. Strife cut in with a smile. "Ah, I'm so relieved."

"She's still going to sleep a lot, though, right?" she couldn't help but ask. "That's what the doctor said."

"That's right. By the way, Tifa, is your father coming?"

She frowned as an uncomfortable swoop was added to the mix in her stomach. "He-...He said he still had some things to do."

"It won't be much longer until he's done with everything," Mr. Strife told her gently. "Then he won't have to work during the night. I'll be sure to bring him some soup later, okay?"

She could only nod. It would be a lie to say that her father's absence didn't hurt, but she knew that he had to finish his work because he was the mayor. Of course, it hadn't been so bad before because she'd been with-

She quickly pushed that thought away, doing her best to ignore the sharp jab in her heart. She had to be strong, just like her mother had told her to be. Like Cloud had asked her to be.

Like she wanted to be...because maybe then the pain would go away.

"Do you think she'll wake up again today?" Cloud asked, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"It's hard to say. Possibly."

"I want to wait in her room."

"Cloud, we've talked about this. Staying up late so often isn't good for you, especially in that chair. You really should-"

"I want to wait too."

Everyone turned to her, and a brief silence fell over them. Mr. and Mrs. Strife looked at each other for a moment, then looked back with the same look her m-she would give her when she was about to give in.

"Alright. But keep in mind that she might not wake up, okay?"

"Okay."

It was hard to concentrate on the rest of the meal after that. All she could think about was what she would say to Castalia once she woke up. Anything that she could think of sounded weird in her head. Like it wasn't nearly enough to explain everything she felt. What was she supposed to say? Thank you? If she had to be honest, she didn't feel very grateful. In fact, she was actually more mad at her than anything.

She didn't want to admit it, especially to anyone other than herself, but it was true. She still felt so hurt and so upset that she wanted to scream at Castalia- to tell her that she hated her and that it was all her fault. Tell her that if she hadn't fallen when she did, then maybe they would have made it.

She looked at Cloud for a moment, feeling a rush of guilt and shame shoot through her when he noticed and smiled back.

It wasn't Castalia's fault. She knew that...but maybe by talking to her she might be able to finally feel it too.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

It was late when I woke up again.

For a moment, I just lay there, watching the moonlit curtains flutter in a soft breeze. It was such a stark contrast to the chaos of before that I almost thought it had all been a dream. The pain in my back quickly reminded me of the truth, although that didn't stop me from staring while my mind wandered.

It was...still hard to believe.

"Oh."

It was barely a whisper, but it rang clearly in the quiet of the night. Giving a start, I slowly turned and quickly felt my tongue grow heavy in my mouth.

"Tifa."

She was standing in the doorway, clearly taken aback at the fact that I was awake. Hearing her name seemed to snap her out of it, however, and she opened her mouth a few times as if to say something before shaking her head and rushing off.

My heart sunk at the reaction.

"You shouldn't worry too much."

I smiled wryly at the new voice. Somehow, I wasn't surprised by this one, although I must have really been out of it if I hadn't even noticed he was sitting next to the bed.

"Cloud...Sorry, I didn't see you."

"It's okay," he reassured me. "I'm just-..." He faltered for a second before continuing. "I'm glad you're awake."

I looked into a pair of bright blue eyes, the amount of relief and joy within them enough to make my eyes tear up. It was the most open I'd seen them since his accident and, even though I knew it was ridiculous, the sight comforted me.

A comfortable silence fell between us after that.

"You know? It's almost kind of funny," I began after a few minutes. "Not too long ago, I was the one fretting at your bedside. Now look at us."

"Mmm," he agreed. "We really should stop getting hurt. I'm pretty sure Da's gotten a few more gray hairs."

The response startled a laugh out of me (and a wince from pulling at my injury, but I tried to ignore that one), and when I turned to look, Cloud was smiling slightly.

"It does make him look more distinguished," I pointed out, playing along.

"I don't think that's the look he's going for right now."

"Probably not," I conceded with a chuckle. "He might have to get used to it though, with us being a pair of trouble magnets and all."

He was quiet for a moment, a strange expression crossing his face for a second before being replaced by a smile once more.

"Cloud?"

"It's nothing."

I felt my gaze soften. Usually I wouldn't push it, but I had a pretty good idea what was going through his mind, and the part of me that still thought of him as a bright-eyed little toddler rushed up to comfort him. "I can't promise nothing like this will ever happen again, Cloud. But...I can promise I'll do my best to be careful. Okay?"

I grinned a bit at the way his eyes widened. "Surprised?" I teased lightly. "You shouldn't be. I take my job as a big sister very seriously, you know."

"...Yeah," he said, his smile widening a little. "I know."

"Just promise me you'll be careful too," I told him sternly. "I don't want you falling off any more water towers."

The corner of his mouth twitched upward. "I don't think you'll have to worry about that."

"You know what I mean."

He laughed.

"I was serious earlier, Cass," he told me once his amusement subsided. "Don't worry."

I sighed. I supposed it was only fair that Cloud also knew what I was sometimes thinking.

"I just wish I knew what to say to her."

"I get the feeling she's thinking the same thing," he confided. "She'll come around. We just need to give her some time."

"Fair enough." I carefully reached over and ruffled his hair, smiling when there was no protest (or eye roll) on his end this time. "Just when did you get so mature, huh?"

"Well, one of us has to be."

"Real funny, Cloud."

"Glad you think so," he said before smiling mischievously. "You know, since I'll have to be the fun sibling as well while you're on bed rest."

It took a few moments, but eventually, my eyes widened as the implication hit. "The baby was born?!"

"Babies," he corrected, his smile slowly stretching into a grin. "Ma had twins."

"Whaat?! No way!"

"I'm serious. I know Doctor Beckman doesn't have the same utilities a city hospital does, but I'm kind of surprised he missed-"

"Bring them to me."

He blinked, probably startled at the interruption and at how serious my tone was. He was not going to keep me from seeing those babies, though.

Seriously, though. Twins!

"W-What?"

"You. Bring them here. Now."

"Castalia, it's two in the morning, and you're still inj-"

"Now."

"No."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

~Day 9

Much like Doctor Beckman had said, after their late-night conversation, Castalia had slept most of the following days (he still felt himself smirking as he remembered how sleep had reclaimed her while she'd been fuming at his refusal to bring her the twins). Today, however, she had remained awake longer than before, and she didn't seem as tired, so it was decided that she would start the stretches the doctor had suggested.

As an extra incentive, he found himself seated on the floor with a set of cooing infants, facing Castalia as she carefully bent her body.

"Maybe a little fa-aa-augh!"

It wasn't going well.

Castalia was breathing shakily from her position on the chair, tears of pain in the corner of her eyes as she struggled to keep herself sitting upright. A moment passed where she caught her breath, then slowly moved- only to hiss in pain and immediately stop.

"Nope. Not happening."

Cloud felt himself frown. "You all right?"

Her jaw clenched for a moment, then loosened as she sighed. "Yeah. I think I'm done for today, though. Help me up, Da?"

"Of course."

He watched as Castalia slowly shuffled back to her bed, aided by their da and nowhere close to the smooth, fluid movements she'd had before. Once she was propped up against the headboard, and after she cast a longing glance towards their siblings, she groaned and allowed her posture to relax a bit.

"This whole situation sucks," she grumbled.

"It'll get better," Matt assured her with a sympathetic expression. "Especially once the shipment comes in. That'll cut down the recovery time."

"And I'm grateful for that. Really," she said, wincing and straightening up when her slouch went too far. "It's already going quickly, thanks to Cole, but...it can't come soon enough, y'know?"

"Yeah, I know," he agreed, sympathy coloring his tone. "You just gotta hang in there, Cassie."

"Not much else I can do," she sighed. "I thought I was lazy, but I was wrong. Very, very wrong. I never realized how used to moving around I was until now."

"That's usually the case with these kinds of injuries."

"The first thing I'm going to do once the worst is over is run," she continued, ignoring their da's rather obvious statement. "Run until I reach Rocket Town or my legs give out. Whichever comes first."

"I thought you hated running," Cloud pointed out, absentmindedly wiggling his fingers in front of the twins and smiling when he felt tiny hands latch onto them.

He was given an envious glare for his efforts.

"I do. That's why it's the first thing- I need to get it out of the way."

He choked back a laugh at both the response and the solemn way it had been delivered. "Okay."

"After that, I'm gonna drop things on purpose just so that I can bend down to get them. Do you realize how annoying it is not be able to turn more than a couple inches in any direction?"

"As long as it's nothing fragile," Da cut in, clearly just as amused by this point.

"I'm desperate, not stupid," she replied dryly. "I wouldn't do that."

"Unless you secretly hated it. I know you've been plotting to get rid of that vase in the living room for a while now."

She laughed but quickly stopped with a jerk of pain. "Hate this. Hate this so much."

"Well, at least it's not as bad as it was before, right? You were protesting a lot more then."

Castalia turned red and sent their Da a halfhearted glare while he laughed. Cloud knew there was something he was missing there, given her reaction, but he was content to let it go. For now.

"I'm adding revenge against you to the list."

"You do that, Sweetpea."

All of them knew she wouldn't go through with it.

"Oh, before I forget, Cole is starting to put in orders for materials. He wanted me to ask you if nine kilograms of the bruiseweed was okay."

"That's too much," she said with a slight shake of her head. "I only need about half of that. Oh, could you tell him to order some vials, though? I was starting to run out as it was, and I can't imagine the new...window on the side of the shop helped much."

Cloud couldn't quite help the bit of amusement he felt when she grimaced at the reminder of the damage to the building. Castalia had learned of it second-hand but had been just as riled up as Cole when she'd found out. It reminded him of Cid's reactions when one of his planes or airships were damaged. Although to be fair, he could sympathize given he had been just as attached to his bike and sword.

Especially his sword.

Getting it forged again was going to be a nightmare and a half.

"I hope I don't have to remind you not to do any synthesizing while you're on bed rest, Cassie."

His thoughts of First Tsurugi and how he could go about making it this time around were pushed aside as he brought his attention back to the conversation.

"No, Da. Both you and Doctor Beckman made it perfectly clear what could happen if I tried making anything before he gave the okay. It's a little frustrating since I know that more than a few people could use a potion right about now, but I understand. No clandestine operations from my bed."

The older man made a face before giving her a flat look. "While technically correct, I know you know there were better words you could have used. Heck, that whole last bit could have been phrased differently."

She smiled innocently. "Of course."

At that response, he looked up with a mix of exasperation and amusement. "Mom, Pop, I just know you'd be laughing at me right now. Can't say I don't deserve it."

"Knowing Gramma and Gramps, I'd say that's pretty accurate. They did seem to find something funny when they met me."

"It's called karma."

Cloud didn't bother hiding his amusement. He'd had the opportunity to meet his adoptive grandparents a little after his arrival, and at least once a year since then. The two of them were as doting as could be expected, although they exuded a particular joy when it came to Castalia. From what he was hearing, he was starting to see why.

"Laugh it up, buddy. I know for a fact that your grandpa has been needing some help with Rusty, and we're due for a visit soon. I'm not above volunteering you for it."

He quickly felt his laughter die off, and the blood rush from his face. "He's still alive?"

"Unfortunately," his da grumbled.

The three of them exchanged glances before shuddering (or grimacing, in Castalia's case) in mutual horror.

Rusty was, in the fairest terms, a crotchety, decrepit, malicious red chocobo who- apparently -seemed to be clinging to life solely to spite everyone who wanted him gone. The story went that his step-grandfather had saved him from being put down after he could no longer race, but that had been while Matt had still been a kid. That unpleasant bird should have been dead by now.

Normally he wouldn't be so callous, but after his previous experience with the feathered hellspawn the last time they'd visited, he had to admit that he really couldn't bring himself to care.

"Please don't," he choked out.

He would go through with it if he really had to, but he wasn't sure if he'd make it through their typical three-day visit without seriously contemplating murder. It would be easy, too. Castalia favored fire and lightning materia, so she usually had one or the other on her, and he'd [unwillingly] listened to enough of Reno's ramblings that he was sure he could make it look like an accident regardless of which one it was. He inwardly smirked at that. He could just imagine the redhead's reaction to him using assassination techniques on a chocobo.

...And his thoughts had seriously gotten off track. Just what was his life now if that could happen so easily?

"No, I suppose that would be too cruel," Matt admitted with a sigh. "It's bad enough that I had to deal with him when I was younger. You shouldn't have to go through it as well-"

"Thank goodness for that."

"Not unless you did something that really deserved it, anyway."

"I won't," he assured him solemnly. "Nothing would be worth it."

"...I'm not sure if I should be concerned about the way you said that."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

~Day 10

"How's it look, Ma? Really. Cloud and Da didn't go into detail when I asked."

Skye paused at the quietly murmured question and took a moment to study her daughter's back. Today was the first day that Castalia was allowed to wash properly, but she was still having some trouble moving around, so she'd quickly volunteered her help despite the girl's protests (which were heartwarmingly more of concern than embarrassment).

She sighed as her eyes roamed the various dips in the flesh. The monster had come in at an angle, so there were two deeper lines on her right side where the back talons had initially penetrated her skin- one closer to her shoulder and the other to her hip. They gradually lessened out into jagged grooves as they trailed towards where they then intersected with the front talons. The upper three covered the area around her right shoulderblade and raked down while the lower ones included most of her mid-back. Now that the injury had been given more time to heal, it was bright pink instead of red- although, given Castalia's tendency to tan, the lighter tone would definitely stand out once it was completely healed.

"It's not as bad as before," she told her, resuming her gentle strokes with a washcloth, "-but it still looks like you were mauled by a giant eagle."

"And with that, you've told me more than both of them combined," Castalia sighed.

"They just don't want to think about it, sweetie. You-...You scared us, you know?" She felt her hand tighten around the cloth as her eyes closed in pain. "You were so still and pale...Combined with the amount of blood around you, I-I thought-..."

The stress caused by the sight had been the final straw that triggered her labor. Most of what happened afterward was hazy, but she could still recall Cloud's yells for help and her husband's terrified expression as he hovered by her side.

"...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you go through that."

"I know."

Seeing how Cassie seemed to shrink into herself a bit at the reminder caused a surge of emotions to swell up inside of her. Yet...she couldn't seem to put them into words. She may have come off as a very outspoken woman to most, and she was, to a certain extent, but only when it concerned those she cared about. When it came to her own thoughts and emotions, however, she was a very private person. She didn't necessarily consider it a bad thing, but it was times like these that she envied her husband's ability to express himself. Matt had a way of speaking that always let others know everything he felt- whether he was happy, or concerned, or disappointed, or...anything really. Castalia was much the same.

Cloud, however, seemed to be taking more after her than his father.

"At least I'll have an interesting story to tell if I ever go to the beach."

The comment was so unexpected that it startled a laugh out of her and broke the silence that had fallen between them. Though going by the slight smile on her daughter's face, that had been exactly what she'd been aiming for. Deciding to follow Castalia's lead, she allowed the heavy topic to be dropped for now.

"You'd be too busy fending off the boys for that."

"You think?" Castalia asked in amusement.

"I know," she confirmed, a grin spreading on her face. "You're cute, Cassie. Scars aren't going to deter a lot of them."

"I guess not, but Cloud or Da would probably finish the job."

They shared a laugh at that.

"To be honest, Ma, having a serious relationship is the last thing on my mind," Castalia continued once they'd settled down. "There's...a lot of things that I want to do."

"And that's fine," she reassured her. "You should never feel pressured into that big of a commitment. But...don't blind yourself to any opportunities, either."

At Castalia's slight flinch, which she might not have noticed had she not been so close, she felt her gaze soften. Perhaps it was due to watching her grow up, or maybe it was just women's intuition, but this had only confirmed something she'd been beginning to suspect.

She sighed. "I won't ask why- you're mature enough to make that decision. All I'll say is not to rule it out. It could be that you just haven't met the right person yet. Can't say there are many choices here, in all honesty...Plus," she smiled mischievously, "-it seems you're into older men, anyway."

Castalia groaned. "None of you are going to let that go, are you?"

"Never."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"How-...How is she doing?"

The question was spoken wearily- laced so heavily with undertones of sorrow and guilt that he could only sigh at first.

"Better, I think. She's talking again, and eating...I'm pretty sure we have Cloud to thank for that. It's easy to see she misses you, though."

Silence.

"You've been done with most of the work regarding this disaster for a while now," he continued, a hint of stern reprimand creeping into his tone. "When are you going to bring her home?"

"I-I...I can't-"

"Why?" When he was met with more silence, he scowled. "Ulric, she's your daughter. Skye and I can only do so much for her. She needs you."

The man stiffened, the fear and panic in his eyes so strong that it gave him pause.

"I can't," Ulric repeated, a hint of grieved hysteria in his voice. "I can't, I can't...not without my- without her. Every day I go home, and I'm reminded-...How am I supposed to bring my Tifa back to that?"

Ulric hadn't let himself start grieving his wife's death yet.

The realization hit him so strongly in that moment that he actually straightened up a bit in his seat. It made sense. The two of them had been together since they were around Castalia's age. That was years of history, gone in an instant. Of course Ulric would be having trouble coming to terms with the loss.

He sighed. This was turning out to be quite the mess.

"Right," he decided after a bit more thought on how he could help. "Pack a bag, Ulric. We're going on a trip."

"Trip?"

"Yes."

It was a bit of a longshot, to be honest, and definitely not something he wanted to do with Skye having given birth just a little over a week ago, but she would understand. She'd probably even encourage it if it meant helping Ulric and Tifa get some semblance of their life back together.

"But- I can't just-!"

"The town can survive without you for a week or two."

"Not with ShinRa here. W-We should wait-"

"While I might not like them being here, there's no telling when they'll leave. Last I heard, they were still waiting on a response from their higher-ups. Considering most of them have access to phones, it's pretty telling that there's a lot of stalling going on somewhere. Besides, Cole and Yi are more than capable of handling anything that pops up. Now, stop making excuses and pack. We'll be leaving in an hour regardless of whether you do or not."

"...Why? Why are you doing this?"

"Because your daughter needs you, and I refuse to let you forget it."

Not when it could have just as easily been himself in that position.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Yes, we're all fine...The babies too- ah, yes, she had twins. The doctor didn't- What?...Uh, I don't think they are. I mean, they're both boys, but they have different hair colors...No! No, there's no need for-...But-!...Yes, Mom...Love you too. Be-...Be careful, okay?"

Cloud watched as his da hung up the phone with a deep sigh and slump of resignation. "Grandma's coming?"

"Looks like," Matt answered before running a hand over his face.

"Alone?"

"Your grandfather's coming too, but I'm glad you understand why I'm worried."

"What about the farm?"

"From the sounds of it, she was going to ask your aunt to look after it."

"Aunt Rio?"

He frowned a bit as he recalled the name of his adoptive aunt. He knew he was supposed to have met her, but the memory of it was still lost to him. He still didn't know much about the woman either, since she didn't live in the same town as his grandmother and grandfather, but it was plain to see that despite caring for one another, there had been some past tension between her and his da. Whenever he spoke of his childhood, it was with a slight awkwardness, like he wasn't quite sure what to say at times.

"Yeah." He sighed again and shook his head with a wry smile. "I only called to let your grandma know our visit would be delayed, but I should have known better. They've always been stubborn, and they think that since they can still handle a farm, then they're more than capable of making their way here. Hopefully, your uncle will manage to convince them to have some sort of protection before they leave. He's got a much better chance of it than Rio, at any rate."

"Neil is much less outspoken than the two of you," Ma said with a smile. "That makes the few words he does say seem to carry much more weight."

"I suppose so." He briefly ran a hand through his hair before turning towards her. "Sorry again for springing this on you so suddenly..."

"You've apologized enough, Da," Castalia cut in from her place on the couch. Her tone was fondly exasperated, but the effect was weakened by the delighted smile that had been going strong on her face since one of the twins had been placed on her lap ten minutes ago. "And we already told you it's okay. Now go help Mr. Lockhart."

"Right. So this should hopefully only take a couple of weeks- three at the most." He walked over to Ma and gave her a chaste kiss before smiling slightly. "Think you can hold down the fort that long?"

"I make no promises."

Da chuckled and then went over to Castalia, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Don't push yourself too hard in your exercises."

She rolled her eyes playfully. "I won't, but thanks for reminding me again."

He huffed, but there was nothing but fondness in his eyes.

After giving the boys a quick kiss too, his da finally turned to him. Cloud was prepared to endure whatever came next, but in all honesty, he also found himself not really minding the idea of receiving the man's affection anymore. Yes, he was an adult in mind, but even if he'd been an adult in body, he knew he would never have rejected affection from his mother. And after all that he had seen him do, especially in this past week and a half, Matt had broken any remaining barriers that had kept him from fully being regarded in the same manner. It had been a bit startling to realize he now genuinely thought of the man as a father, but not unwelcome.

Besides, it was infinitely better than the near reverent hero worship he'd had over Sephiroth in his original childhood.

Sure enough, he was brought into a firm hug, but after pulling away, his Da also placed his hands on his shoulders and bent down.

"Cloud, I know it's mostly thanks to you that Tifa is where she's at right now. It couldn't have been easy, but you stuck with her, and you managed to get her to start moving forward. Not only that, but your Ma told me that you were the one who brought her inside during the attack and helped keep her calm. None of it should have happened, but it did, and you stepped up. I can't even begin to express how proud I am of you for it."

Castalia and Matt really were two peas in a pod, he thought as he tried to hold back a pleased flush from slowly rising to his face. Both of them seemed to have a knack for bringing out reactions from him that he hadn't known he could still feel. Still, he couldn't deny the warmth that the comment brought him.

"Aww, he's blushing~"

He sent Castalia a halfhearted glare, which was only met with laughter.

"Relax, Chicky," she added with a grin. "I'll be toning the teasing down now that I've got this."

She lifted the twin in her hold up in the air like some sort of trophy, her grin widening when their da sighed.

"Cassie, pronouns. Please."

He smirked. "I like how you didn't even tell her to be careful not to drop him."

"That's because I know she won't. Right, Cassie?"

Castalia winced and brought her arms back down to her lap. "Yeeeah, I definitely don't want a repeat of what happened the last time. Sorry again, Cloud."

"...What?"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

~Day 12

"...-I told him it was a joke, and he seemed okay with it, but what if he wasn't, and it did actually bother him?"

"He'd get over it," Cole snirked, the cure materia in his hand seeming to flare with the sound. "Brat practically worships the ground ya walk on. He can handle a bit'a teasin'. Move your arm."

"Cloud does not worship the ground I stand on," I sighed in exasperation even as I complied.

"Used to. Luckily he's had some sense knocked inta him since then."

"Hey."

"Where is he, anyway? Woulda thought he'd be here bein' a general nuisance."

"He's with Tifa. With her dad gone, she's been a bit down."

"Hmm."

I saw the corner of his lips twitch and couldn't hold back a smile. "Aww, you do like him."

He scoffed. "About as much as a fungus, maybe."

I sniggered at the gruff response.

"Shipment came in," he said, clearly changing the subject while handing me a glass.

I decided to let him have the topic switch as I reached for it eagerly. "Really? I was expecting it to take another week at least."

"Yeah, well, ShrinRa's good for somethin' apparently. It got bumped up to a rush order. Drink up."

I nodded, the relief and excitement I was feeling probably clear as day in my expression.

In my years here, I'd come to learn that recovery items like potions didn't automatically make everything better, like in games, which made more realistic sense. Still, they did help people heal much faster. The better the potion, the greater the effect. For example, an injury that would take two days to heal naturally could be gone in one with a hi-potion. It would take even less time for the mako-enhanced due to their already superhuman physiology. While I was already recovering at a rate that would have been unheard of in my old life, we both knew that this was what would ultimately give me that final push into full health, and I was more than ready to finally move again.

Then a familiar mix of tangy and bitter hit my nose, and I froze. Once my brain had finally caught on to what I was holding, I turned to look at him in shock.

"An elixir?! Cole-!"

He sighed, his expression annoyed and amused all at once. "Shoulda known you'd know what it was, even out of the bottle."

"I can't drink this!"

This must have cost him a small fortune! Wouldn't it have been better to use on someone who was worse off? Or at least kept as a backup in the shop! Sure, this would pretty much guarantee I was up and about by the end of the day, but I didn't mind drinking a regular potion and waiting a day or two more.

"None of that now, Cassie."

"But-!"

"Drink," he cut me off firmly. "Havin' you back'll help make up for any gil I mighta lost buyin' that."

I supposed that was true. Once the doctor gave the okay, Cole wouldn't have to buy anything already synthesized since I'd be able to make it.

"'Sides," he continued, "you might think that elixir is better off bein' used on someone else, but I got it for you. If you don't drink it, I'm pourin' it down a sink."

I stared for a moment, a bit taken aback at the admission (and the threat because he would do something like that), but then I saw the look in his eyes.

A warm feeling washed over me as I looked down at the glass and smiled. "Thanks...and sorry. For worrying you."

"Don't do it again."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

There were sounds coming from the kitchen.

Tifa blinked in confusion, feeling Cloud pause next to her for a moment before he hurried forward. Mrs. Strife was at the doctor's with the twins, so who...?

"Cass, you're up!"

"Yeah. Cole came by this morning with his materia and one of the potions that came in the shipment. I slept for a bit, and now, well, I'm still a little stiff, but other than that, I have full range of movement. As for my magic...I think a full night's rest would be best, just to be safe, but I thought I could at least help with lunch while Ma's out."

He shook his head. "You know she's going to hug you and not let go, right?"

"That's why you need to come up with a distraction before she comes home."

He laughed but hearing it made only made her feel upset.

Cloud had spent a lot of time with her since the attack, even when she tried pushing him away. The other kids in town had tried talking to her on one of the days she went out without him, but...it wasn't the same. A lot of them would only tell her how sorry they were and ask if she was okay, but that only made her angry.

Of course she wasn't okay, and they were stupid if they couldn't see that.

Cloud understood, though. Somehow, he always knew when she wanted to talk, and when she didn't. He didn't keep asking dumb questions, and he didn't get mad when she would start fights with him (but she sometimes did because she couldn't beat him anymore). He was just...there.

And now he was going to leave her too.

She felt tears sting her eyes the longer she thought about it. Castalia was better now, so Cloud was going to start spending all of his time with her again. He would forget all about Tifa Lockhart, the crybaby girl who yelled at him and tried hurting him, and-...and who hadn't been a good friend at all.

"Tifa? Tifa, are you okay?"

No, she wasn't!

The hand in front of her jerked back, and it took her a few moments to see Castalia's surprised face through her tears. When she did, that ball in her stomach that had been growing and growing and growing in her for days exploded.

"I'm not okay! I'm not! Why does everyone keep asking?! Why can't they just leave me alone?!"

"We ask because we're worried, Tif-"

"NO! You're not worried, and you don't care! If you did-...If you really cared, my mama would still be here!"

"Tifa!"

Cloud sounded angry, and it hurt, but now that she'd started, she couldn't stop.

"We were almost there!" she felt herself scream. "She could have made it! But you tripped! It's all your fault!"

"TIFA!"

"I wish you were dead instead of her!"

Silence.

'I didn't mean it.'

Castalia's face had turned white.

'I swear, I didn't mean it!'

Cloud looked horrified.

'I'm sorry! I'm sorry!'

But...the words wouldn't come out.

So, she ran.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The silence that had fallen remained heavy even after the door slammed shut behind Tifa. Cloud stood there, stunned at what had just happened. He'd known Tifa was still angry, but she'd been improving!...He hadn't thought-...

"Cloud." He turned at his Castalia's voice. "You-...You should go talk to Tifa."

"But-"

"Please," she continued softly. "She-...She won't want to see me, but...she shouldn't be alone."

"...Are you okay?"

He felt his heart twist when she looked down, the tears that had filled her eyes falling to the ground as she sniffled.

"S-She didn't mean it," she said, her voice thick. "She's hurt...and angry...She didn't mean it."

That didn't mean hearing something like that wouldn't be painful, though.

As if he'd said that out loud, she rubbed the tears away and turned to him. "I-I'll be fine. Really."

Her eyes were still watery, and even though she was trying to smile, it was weak.

Before he knew it he had stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her.

"She didn't mean it," he reassured her, resting his forehead against her shoulder. "And...even on the small chance she did, she's wrong. It's not your fault."

Castalia had tried so hard to keep everyone safe but, despite her knowledge of martial arts and materia, she was still so young- so inexperienced when it came to fighting real threats. The fact that she'd managed as much as she had was actually more than a little amazing. It wasn't fair to hold her responsible for other people's lives. She shouldn't have even had to worry about it in the first place. He was sure Tifa would see that too.

She immediately hugged him back, small tremors wracking her body. "R-Right," she choked out. "...Right...Thanks, Cloud..."

"Anytime."

She held him for a bit longer, but eventually pulled away and nudged him toward the door. "Go on."

He hesitated, but he knew she was right. Right now, Tifa needed him more than Castalia did. Still, he felt heavy as he nodded and walked toward the door. Just as he was about to step through, he looked back and felt torn.

Castalia was sitting on the couch now, her head buried in her hands and body shaking.

Steeling his resolve was hard when all he wanted to do was run back and comfort her, but he managed to look away and close the door behind him. He paused for a moment to take a steadying breath, then started moving.

There was only one place Tifa would be after this.

Sure enough, he found her next to her mother's piano, staring at the keys as silent tears streamed down her face. When she finally noticed him there, she quickly stood up, her expression a mix of regret and fear.

He just sighed and walked toward her.

She immediately shuffled back, maintaining the distance between them as she wrapped her arms around herself.

He frowned a bit, but adjusted his steps. "I just want to talk."

She shook her head and kept her eyes adverted.

"Tifa-"

"Why are you here?"

"I told you why. I want to talk."

"No. No. You're here to yell at me. For what I said."

Her back hit the corner, and her gaze snapped up to his in realization. Before she could try to escape, he quickly closed the gap and kept her trapped between him and the wall. Tifa was quick to realize there would be no escape as well, and her defensive posture quickly crumbled.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't-"

He reached out, ignoring the pang of hurt at how she flinched at the movement, and hugged her.

"I know."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Once Cloud left, the house immediately felt too stiffling. I needed to get out- go and clear my head a bit. So I did.

"I wish you were dead instead of her!"

I had to admit, climbing the water tower wasn't the first thing I thought I'd be doing once I was mobile again, yet here I was.

"I wish you were dead instead of her!"

I'd known Tifa was still upset, especially with her reaction that first night I'd woken up and with how she had more or less been avoiding me since...but...Well, no one ever expects something like that.

And I hadn't realized it would hurt quite so much to hear it.

"I wish you were dead instead of her!"

While it was true I hadn't originally payed very much attention to Tifa, once she'd gotten Master Zangan to begin training her, I'd started interacting with her a lot more often. Then, once Cloud joined in and she spent even more time with us, she slowly became part of the family- a little sister.

A little sister who'd just wished I was dead.

'No. She didn't mean it,' I reminded myself.

I swallowed heavily and did my best to push those thoughts away. I was still climbing up the ladder, and the last thing I needed was to slip and fall because I was distracted. With that in mind I hurried up the last few rungs, determined to make it to the top and finally let myself think about it in peace...only to pause in surprise once I was there.

"...Travis?"

He'd been sitting with his head in between his knees as his arms kept his legs in place, but when he heard my voice, he jerked and looked up.

His eyes were red-rimmed.

Travis was very much like his mother- boisterous and pushy, with a strong dislike for being seen as weak. For that reason, I was sure he was going to say something- to deny what I'd seen and storm off in a huff...

But, he didn't.

"He was always jealous that I could come up here and he couldn't."

I gave a start, not expecting him to break the silence. He had looked away, but he was still hugging his legs and his voice was quiet, as if trying to make himself as small as possible.

This wasn't like him at all.

"Then he'd go crying to Ma when I'd tease him about it, and Ma would get mad at me. It's so stupid, but..." He gave a choked sob, curling more into himself as he shook. "But it's all I can think about! Him and his dumb temper tantrums!"

My thoughts came to a screeching halt, and I stared in growing shock and disbelief as the air seemed to freeze in tandem.

He couldn't mean-

'No. Not Ethan.'

Travis's little brother...who could constantly be found yelling up at him whenever he climbed the water tower. He couldn't be talking about him. He was too young.

"Then, before I knew it, I was here. As if he was gonna come outta nowhere and start screaming at me to come down again." Travis laughed, pained and scathing all at once. "Stupid, right?"

"It's not."

I thought back to my first childhood. I remembered hours of waiting by a window with my brother and sister for our dad to come home, even though we'd already been told he couldn't. He was our dad, and nothing could keep him away from us forever, right? Not if he'd told us he would be back.

I took a seat next to him.

"You-...You just miss him," I told him, unable to keep my voice even as I tried to swallow the painful knot in my throat. "And this-...this is one place where he would always come to you."

He looked at me, relief flashing in his eyes before whatever he'd been holding back seemed to break free. The next moment, I found myself holding back tears as I supported a grieving fourteen-year-old boy mourning the loss of his little brother.

"I wish you were dead instead of her!"

If I could, I would give everything to be able to bring Mrs. Lockhart back for Tifa...but I couldn't. No matter how much I wanted to. But this reminded me that I was lucky. While it sounded a bit callous, I still had the people I wanted to protect. So, I had to keep moving forward.

"Promise me you'll look after her."

I was brought out of these thoughts when Travis pulled away, wiping at his eyes with his arm.

"S-Sorry."

I offered him a smile, though it felt subdued at best. "Don't be...You look like you needed it."

He sighed, but didn't deny it. Instead, he went back to looking out at the mountains. "What're you doing up here anyway? I thought you'd be back at the shop now that you're better."

I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should say anything.

Travis was fourteen, but in the end, he was still a kid. Not only that, but he had his own things to deal with. It wouldn't be right to add my problems to his.

"Forget it," he suddenly grunted with a frown. "If you don't want to tell me, just say so."

I inwardly sighed, and resisted the urge to shake my head. 'Teenagers.'

To be fair, not all teenagers were that unique mix of moodiness and pride, but I honestly wasn't feeling up to brainstorming a better term when the one I used worked in this case. Still, not saying anything after that would probably do more harm than good, so my choice was pretty much made at this point. At least Travis wasn't a bad kid; he just had a bit of an attitude problem- something that seemed well on its way to fixing itself, if our current interaction was any indication.

I wished it hadn't come with such a steep price for him, though.

"I thought about it," I began, pushing those thoughts aside, "but I wanted to surprise my family with lunch first. Cloud came home with Tifa and...well, she's not really happy with me."

"Not happy as in..."

"She blames me for her ma's death."

His eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but then he scoffed. "So that's her deal."

"Huh?"

"She's been avoiding everyone in town 'cept your brother," he explained. "When one of her friends tried talking to her she practically bit her head off and made her cry."

Before today, I wouldn't have been able to picture Tifa going off on someone like that, but now...I winced and hoped whoever it had been was okay.

"But now I know she's just being a brat."

"Hey, that's not fair to her. She just lost her Ma-"

"And I lost my brother!" he snapped, his brows furrowed deeply as he glared at me. "You don't see me takin' it out on everyone else!"

"Yeah, but you're fourteen," I pointed out. "She's ten, Travis. She's still just a little kid..."

"...It's still not right," he grumbled after a moment.

"It's not," I agreed. "But...we can't be too hard on her for it either. Tifa isn't mean or spiteful at heart, so I'm sure she'll see that the way she's been treating everyone is wrong and apologize."

"How are you so fucking positive right now?" he grumbled, though it lacked any real heat. "Aren't you even a little upset?"

"Course I am. I'm just wasting time until it becomes too much and I inevitably break down."

I wasn't entirely sure that was a joke, but Travis didn't need to know that.

Instead I smiled a bit as he huffed, notably calmer than he'd been before while I felt something in me ease as my own words echoed in my mind. While I knew that Tifa couldn't have meant what she'd said, there was a part of me that couldn't help but take it to heart. Somehow though, by defending her actions to Travis, I had managed to do what I hadn't been entirely successful in doing since it happened: reassure myself.

The conversation died out shortly after, but the silence wasn't awkward. Instead, as if by mutual agreement, we both turned to look out. If there was one thing that I loved about the water tower, it was the view. There was just something about being so high up that made the scenery different, no matter where you were.

"It's something else, huh?" Travis quietly asked a few minutes later. "The view, I mean."

"Yeah," I sighed out, smiling a bit as a sense of peace finally began to wear away at the stress of the past few days. "It really is."

The two of us remained there until sunset.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

When the two of them got back to Cloud's house, it was dinner time.

"-should talk to her," Cassie was saying quietly as they entered the kitchen.

Tifa felt more than a bit of trepidation at that, more so when she saw how serious Castalia looked when she said it.

"I'll head over there tomorrow," Mrs. Strife told her, looking tired and concerned. "Thanks for telling me, Cassie."

Now she was confused. Weren't they talking about her and what she'd said? Before either of them could ask (and she could tell Cloud wanted to ask from the look on his face), Mrs. Strife noticed them and quickly smiled.

"Oh! Cloud, Tifa, you're back! Cassie came back not too long ago too- almost giving me a heart attack in the process."

"I said I was sorry, Ma..."

"Next time go tell me you're up and about right away instead of coming in through the front door while I'm frantically searching for you."

"You went out?" Cloud asked.

"A bit after you did," she said with a nod. "Needed some fresh air."

Tifa felt herself shake as Castalia finally turned to look at her. Cloud had said she wouldn't- but how could he be sure? She'd said something awful, and-

And Castalia was smiling at her. "I'm glad you're back, Tifa."

Her jumbled thoughts froze. "W-What?"

It looked like she was going to say something, but then she stopped and stood up. "Come on, we haven't really hung out for a while. Cloud can stay here with Ma."

Panic flared up in her, and she sent a pleading look toward her friend only to find him already distracting Ms. Strife as Castalia led her away from the kitchen. Feeling like she was walking to her doom, she struggled to get her suddenly heavy legs to move, which was made harder by the fact that she couldn't really feel the rest of her body anymore. Somehow she managed, and after an endless instant she found herself alone with Castalia in her room.

This was it. Cloud was wrong. Castalia was only leading her away because she didn't want anyone else to hear how much she hated her and was going to tell her to stay away forever and-

She felt herself jump at the sudden warmth that wrapped around her.

"Breathe, Tifa. Deep breaths. Come on now, with me."

It took her a few moments to get her quick, shallow breaths under control, but matching them with Castalia's definitely helped.

"There you go," she murmured, looking concerned as she pulled away. "Are you feeling better?"

Her heart gave a painful twist at the question. Why would she still be worried about her after what she'd said?

Why-...?

"Why don't you hate me?"

She could barely hear her own voice when she asked it, although that might have been because her heart seemed to be beating so loudly in her ears.

Castalia sighed.

"I could never hate you, Tifa," she said softly. "I won't lie, what you said really hurt, but in the end...I was more sad and worried than angry."

"Worried?"

"Of course."

"Because...you think of me like a little sister? Cloud said you did," she added at the older girl's surprised look.

Castalia smiled a bit. "And he'd be right."

She blinked a few times, her eyes quickly becoming glassy with tears.

"I'm sorry!" she sobbed, leaning forward to wrap her arms around Castalia as tightly as she could. "I don't hate you! I didn't mean it! I didn't!"

Castalia was hugging her just as tightly, and it was just so warm and familiar-

I love you, Tifa.

Her mother's smile flashed in her mind- full of love and pride and so, so real that for a moment, it was like she was there.

"M-Mama," she whimpered, the word she hadn't allowed herself to say filling her heart with the sharp pain of loss and lonliness.

She missed her so much.

As if something in her had just been waiting for her to admit that, it was like everything that hadn't exploded out of her earlier rushed out in a deep, sorrowful wail.

"Mama, why?!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Matt paused in eating his lunch when he noticed his traveling companion staring blankly down the path they'd come from. "Ulric? Something wrong?"

The other man seemed to snap out of it, but still seemed downcast as he brought his attention back to his meal. "I-...My daughter just came to mind, is all..."

He nodded, sympathy softening his gaze. "I know it's not easy, being so far away. Heaven knows that the first time Skye and I took a trip without the kids, we were fretting the whole time- and we'd left them with my parents!"

"Then why...?"

"Did we leave?" He sighed at Ulric's nod. "The first time, it was my mom's suggestion. It took her and my pop to convince us, and every time we called, they just laughed and told us not to worry so much. Of course, that did happen to be the time that Cloud had an unfortunate encounter with one of their chocobos and we ended up cutting the trip short anyway, but I think what they were trying to teach us is that while it's important to be there for them, we should also take care of ourselves. I have to admit we'd been running ourselves a bit ragged at the time, and those few moments where we weren't worrying about what could be happening were nice."

"And the other trips?"

"The second was our honeymoon. Luckily, nothing bad happened that time. The third was when Castalia insisted we celebrate our anniversary a year later, claiming she was old enough to look after things while we were gone. We still had Cole and a few others check in on them, but it went well enough for us to feel more comfortable with the idea of leaving them at home. After a couple more trial runs, we felt we could take the occasional trip without feeling anxious or guilty. I'd be lying if I said we didn't worry about them at all, but it's easier than before."

"I see...and you hope to do something similar with me? To get me to focus on myself for a bit?"

"That's part of it," he admitted. "All of us could tell you've been more than stressed lately, and you're not going to be any good to Tifa if you're still caught up in your own grief." He ignored the slight flinch his comment caused, but made sure to keep his tone kind. "The other part of it is that I really think this will help you deal with your loss and help you move forward."

"But how? Why Cosmo Canyon? What could possibly be there that I couldn't find somewhere else?"

"It's not something you can find so much as something you can learn. I don't think I can do the explanation justice, so just trust me until we get there."

"I suppose...I have nothing to lose by doing so."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Tifa was tired.

Tired of being angry...Tired of all the hurt...

Just tired.

Castalia hadn't let go the entire time she'd been crying, but the warmth that had caused her tears had changed. It didn't feel like her mama was there anymore. While the loss of it made her sad, it was like all of her energy was gone, and all she wanted to do was sleep and sleep and sleep.

Castalia's humming wasn't helping either, but...

"I've never heard this song before," she mumbled, burying her face into her shoulder. "Did you make it?"

"...No," Castalia murmured back after a moment. "It's-...It's something I heard a long time ago." She sighed quietly. "I don't remember the words anymore, but...I remember I liked it because it-...It reminded me of my mom."

Her hands tightened their hold on her shirt.

"Sorry. I just thought-"

"No," she cut her off. "It's pretty...I-...I think Mama would have liked it too."

She was surprised to hear a sniffle, and when she looked up, she saw Castalia's eyes were full of tears.

"She loved you, Tifa. She loved you so, so much. Don't ever forget, okay?"

The arms around her tightened, and when Castalia continued, the words were sad and quiet, but firm.

"...I know it hurts...It's never going to stop hurting, but...it gets easier to deal with- especially with the help of the people you care about. And I-...I'll be there for you too...to help you stand up and keep going, even when it feels like you can't...That sound good, little sis?"

Her heart hurt, and it felt like something was in her throat, making it too painful to speak, but she nodded.

"It's a promise, then."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

~Day 13

"Thanks for coming to see me," I told my guest, setting down some leftovers from lunch in front of him. "Though I am a bit surprised by it, to be honest."

"What? And here I thought we were friends," Ryuu said with a grin before picking up a fork. "Thank you. This looks great."

"And now your true intention comes out," I laughed. "You just came for the food."

"This is just luck," he denied cheerfully before adopting a more serious expression. "Joking aside, I really did want to visit. I've heard a lot of talk about you this last week and a half. You're quite the hero...but you don't look to happy about that."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I managed to help as much as I did. But, I wish-..." I sighed. "I dunno what I wish. I just want them to stop."

"A real hero is always a hero by mistake."

"Huh?"

"It's something my dad would say to me whenever I brought up my desire to join the military. At first, I had no idea what he was talking about, but...I think I get it now. Real heroes aren't the ones who actively go out to search for the glory or prestige that saving people would give them. They're the ones who find themselves thrust into bad situations without warning, but still do whatever they can to help."

I snickered.

"Hey! I'm trying to offer some comforting wisdom here! What's so funny?"

"Sorry. It's just so...cheesy."

"Hmph, see if I ever try to help you out again." His smile quickly turned into a smirk. "Though I suppose that little brother of yours has you covered, what with sending death glares at any attractive older guy who gets within five feet of you."

I groaned and buried my face into my hands. "Who told you?"

"Mr. Tuesti may have mentioned a few things while we were heading up to the reactor," he admitted. "He thought it was cute."

"Of course he did," I sighed. "Damn it, this is one of those things that's going to follow me forever, isn't it?"

Well, if there was any doubt that he knew about my crush on him before, it was definitely gone now.

"Maybe not forever," was the hedged response, "but it probably won't end any time soon either."

"Great. Though now that you know, you mind if I ask how you got Cloud to let you in?"

"Oh, he didn't let me in, your mom did while she was on her way out."

"...Yeah," I sighed again. "Yeah, that makes sense."

Ma wouldn't miss an opportunity to poke a bit of fun at me like this, especially now that Da wasn't around to hover around protectively. Although, that did make me wonder where Cloud was...Probably with Tifa, now that I thought about it.

"Guess this means I have your mother's seal of approval?" he asked teasingly, his eyebrows even going so far to wriggle up and down.

Such a question could only be met with one response.

"Oof! Hey, now," he pouted while the chair cushion I'd thrown fell from his face to his lap, "that was uncalled for!"

"It wasn't not uncalled for."

He opened his mouth, paused, then made a face. "...That...was a double negative."

"You are correct."

"Why?"

His voice was so distraught I couldn't help the laugh that escaped me. It looked like I'd found a person who was even more bothered by certain grammatical choices than Da.

Good to know.

"I like messing around like that once in a while," I said before grinning. "I didn't realize it would aggravate your delicate sensibilites though, Your Highn-ack!"

The cushion had been thrown back and had hit its mark, but I found myself laughing again regardless of that. Luckily, I'd been right in thinking that Ryuu was a laid-back guy himself, because he joined me after a few moments.

"My dad always said that no matter what I decided to do with my life, it's no excuse to be a lout," Ryuu offered as explanation once we'd settled down. "He wouldn't force me to study, but the thing about him is that his words are frighteningly effective. If you're not careful, you could find yourself doing something you'd never thought you'd do- happily."

"Sounds scary," I said with a smile, amusement bubbling up within me as I thought about how Ma would love to meet Ryuu's da for that alone.

"I promise he only wields his words for good," Ryuu laughed. "Mostly. There was this one time he tried to convince a merchant to give away this crazy rare tea- or so he's told me -for free. It didn't work, but there you go."

I laughed again. If Ryuu- or rather, LuTen's father was who I thought it was, then I could definitely believe a general from ShinRa's army would do something like that.

I had to admit, while I'd been more than a little shocked and incredulous at the realization of who I was speaking with, I was happy too. He might have had a different name, and no memories of Avatars or worlds that could have been, but he was alive. Sure, he was still part of a meaningless war, but as he wasn't a prince, he had a better chance to live past it than his other self had.

I sincerely hoped that ended up being the case.

"All this aside, I really am glad you came to visit," I told him. "To be honest, I expected you to be busy patrolling the town or something."

"I was for a while," he said, "but it's calmed down. Any remaining monsters in the area have either been taken care of or have found their way back up the mountain. Now most of us are just antsy while waiting around for orders."

I frowned a bit. "Reeve hasn't said anything?"

I knew there was some stalling going on, but I would have thought he'd have something by now. It had been almost two weeks since the attack.

"He wants to wait for some of the more injured staff to recover, but other than that, he's been practically glued to his phone. Then whenever he's not on his phone, he's in that old mansion arguing with Professor Hojo."

He was what?!

Ryuu was still talking, unaware of the horror his words had just instilled. "Mr. Tuesti wants to finish the rebuilding, but the Professor's been shutting him down- says it's too risky. And honestly? I kind of have to agree." He sighed and crossed his arms. "I get that he doesn't want to leave the work that we suffered for unfinished. I do. But...not counting the construction workers, we lost quite a few infantry at the reactor and one of the other SOLDIERs is in pretty bad shape. That leaves three of us to provide the main offense in case things go south, and we barely managed the first time."

I nodded, though I knew it was barely a bob of the head at best. What in the world was that man thinking? If he angered Hojo enough, that psycho was liable to make him disappear; and I wasn't sure the President would care despite Reeve being in charge of a large part of Midgar's construction.

Then again, I realized with a chill running up my spine, Reeve didn't know that, did he?

He still had faith in the company- faith that wouldn't break until the people he worked with decided to drop a plate and kill thousands. As perceptive as he was, his was still so frighteningly ignorant of his coworkers' true natures.

I'm sure there were plenty of people who didn't like Hojo's attitude, but he couldn't have gotten as high up in the company by flaunting his complete disregard of morals and human life for all to see. So, that meant that there were probably still countless people who were ignorant to his true nature; and those who did know couldn't care less.

"It's really peaceful, but I can't help missing the hustle and bustle of Midgar. Uh- not that it's bad here, just a little too calm. Wait, that didn't come out right either."

"Don't worry, Ryuu. I get it."

"Oh good." He sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, I just seem to keep putting my foot in my mouth whenever we talk."

Despite my new worries, I smiled a bit. "And here I thought it was just me."

It seemed it was the right thing to say, since his cheerful expression returned. "Guess we'll have to work on that, huh?"

"Guess so."

"What's your PHS number? I'll register it so we can keep in touch even after I leave."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out something that took me a few moments to identify as a phone. It was the sort of rectangular, blocky thing that I hadn't seen in years- even in my old life -and it genuinely made me wonder how things like virtual reality could be so advanced here while cellphones still looked like that.

"Something wrong?"

"No," I replied quickly, stalling for a moment to think up an excuse for my staring. "It's just...I-...uh-..." Wait, that was it. "I don't have a PHS."

Now it was his turn to stare. "You...don't have a PHS? How-?"

"Country kid, remember?" I said, playing off my fading disbelief as embarrassment. "We don't really need them here."

"Right...Well, when you finally get a chance to catch up to the rest of the world-" I playfully rolled my eyes while he reached into his pocket again to pull out a pen and a scrap of paper. "-give me a ring."

"Will do."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

~Day 15

That was it, then.

Reeve sighed as he finished packing the few sets of clothes that had made their way out of his luggage. In the end, the president had sided with Professor Hojo, and they were all to return to Midgar as soon as possible.

It wasn't the first time he'd wanted to hurl something at the head of the Science Department (and probably not the last), but something about the other man's smug expression at the end of that call had been especially grating.

He still couldn't help but feel something was off about all of this.

As he'd been doing for the past two weeks, he went over everything again. Taking into account that the set-up had been the same as with the other reactors, the explosion shouldn't have happened. That it had meant that something had changed somewhere. The question was how.

And why.

He shook his head. That last thought was slipping into dangerous territory, yet it stubbornly clung to him, refusing to be pushed aside. The idea that it hadn't been an accident made him feel ill. He couldn't imagine why someone would intentionally cause something that would hurt so many people. But, it made the most sense-

He groaned in frustration, violently flinging the pillow on the bed at the wall before sighing and walking over to pick it up.

Regardless of why it had happened, there wasn't anything he could do about it anymore. At least, not now. He would move on, but there was no way he was going to forget. As soon as the scrutiny died down, he would find a way to come back and do a more thorough investigation. He owed it to the people of this village and to those under his command that he'd lost.

"Mreow?"

He looked down, smiling a bit at the innkeeper's cat. It was a scruffy looking thing, dark in color except for the white fur on its paws. For some reason, it had taken a shine to him, and had constantly sought him out whenever he was inside. It was probably the only reason he wasn't treated as coldly as the others by the owner.

"I'm afraid you'll have to find someone else to keep you company now," he told it, gently scratching its head.

It leaned into the touch, closing its eyes and purring softly.

"You've endeared me quite a bit to cats, you know. I may even get one of my own."

It began licking its paws, making him laugh.

"Glad you approve. Well then, my friend, this is where we part ways."

Another meow, and the cat curled up on the bed, clearly ready to go to sleep. He chuckled and picked up his suitcase, quickly making his way downstairs and out the door, where he could see the trucks being loaded up (with less cargo and people than they'd arrived with, he reminded himself sorrowfully- though some of those missing people were ones who had chosen to stay behind).

"Reeve, you're okay!"

His case fell to the floor with a thump as he quickly caught a frantic fifteen-year-old who had rushed over and thrown her arms around him in a hug.

"Castalia, what-?"

"I thought something had happened to you, you jerk! You only visit once- and it's when I'm unconscious -and then I don't see you at all until you're about to leave?! I've been looking for you for days! I thought-...I thought-..."

She was trembling, he noted, his gaze softening even while guilt rushed through him.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think-" you'd want to see me.

Castalia's mother had implied she wouldn't mind him visiting, but...it had been hard to accept, especially with how almost every other person in town had been treating them.

"Clearly you didn't," she sniffled, her hold tightening. "You shouldn't make a habit of it- stupidity doesn't suit you."

If his laugh was a bit watery when he hugged her back and agreed, neither of them were pointing it out.

Eventually, Castalia seemed to realize what she was doing since she pulled away, her cheeks flushed as she stammered apologies.

"Cute," he teased, chuckling when her face flared an even deeper red.

In all honesty, he was touched and humbled that she still considered him worthy of having a crush on. After all, if he had never come to Nibelheim, she would have never gotten hurt. She had all the right in the world to hate him just as much as anyone, but she didn't.

She really was a good kid.

"Now you're just being mean," she huffed, bringing him out of his thoughts as she crossed her arms with an embarrassed expression. "I worry over your safety and this is the thanks I get? That's it, I don't like you anymore."

"Your face says otherwise, my dear," he grinned.

"Oh my god," she choked, burying her burning face in her hands. "Reeve, you asshole. What the hell did I do to you?"

"Such language."

"I hate you. I'm telling your girlfriend."

His grin shifted into fond smile. "I'll be sure to write."

Her face was still red when she peeked through her hands, but she was smiling too. "You'd better. Or I'll never forgive you for messing with me like this."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

~Day 16

"SURPRISE!"

Cloud felt his eyes widen in shock.

It wasn't so much over the fact that there was a party at all- despite recent events, he knew Ma and Castalia wouldn't just let the day slide by without doing something -but rather that it looked like the whole town had gotten into it. Tables had been set up outside, laden with food and drink. There were a few radios scattered around, all tuned to the same station so that the central plaza was filled with upbeat music- a few people already dancing away. There were even streamers and balloons hung up on the surrounding houses, as well as a banner spread across the legs of the water tower with "Happy Birthday, Cloud!" writted in bright, colorful lettering.

"I-I...what?"

"I know, right?" Castalia laughed. "It's crazy how they managed to set this up without you noticing. It was not easy distracting you, that's for sure."

"No, not that," although she did bring up a pretty good point, "It's just-...I mean-...Why?"

He joviality faded, replaced with a more melancholy expression. "Honestly? I think they just needed something to cheer them up after everything that's happened. Your birthday gave them a reason to celebrate. Well, that and ShinRa finally leaving yesterday, but no one here is going to admit that."

"Oh..."

"Not that they're using it as an excuse!" she continued, her smile back in place. "There's a good amount of presents waiting for you, and a lot of them are things that were ordered through the shop way before this. That means that they were planning on doing something for you anyway- though probably not as grand as this."

"I...don't know what to say."

He knew that he and his Ma weren't the village outcasts anymore- it had been one of the first things he'd noticed after waking up in the past. But...it hadn't hit him quite so strongly as it was now.

It was-...This was-...

Castalia placed an arm over his shoulders and pulled him close, leaning her head on his. "It's nice, isn't it?"

"...Yeah."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

~Day 17

The hour was late when Vincent once again found himself entering through a window. Taking care to make as little noise as possible, he walked over to Castalia's bed, smiling a bit at the improved complexion before gently shaking her.

"Castalia."

"Hmm..."

"Castalia, wake up."

"Nngh. G'way, Cloud. 'Snot yer birthday 'nymore. L'mme sleep..."

"I apologize for this, but I figured you wouldn't be able to leave town for a while, given the circumstances."

"Hwah...?" She groaned a bit, her eyes opening a bit before her bleary gaze landed on him. "Wait...yer not Cloud..."

He couldn't quite hold back a soft huff of laughter. This was a side of his friend that he hadn't seen before, and it was more than a little amusing.

She blinked a few more times, and then she was awake, scrambling to get out of her bed.

"Vincent!" she exclaimed softly. "What're you-? Actually, never mind that. Are you okay?! Nothing went wrong in the- w-whoa!"

His arms shot out, catching her before she hit the floor, then untangled the sheets wrapped around her legs and set her back on the bed.

"Sorry. Thanks for that."

"It's fine," he reassured her. "As am I. But you-"

"Don't," she warned, shaking her head. "I had a feeling you might have dropped by at some point while I was out. Look, there was no way you could have been there when it happened, and you know how I feel about unnecessary guilt."

"I know," he murmured before sitting down beside her. "I'm glad you're all right."

"Yeah..." She leaned against him with a sigh. "It-...It was insane, Vin. Everything spiraled out of control so fast. There were monsters everywhere, and I was so scared, and had no idea what I was doing half the time, and a lot of people died-" her voice broke a bit at the last part. She took a shaky breath, and when she continued, her voice was one of tired relief. "I'm so, so happy to see you."

"Tell me what happened."

"...Should be fine, I guess. Everyone's pretty tired from Cloud's party, so they probably won't be waking up any time soon. We've got time."

As she began to recount the past couple of weeks, the knot of worry that he hadn't quite been able to dispell since he saw her injured slowly unraveled. He still felt a familiar spike of guilt as his hand- placed on her back as they moved to a more comfortable position -felt the unevenness of the skin beneath her shirt, but he did his best to push it aside.

She was here, awake and alive...that was all that mattered.

"...You did well," he told her once she'd finished.

She smiled weakly. "Sure doesn't feel like it..."

"The first few encounters with genuine dangers never do. It becomes easier with time and experience."

"Still wish I'd had the gun you gave me at the time," she muttered, wrapping an arm around him.

He began running a hand through her hair, the now familiar gesture as comforting to him as it seemed to be for her. "That may have helped, yes...I'm sure that after all of this, no one will find it odd if you showed an interest in firearms."

She snorted. "An interest. Right."

He smirked.

A brief silence.

"...Will you train me some more?"

"Of course."

"Thank you."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

~4 Months after attack

"Cassie, did ya check the inventory?"

"Yes, Cole. You asked me to this morning, remember?"

"Just making sure."

I huffed at that, but gave no other signs of complaint as I cleared out some space on my work table.

"What about the order form?"

I rolled my eyes. "Filled and sent- and yes, before you ask, I did check the prices!"

"Hey, watch the tone, missy!"

"You watch yours, you old geezer!"

"Geezer?! You-!"

"Hi, Mr. Falkov! I'm here for my lesson!"

I smirked at the sigh, knowing that Cole wouldn't risk letting loose his stronger profanity now that there was a more...impressionable audience. It was a shame- he was getting really creative with it.

"Cassie's in the back," he gruffed out. "Leave your stuff here and get to it."

"Yessir!"

I choked back a laugh at the chipper response, though I didn't bother hiding my grin when I saw him peeking into the back room over our visitor's head with a long-suffering expression. Cole scowled when he saw it, but after all these years, I knew it was halfhearted at best.

He was such a softy.

"Hi, Cassie! Er- I mean-"

"Cassie's fine, Helena," I said with a shake of my head. "You don't have to call me anything special- especially since I'm not a Master yet."

"But you will be as soon as I pass the test, right? So I should get used to it."

"We've still got a while to go before that, so don't worry. Besides, I've never cared much for titles anyway."

"You should," Cole cut in, coming in to set some boxes down before straightening up with a huff. "This works out, and you'll be the youngest Master Alchemist in the guild in what, eighty years?"

"Sixty."

"Even so! That's an accomplishment, damn it! Take pride in it!"

I ignored Helena's giggle, but couldn't stop a pleased smile from slipping onto my face.

There were many alchemists spread throughout Gaia (though not so many new ones due to ShinRa's advancements in mass production), but in order to claim Mastery, one needed to take on a student and get them to pass the test for their own alchemist's license. It was something that I hadn't expected to even be close to acheiving for a while, but looking back, I supposed I shouldn't have been so surprised.

The townsfolk had been nothing if not driven since ShinRa's disasterous visit.

Even now, months later, it was a bit staggering to see how much Nibelheim had changed in so little time. There were more houses now, occupied by some of the construction workers and infintry men who had chosen to stay behind, any spouses and children they had arriving later. And because we now had people who specialized in construction and combat living here, other aspects of our town began to change as well. Mayor Lockhart's plan of making Nibelheim mako-energy (and therefore ShinRa) free by using ideas he'd gotten from Cosmo Canyon was well underway with the aid of the construction workers. The soldiers created a more professional (and effective) defense group, which freed up the neighborhood watch volunteers of before to pursue other things.

Da had gone back to studying engineering. When he wasn't helping with construction or repair, he was researching ways to streamline all the designs that were being used, as well as trying to figure out how to make all of our utilities and such work with our future alternative energy sources. The twins took up a lot of Ma's time, but I'd seen her going over her various cookbooks a lot lately, occasionally writing a recipe down in a notebook.

Some of the other notable changes were the establishment of a blacksmith, a tailor, and what seemed to be the beginnings of a more expansive clinic.

With all of the new shops, there were more apprenticeship opportunities as well which, in turn, motivated a lot of the kids in their schooling. One of those newly motivated kids ended up being Helena who, as it turned out, had been serious about her interest in item synthesis. She had pushed herself to be at an acceptable enough level to start learning, and had hounded me to take her on as a student until I reluctantly gave in.

It wasn't that I didn't want to teach her, but more that I wasn't sure how good of a teacher I would be. There was still a lot I had to learn myself, and other than the occasional trip to Granma and Granda's ranch, I'd never ventured outside of town since my arrival eleven years ago. How much more was out there to see? To learn? Maybe I could find something that would help with my project. Now that acheiving my mastery wasn't some sort of distant goal, I'd found myself almost...restless with the opportunities it presented. So, I pushed my doubts aside and put everything I had into making sure Helena would pass her test with flying colors. Likewise, she seemed to be a very eager and attentive student. If she kept up the pace, I wouldn't be surprised if she was ready to take the test in a year's time. If she passed, then she would be able to take over at the shop, and then...

And then...

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Today was the day.

"See you, Cole! Helena, make sure you read up on potions. You're going to synthesize your first one tomorrow."

"Really?!"

He finally felt comfortable enough in his physical capabilities to chance another attempt at reaching the mansion, but, before that...

"Yes, really," Castalia laughed. "So read up and get lots of rest. You're going to need every ounce of energy you can get."

Before that...

Cloud watched as Castalia finished saying her goodbyes before adjusting a plainly wrapped box under her arm and walking off.

He was going to find out where his sister always snuck off to.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"I still think you've lost your mind, Angeal. We're finally old enough to be treated like adults and you want to take on a student? What in the world has possessed you for you to think this is a good idea? "

"They do say that if you want to master something, you need to teach it."

"Who? Who says that? Tell me so that I may teach them the error of such a statement."

"I think there's wisdom in it."

"Yes, for the incompetent idiot who needs to instruct someone stupider than themselves in order to finally grasp a concept- which we are not."

A roll of eyes. "You're not going to change my mind on this, Gen."

"Tch, fine. Then at least tell me which snot-nosed brat I'll have the misfortune of having to interact with for the next few years."

"Well...I haven't exactly chosen one, but there's a boy in SOLDIER Prep who's been showing impressive scores on his evaluations. I was planning on talking with his instructors after lunch."

"At least you're being somewhat sensible about this," was the grumbled response. "I would have had to report you to Hollander under suspicion of a compromised mental state if you wanted to choose from the bottom of the barrel."

"Be nice. They all have a good chance of making it into SOLDIER."

"Right. What's his name, anyway?"

"Zachary Fair."

"Sounds stupid."

"Genesis..."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo ~Chapter End

With this, chapter ten is now complete, and ShinRa's visit to Nibelheim reaches its conclusion.

Lots of stuff happening here. There will definitely be ramifications and ripples from everything that's been going on, some of which will be more immediate than others, and it will be fun to slowly deviate from "canon." Honestly, there should just be a chapter or two before we hit Before Crisis territory. I hope this has been a good buildup.

Moving on. Yes, the baby was born and- surprise! It's twins.

No, seriously, surprise! I was originally planning on there only being one baby, so I'm not sure at what point it became two...Anyway, while I loved all the suggestions for names, I have decided on going with Cirrus, for the older twin (light brown hair) and Rinan for the younger (blond hair). There is a method to my madness, however, and I'm sure you will spot it pretty quickly, especially with what I've just said. Thank you for all the feedback, though. I loved all of the names, and who knows? Maybe there will be another baby Strife down the line somewhere. I kind of like the idea of Cloud having a big family...

Let's see...we got some moments with Reeve (as well as one final salute to the Reeve/Castalia ship with a brief moment between the two), and Cole, as well as explaining where Skye and Cloud were during the attack. Tifa reached her limit, poor thing. There's only so much a ten-year-old can take. Luckily, she and Castalia worked things out.

We also got a peek at Angeal and Genesis at the end there, as well as mentions of Zack.

Also, a hint at what's going to happen in the next chapter, which is something a lot of you have been waiting for. The pressure, the pressure...

That aside, will I be using content from the remake in Horizons? More than likely. This is meant to be different from the original Playstation version, so if there are elements in the remake that I like, or I feel will fit, then you can bet on me including them. That's another reason why I'll be spending a lot of time on the game before jumping back into this story.

So...that's all I can think about for the moment. Like always, if you have any questions, or if you just feel like sending a message, feel free to do so here or on that Tumblr account I'm still getting the hang of. I'll do my best to respond. Hope this was a good chapter- or at least, good enough for Remake Release Day. Take care and stay safe, everyone. I'll see you all on the other side of this game. :)

[EDIT 04/22/2020]

Now that I've finished the game, I can say with certainty that I will be using things from the remake. I absolutely loved it- it was an emotional roller coaster from start to finish. If you haven't played it yet...

What are you doing here? Go play it. Go. Shoo.

Anyway, I can't wait for the next part to come out. I'm sure it will be as good as this one was. For now though, I'll just have to satisfy my FF7 need by writing the next chapter while the inspiration is strong. It seems to be going well so far.

That's it for the edited notes. Until next time, everyone!

P.S.: Reeve was made even more handsome in this game. It's just not fair.