Chapter 5: The dark past.

Opening 1: Come by Amuro Namie

It was morning. Everyone gathered to the guest room, but it was not a usual morning. The atmosphere was tense, thick enough to be cut with a blade. Cloud sighed in response before he began explaining his story.

"It's...somewhat difficult for me to explain everything...about my past. Hold your questions till I've finished explaining my story." Cloud said.

Everyone nodded, even Miya, whom was curious about him.

"It all started in an alternate world called Gaia..." Cloud started.

(Play Final Fantasy VII OST - Cloud's theme Orchestral version)

A young Cloud, who was 6 years old, was by himself and lonely. His clothing consisted of a white t-short with green shorts and black shoes. He often saw the kids around him playing, but he never felt he could fit in.

'Why can't I fit in with them? They're just being stupid...' Cloud thought.

Cloud watched the kids playing tag, but didn't bother to interact. He went up to a large water tower by himself, overlooking his home village.

'Nibelheim... I don't know what to do...' He thought.

Soon, several kids began picking on him. Cloud didn't bother listening to them, though he was clearly agitated.

"What's the matter blond head? Feeling alone?" One of the kids taunted.

Having enough of the bickering, he ended up picking a fight.

"You got a problem with me, huh!?" Cloud said angrily.

He began punching the stuffing out of the kid, not realizing his nose was bloodied. Fearful of what he had done, Cloud climbed up the water tower, not wanting to hear from anyone.

Cloud made his way home with a disappointed expression. In his home, a young woman, whose face looks like Cloud's, was waiting for him. She had blond hair tied in a ponytail. She was wearing a brown shirt with rolled up sleeves, green pants and brown leather boots. She had a white apron in front of her.

"Cloud, what happened today? Your hands are bloody..." She said with concern.

"Mom... One of the kids started to pick on me when I was by myself in the water tower." Cloud tried to explain.

"It's okay... I understand. You shouldn't hurt someone that bad though..." His mother said.

"I know... But I don't know what happened..." Cloud begged.

"It's okay, sweety. I'll have a talk with this kid tomorrow for what he did. It was wrong on his part to bully you." His mother reassured.

His mother looked at a family photo with a man with the same spiky hair as him.

"Honey... I wish you're here with me right now." She said to herself.

The next few weeks, Cloud kept to himself for the most part. The young child didn't want to interact with anyone around him. However, he was at a house, overhearing one of the kids' sorrow. It was a familiar young girl his age, wearing a blue sundress. She had brunette hair with matching eyes. The young boy heard the commotion and was curious to find out what it was.

"Why did my mom have to leave...? I want to be with her." The young girl said.

"Tifa... You can probably see your mother if you go to Mount Nibel." One of the girl's friends said.

"Mt. Nibel?" The young girl named Tiffania asked.

Cloud was surprised in hearing what her friends were suggesting. An uncomfortable feeling of foreshadowing was echoing in his mind.

'Are they stupid to go to the mountain!? It's dangerous if they climb it...!' He thought in shock.

He attempted to warn any of the villagers about the plot, but his words fell to deaf ears. Reluctant, Cloud had to follow the kids.

Within Mt. Nibel, young Tifa was crossing the path leading up to the mountain. It was a treacherous and rugged path.

"Are we almost there?" Tifa asked, clinging to a false sense of hope.

She was at a large suspension bridge floating above a large precipice. The pits below were obscured by a blanket of white fog, leaving one to interpret how deep it was.

"Yes, you're almost there. Cross the bridge and you'll see your mom." One of her friends said.

Soon, her friends abandoned her the moment she stepped on to the bridge. Cloud, seeing her former friends fleeing, wasted no time to rush to Tifa.

"Wait! If you go any further, you'll get hurt!" Cloud warned.

Tifa looked at Cloud, showing no change of her emotion. She continued forward in the bridge. Soon, a rotten plank gave away, causing her leg to get caught.

"Oh no...!" Cloud dreaded.

He quickly dashed to Tifa and attempted to get her free from the bridge. However, the bridge began creaking loudly till a loud snap echoed. The ropes supporting the bridge snapped due to rotting for years and no replacement of the rope. Both of the kids fell into the chasm below their feet.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" They screamed.

Tifa was panicking, trying in a futile attempt to slow her descent. Cloud, sensing the cliff side was near, held Tifaa and angling his body to the ground to absorb the impact. The impact caused Cloud to hit a nearby cliff, injuring his back with a small gash. More importantly, Tifa was hurled from the impact and hit her head on the rocky ground, leaving her unconscious. Both of the kids were unconscious from the impact for a few minutes. Cloud was the first to wake up.

"Ugh... Tifa...?" He said in a groggy tone.

He shook his head to get his bearings, only to see an unconscious Tifa lying on the ground. Immediately, Cloud went to Tifa and in a futile attempt, tired to wake her by nudging her head gently.

"Hey Tifa... Wake up..." Cloud said.

Cloud couldn't kept forcing her awake as his strength was ebbing away. He felt light and dizzy, not realizing he was bleeding from his back wound.

'Tifa...' Cloud though, being knocked unconscious.

Several adults from the village noticed the two unconscious kids. One of them was a man in his 40s. He was wearing a white business shirt with navy business pants and black shoes. He was rushing with another man, who was wearing a martial artist uniform, consisting of a leather brown armor with red highlights, a maroon cape, white karate pants, and brown leather gloves and boots. His wrists had sports tape wrapped around them. The leather gloves had three metal spikes that were smooth and in a dome shape. The man was older than the one next to him, having all of his hair turned white, but his eyes were a sky blue color.

"Brian, I found your daughter along with one of the kids! He's injured!" The elder man said.

"Zangan, let me have a look!" The man named Brian said.

Upon approaching, Brian looked at the two kids. Cloud was bleeding from his back, lying in the ground near Tifa, who was unconscious.

"TIFA!" Brian yelled.

He quickly picked her up, inspecting any injuries. Luckily, he could feel her breathing.

"She's okay. Tifa must have fainted when she and that boy fell. I suspect the boy must have shielded her by using his body to cushion the impact." Zangan theorized.

"The kids told me about him. I can't trust this one due to his violent history, despite the fact he saved my daughter's life. I'm forbidding him in seeing her." Brian said.

Zangan looked at the boy with pity. He hoisted the boy's body up. Both adults took the kids back to the village, where they would get medical attention.

The next few days have past. Tifa woke up from her unconsciousness, realizing she was back in Nibelheim. Her father was kneeling at her bed, praying for any deity to heal her. Upon seeing her wake up, he was relieved.

"Tifa, I'm so glad you're okay! Don't scare me like that again!" Brian said.

Tifa said nothing, feeling ashamed for leaving her father behind. She then realized Cloud had tried to protect her.

"Dad! That boy with the blond hair...! Where is he?" She asked.

"That same boy with blond hair is forbidden to be near you. I won't hear anything from you about him." Brian stubbornly said.

"He protected me when we were falling from the mountain, Dad. His back was hurt." Tifa said.

"Regardless, I'm not allowing him to be near you. I will tell him that I'm thankful for his effort, but he is a problem case, Tifa. Don't go near him either." Brian said.

Tifa felt guilty of Cloud, knowing he had an injury on his back.

(Cloud's theme OST ends here)

Cloud was being treated for his back injury in the village clinic. He was grunting in pain after feeling the ointments being administered to his back. Zangan was with him, helping the boy cope with his pain.

"You're a brave kid, Cloud. I know you were trying to stop Tifa from going to Mt. Nibel. You even tried to protect her from the fall as well." He said.

Cloud remained silent, realizing that if he didn't warn Tifa, he would have lost her. This made him rethink of his previous thoughts.

'That girl was almost dead... If it wasn't for me, she would have... Thinking about how childish they were... Maybe I'm the one that's being childish. If only I was stronger, I could have protected her.' Cloud thought with guilt.

Zangan knee the boy was feeling a sense of guilt. He could see it from the far off expression on his face.

'Poor kid... To think the incident would be an awful wake up call for him... I feel bad for him.' Zangan thought.

Cloud's mother rushed into the clinic to see her son recovering. The wound was able to heal, but it looked gruesome.

"Cloud! Thank goodness you're okay! What were you thinking head to Mt. Nibel!?" She said.

"I saw a girl's friends taking her there. She was about to do something that would have been scary..." Cloud responded.

"Is that the same girl you protected from your fall?" His mother asked.

Cloud nodded. She knew Tifa's father would forbade his daughter from seeing her son.

"Don't worry. You did the best thing anyone could have done, but please don't worry your mother like that. I'll talk with Tifa about her friends whom told her to go to the mountain." His mother reassured.

The next few days have been difficult. Cloud couldn't interact with Tifa, not even able to talk with her. Brian prevented them from getting close. Though they couldn't interact, he watched Tifa from a distance, making sure she was doing okay. The same girl also watched Cloud, feeling bad for not thanking him. Currently, he was outside, taking a walk across the village.

'I can't even talk with her... I wish I could try to, but her father stops me... If only I wasn't weak...' Cloud thought.

A newspaper suddenly blew at his face. He read of an event that ended.

"The Wutai war ended... Sephiroth was the one who ended it... Maybe if I can join SOLDIER, I might be as strong and famous like Sephiroth..." Cloud said.

It was night in Nibelheim. Cloud was sitting on top of the water tower. The night sky was bright with stars shining.

'I'll have to leave my home if I want to join SOLDIER... But I'm not old enough yet...' He thought.

Unknown to the young boy, Tifa climbed her way up the water tower. She found Cloud sitting on top of it, overlooking the village.

"Cloud?" Tifa said.

Startled by her voice, Cloud looked at Tifa. He was honestly surprised to see her.

"Tifa?" He said, unable to process his shock.

"Thank you for helping me back in Mt. Nibel." She said.

Cloud said nothing, nodding his head. His mind was focused on his desire to get strong. Seeing Tifa near him reminded him of the incident, which left her unconscious.

"Um... I plan on leaving Nibelheim sometime in the future." Cloud said.

"Where will you go to, Cloud?" Tifa asked.

"I'm planning to join SOLDIER. If I become strong, maybe I can protect the people I care for. I might be as famous as Sephiroth." Cloud answered.

Tifa was surprised to hear that the boy was planning to join a famous paramilitary group.

"I would like to ask something when you join SOLDIER... If I'm in a pinch, can you save me?" Tifa asked.

Cloud didn't fully understand the concept of Tifa's question. Obliviously, he answered.

"I will protect you." Cloud said.

Tifa didn't note his oblivious tone. She smiled, knowing his heart would guide him. The young girl walked up close to Cloud, placing a soft kiss on his cheek. Cloud blushed, feeling the warm sensation on his face.

"I will wait for you, Cloud." Tifa said.

A few years have passed. Cloud was now a teenager. He was at a large city, which appeared like a technological marvel. Much of the city was floating above like a giant pizza plate. Many lights were shining above the dark atmosphere. Surrounding the city was 8 reactors, spewing a green, steamy smoke. There were many support beams attached to the reactors. A notable sight was the large support columns under each section of the city. The surrounding area was dark.

'I just hope traveling here to Midgar won't become an issue. I hope I get hired for SOLDIER...' Cloud thought.

Years have passed and Cloud was inside a large conglomerate building with the logo 'ShinRa' imprinted like a rash. He had a discontent expression.

'I couldn't qualify for being SOLDIER... If only I was stronger.' Cloud thought.

He was within a training hall, holding a sword. In there, he kept practicing, trying to overcome his weaknesses.

'I have to become stronger... I need to keep training...' He thought.

His thoughts were interrupted when he saw a graceful person arriving. He had long white hair that cascaded down to his waist. He was wearing an all black uniform, making him distinctive than any members of SOLDIER. Remarkably, his blue green eyes were slitted like a cat's.

"Sephiroth...! Forgive me, sir... I was not prepared during the ambush from AVALANCHE." Cloud said, bowing to Sephiroth.

"At ease. You survived the assault, especially protecting the VIP personnel. That alone shows how much you've gone through. The Turks were able to provide assistance, but didn't encounter many members." Sephiroth reassured.

Cloud didn't take the credit and felt discontent. Sephiroth saw this and decided to relay him.

"In any case, we have a new mission. We'll be heading to Nibelheim to check in the Mako Reactor. There's an apparent leak that needs to be fixed." Sephiroth said.

"Nibelheim!? My home..." Cloud said.

"So you're knowledgeable of the village... That makes the mission easy enough, though I will need to request a guide." Sephiroth commented.

"I'm coming to Nibelheim?" Cloud asked in surprise.

"You don't have to. If you want though, I'll command Zack to walk with us. He may help us in case monsters on Gaia cause any problems." Sephiroth said.

"I won't let you down, Sephiroth!" Cloud said.

"That's the spirit. Get ready for your next mission." Sephiroth commanded.

(Play Final Fantasy VII OST - Holding my thoughts in my Heart)

Cloud was in his uniform. Right now, he was in a vehicle. He looked nauseous from the ride.

"Ugggg..." He groaned.

"You alright there buddy?" A man asked.

He had long, black spiky hair that reached below his shoulders. His eyes had a blue-green glow, but they held sincerity within them. He was wearing a dark navy shirt with a black combat vest, matching pants and brown combat boots. On his back, the Buster Sword was shown.

"I'll...be okay. I'm not very good with vehicles, Zack." Cloud said.

"Sounds like motion sickness... Don't worry, we're almost there." Zack said.

"I hope so... I'd be needing some antidotes to temporarily relieve it..." Cloud commented queasily.

Zack felt bad for Cloud as he tried to hold his motion sickness at bay.

(Holding my thoughts in my Heart OST ends here)

(Play Final Fantasy VII OST - Anxious Heart)

Soon, Cloud and Zack arrived with Sephiroth at Nibelheim. It was still a peaceful village with little to no trouble. However, Cloud forgot his helmet that helped hid his identity.

'My home...' Cloud thought.

Ashamed for not being able to join SOLDIER, he ran back to the transport vehicle and got his helmet on. He didn't want anyone he recognized to see him.

"Doesn't this feel nostalgic to you?" Sephiroth asked.

"It has been a few years since I last came here..." Cloud remarked.

"It seems so. In any case, we'll need to find our guide to find the Mako Reactor in Mt. Nibel. We can stay over for the night if you want." Sephiroth said.

"Okay then. Might as well look around and catch a nap here before setting off to the reactor. In any case, let's have a look around." Zack said.

Cloud didn't want anyone to see him. His shame for not being able to join SOLDIER prevented him from talking to anyone.

'It's a huge shame that I have to come back here as an infantryman... However, the people won't recognize me yet.' Cloud thought, wandering to the nearby inn.

While he was about to walk inside, he was suddenly stopped by a young girl wearing a daring cowgirl outfit. Cloud knew who the girl was, due to her familiar brown hair and eyes.

'Tifa...' He thought with surprise.

"Excuse me, sir. Mind if I take a picture of Sephiroth?" Tifa asked, not knowing it was Cloud.

'She doesn't know who I am. I still feel nervous of speaking to her after not saving her from that incident.' Cloud thought, ashamed.

"Hey buddy. I heard the conversation earlier from the girl and I'll see if I can ask Sephiroth. Mind if I ask what's your name?" Zack asked.

"I'm Tifa Lockheart." Tifa said.

"Well, Tifa. Let's hope Sephiroth would allow it. I may be First Class, but I'll see if he'll accept." Zack said.

Zack went to Sephiroth and asked him if the war hero wanted to be photographed. Tifa squealed, meeting two First Class members of SOLDIER. Sephiroth seemed uninterested in taking a photo.

"It's a trivial thought. We're here to do our mission." Sephiroth said.

"C'mon Sephiroth. The girl is practically asking to take a photo of you since you were honorable during the Wutai War." Zack said.

Cloud silently watched, but didn't dare to speak. He was still ashamed of being in his home. Tifa, not knowing it was Cloud, handed the camera to him.

"Excuse me. Can you please take a shot of me with them?" She asked.

Cloud nodded, keeping his disguise. He held the camera and took the photo of Zack and Sephiroth standing at the background with Tifa in the foreground. Though Cloud wanted to talk with her, he remained silent, not able to handle the shame for being unable to join SOLDIER.

(Anxious Heart OST ends here)

(Play Final Fantasy VII OST - The flow of Life)

The next day, Cloud was walking with Tifa leading the way to the Mt. Nibel reactor. They soon noticed a natural phenomenon.

"Wow... How amazing." Tifa said.

"Materia... Its crystallized Mako, or Lifestream energy jutting out from a spring. That crystal contains knowledge of the Ancients, which allows one to cast magic, though magic would not be the appropriate term to use for some scientists. This process takes years to develop for natural Materia to form." Sephiroth explained.

"The Materia we had is not naturally made then?" Zack asked.

"No, those are made from Mako, but through artificial means. ShinRa found a way to weaponize it and accelerate the crystallization." Sephiroth answered.

Cloud looked at the glowing green crystal, which made a soft humming sound.

'It's hard to believe that this crystal contains knowledge of the people who once lived here. The planet shouldn't have to suffer from the damage caused by ShinRa... How did I not see this?' Cloud thought.

Everyone remained for a few moments marveling the crystallized Lifestream glowing. Unbeknownst to anyone, Cloud felt a small current course to him from the crystal. He was physically away from arm's reach, but there was a connection that he could feel. It was oddly warm, yet it felt as though something was telling him something.

'What is this sensation? It feels like someone is trying to talk to me of something...' Cloud thought.

He looked at crystal, which was giving soft pulses. It confused him as to why the crystal was reacting to his presence.

'I'm no one special, yet why is this Materia reacting to my presence...? Is there something else that we don't know about?' Cloud thought.

(The flow of life OST ends here)

(Play Final Fantasy VII OST - Mako reactor)

They arrived at the reactor. Zack and Sephiroth were about to enter till they saw Tifa about to head inside.

"Sir, be sure to guard the entrance. Let nothing come in." Sephiroth ordered.

"Roger that." Cloud responded.

Tifa couldn't tell who the infantryman was, but she felt the voice seem familiar.

"Mind if I take a peek inside?" Tifa asked.

"No ma'am. Orders are orders. No one is supposed to enter here. Only ShinRa employers are able to." Cloud said.

Tifa grunted in dissatisfaction. Much to her disappointment, the man refused to move. He was holding a battle sword, ready to fight off anything. True to his instinct, a monster suddenly showed up. It was a giant lizard, appearing twelve feet in length.

"Look out!" Cloud shouted.

He dashed to the monster, disregarding his life and began to attack. Cloud managed to leave a few cuts before the monster began breathing fire. Using the flamethrower to cover his presence, he made a mighty leap and stabbed the monster's head, killing it. Cloud was out of breath from the process.

"Are you okay!?" Tifa asked frantically.

"I'm okay. How about you?" Cloud asked, disguising his voice.

"I'm okay as well." Tifa answered.

(Mako Reactor OST ends here)

Sephiroth and Zack exited the reactor. Both had horrified expressions, looking pale. Cloud rushed to them to assess what happened.

"What happened to you two? You look pale..." He asked in concern.

"It's nothing..." Sephiroth replied, hinting a breakage of his usual tone.

"Let's listen to Sephiroth for now. We don't need to explain what we saw in there." Zack followed.

(Play Final Fantasy VII OST - Anxious Heart)

Several days have past. Sephiroth was nowhere to be seen. Zack informed Cloud that Sephiroth went to an old manor within the village and hasn't exited the building since he first went inside.

"Zack, I'm worried about Sephiroth. Did something happened to him within the reactor?" Cloud asked.

Zack had a serious expression on his face instead of his usual friendly one.

"Cloud... What we saw in the reactor was not something anyone would want to see... It was some kind of monster within a tank filled with liquid Mako. However, the monster was human, which shocked us when we saw the features were indeed human in appearance." Zack explained with a heavy sigh.

"What the heck is ShinRa doing? Wait a minute... SOLDIER candidates are typically infused with Mako. Is that what happens when humans are exposed to it?" Cloud asked with fright.

"Not in minor or moderate cases. But, if exposed moderately, it can lead to Mako poisoning, which can a put a person to a catatonic state. According to Sephiroth, they were exposed in extreme cases of Mako energy. It's best not to risk it." Zack explained.

"I agree. Since ShinRa did experiment with Mako, it seems inhumane to do so, especially on humans..." Cloud said, pondering his thoughts.

"I agree. It doesn't sound good at all." Zack agreed.

The next night has passed. Cloud was still asleep at the inn with Zack. That night, a fire broke out. The whole village of Nibelheim was burning. Zack woke up, only to notice Cloud was unconscious. He dragged him outside just before the flames consumed them.

"Cloud! Wake up!" Zack said, shaking Cloud's unconscious form.

Cloud was still unconscious. Soon, Zangan came out with some of the survivors of the town's burning. He managed to rescue Tifa and Cloud's mother before the fire consumed them.

"Who did this!?" Zack asked.

"It was Sephiroth! He set the whole village on fire!" Zangan said.

Cloud soon recovered. He saw the whole town on fire. He soon collapsed, believing he lost everyone.

"Hey, you! One of your friends went to face Sephiroth! He was the one who set the place on fire! I last saw him heading to the reactor. Hurry!" Zangan said to Cloud.

(Play Final Fantasy VII OST - Hurry!)

Cloud wasted no time and went straight to Mt. Nibel. He rushed up to the mountain as fast as his exhausted body could give to him.

'Zack... I'm on my way...! Tifa, I hope you're not there.' Cloud thought as each step he took felt heavy.

The road to the reactor seemed battered due to recent battles. Several corpses of monsters were shown littered in the mountain slope.

'Sephiroth must have done this... These wounds were not made by Zack's sword.' Cloud deduced in thought.

He kept running as much as he could till he as However, he encountered Tifa's father, Brian with a lethal cut on his body. He was dead due to blood loss.

'Tifa, I hope you are alive...' Cloud thought worriedly.

(Hurry! OST ends here)

Tifa was lying on the floor, near a capsule filled with Mako. She was breathing heavily due to a stab wound.

'No... I won't forgive Sephiroth...!' Cloud thought in dread.

In quick speed, he went inside and saw Zack exhausted. Having no choice, Cloud grabbed the Buster Sword Zack wielded and dashed forward in a room with a large label that read 'JENOVA'. He stabbed Sephiroth through his body, right in front of a glass container.

"My mother... Tifa... Give them back to me!" He yelled thrusting the sword out of a surprised Sephiroth.

Out of breath from the rush, his concerns laid on to Tifa. He trudged back to her. Soon, she saw Cloud take his helmet out, revealing himself. Tifa smiled in response, now seeing her childhood friend.

"You really came, just like you promised..." She said with a weak, happy tone.

He then saw Zack, whom was thrown outside. Sephiroth was holding what appeared to be a head.

"Cloud... Kill Sephiroth..." Zack weakly stated.

His spirit resolved, Cloud aimed to kill Sephiroth. Before doing so, the man impaled Cloud in the chest with his long katana.

"You will see them in the Promised Land. I must go with my mother there." Sephiroth coldly stated.

Cloud was desperately clinging on to life. He couldn't stand for long as pain wrapped all over his body. Defiantly, he held a strong will. Sephiroth saw this and was shocked.

"Impossible... How are you able to...?" He asked, unable to process the sudden action.

Cloud grabbed Sephiroth's sword and hoisted it above his body. He hurled Sephiroth down the reactor, where his body disappeared. Exhausted from using his strength and losing too much blood, Cloud collapsed unconscious.

Cloud was seen dragging himself on the ground in a wasteland. Rain was pouring heavily as he seemed to be lost in his mind. He soon found Zack, bloodied with bullet holes and dying.

"Cloud... I don't have much to say... Listen carefully, friend. I'm giving this sword to you. This is proof that I lived. You're my living legacy." Zack said, handing the sword to Cloud.

Cloud slowly took it. He then held on to the handle before reciting what Zack told him.

"I am...your living legacy..." He said.

Zack passed away as he heard Cloud's words. Before long, he could see Zack dying as his spirit ascended. He screamed in the sky with an ear-piercing sound of sorrow. His scream echoed through the wasteland.

Cloud finished explaining his past. Everyone was deeply shocked to hear how much he went through.

"That's pretty much my life story... Sometime after five years since that time, I've been hunting down Sephiroth, ensuring he doesn't come back. However, I was affected by the horrible experiments ShinRa did to me." Cloud continued.

"What experiments did they do to you?" Minato asked.

"They rendered me catatonic through Mako poisoning. At the time when I was on my way to Midgar, I wasn't myself... I acted as though I was Zack himself due to the effects of the Lifestream. It was as though his memories were mine, but I'm not him at the same time. This whole ordeal lasted till I managed to regain myself and saved Gaia from Sephiroth." Cloud answered.

"What did Sephiroth wanted to do?" Miya asked.

"He was intending to absorb all of the Lifestream, becoming a god. This would also destroy the planet in result. To do that, he needed to wound the planet by using the most powerful black magic... Meteor..." Cloud explained.

"Something tells me that sounds catastrophic..." Minato deduced.

"It is. It's a powerful spell capable of destroying the very planet. The only countermeasure is the Ultimate White magic, Holy." Cloud said.

"What does that do?" Miya asked.

"It's a protective spell, meant to shield the planet from harm. If anything, it ended the Meteorfall." Cloud answered.

"But how did you end up here instead of back at your home?" Minato asked.

"During the event though, I was whisked away when I got caught in the Lifestream. Through unexplained means, I'm now here in this new world." Cloud explained.

"The Lifestream brought you here?" Miya said with surprise.

"It was also the will of the planet itself. I remember it's name: Minerva." Cloud said.

"Minerva... That's the name of the goddess of wisdom for the Romans." Minato said.

"It's pretty fitting to notice that. I may not know why she whisked me here, but it is of great importance. Mainly on the Sekirei." Cloud said.

"The Sekirei?" Minato said in confusion.

"They are, according to the words of Minerva, the reason the Cetra In Gaia existed. Without them, they will forever disappear." Cloud responded.

"Oh... No wonder you're getting involved to stop the battle of Sekirei." Minato deduced.

"Precisely..." Cloud confirmed.

"If you're an ally of the Sekirei, I don't see any reason to go against you. I want them to be free as much as I desire it. However, the man named Minaj's has converted them into fighting each other with their lives on the line." Miya said.

"He will pay for this... If another Sekirei shows up in any of our vision, we have to help him or her. I don't like them...being used as some sort of toy." Cloud said.

Akitsu and Uzume held Cloud close, knowing he steeled his resolve. Yashima also joined in the hug, holding him close.

"We all want to help fight alongside you. If it's a fight that you get involved, than I will help." Yashima said.

Cloud could feel all their emotions. Knowing of the bond they all have with him, he held them close.

"Ah. You're very warm." Akitsu said, smiling.

"He is. It's his heart that is yearning for us." Uzume said with a teasing voice.

Cloud blushed in response, knowing Uzume liked to tease him more often. He took a deep breath to relax himself.

"Everyone... Thank you." Cloud said.

Minato and Musubi liked the interaction Cloud was showing. Kū also liked it, feeling happy and warm near them. Miya has a hearty giggle, seeing how these two men care for their Sekirei.

'Perhaps, these two will shape the future for the Sekirei.' Miya thought with a smile.

Cloud felt his shoulders starting to lighten after talking of his past. He felt as though a huge weight was taken off of him.

Ending 1: Memories of Days gone By - akane