Cliffhangers are my specialty, are they not? lol

Yuffie almost fell back, stunned. Leon couldn't breathe anymore; everything else around the two seemed to stop. They stared at the blonde man in front of them with complete and utter shock.

"Cl… Cloud?" Yuffie muttered. "Is…is that really you?!" The man nodded, but however, he did not react whatsoever to see Yuffie or Leon. He walked over to Leon, and held out his hand.

"You must be Leon," he said, as if he couldn't care less. "Pleasure to meet you." Leon couldn't move, but he was more than surprised that Cloud was acting like he didn't know him. Yuffie pushed in front.

"Cloud!" she exclaimed, taking his hand tightly. "Cloud, it's us!" He looked over at her, a little confused but showing no signs of recognizing her. Yuffie seemed to see that.

"Cloud," she said, a little more desperately. "It's me. Remember? It's Yuffie." She gripped his hand tighter. "And that's Squall." She pointed over at Leon. "Remember?" Cloud glanced over, but his emotionless expression didn't change.

He tried to focus, he knew them from somewhere before but he just couldn't remember. The shadows were too dark; they clouded his eyes and his mind.

"Look, I don't care who you are," he said rudely. "I'm just here to win, okay?" He brushed past Yuffie and went over to Leon. Cloud narrowed his eyes at him, trying to remember, but he just couldn't.

"You better do as I say," he said, looking over at him. "Because if we lose, it'll be your fault." He turned around towards the door.

"And trust me," he muttered dangerously, turning his head over to him. "You don't want to know what'll happen." Leon backed away a little as Cloud's eyes darkened, literally.

"Cloud!" Yuffie shouted. "Cloud, please! Why are you acting like you don't know who we are?!" She stepped in front of him, not letting him go. "We haven't seen you for 9 years, Cloud! Please…" Cloud tried to pull his arm out of her grip. "Please listen to us! Don't you remember who you are? Why do you have a wing? How—" Cloud raised his hand and slapped her violently across the face, forcing her out of the way. Yuffie fell onto the ground on her side. She sat up, nursing her cheek, tears in her eyes as she stared up at him. Leon ran over and kneeled by her side. He glared up at Cloud.

"Why the hell did you hit her for?!" he spat. Cloud's eyes clouded with the dark shadows even more, showing no signs of mercy. Yuffie was a little scared.

"What have you become, Cloud?" she murmured softly. She started to cry, holding her cheek tightly. "Who are you?!" He blinked, her words affecting him a little. What had he become?

Cloud quickly shook off his thoughts and looked over at Leon.

"You," he said coolly. "The tournament is starting. Let's go." He headed towards the arena. Leon let out a baffled sigh.

"He doesn't know who we are," he said softly, watching him leave. He turned back to Yuffie. She quickly gripped Leon by his shirt collar, pulling him over to her. He was surprised at the anguished look in her eyes.

"You have to make him remember, Leon," she said frantically. "Something's not right. I just know it." Leon dropped his gaze.

"I'll try," he said quietly. He took Yuffie's hand and pulled her to her feet.

He still couldn't believe it. Cloud was alive. After all these years, Aerith was right all along. Leon looked away sadly.

Aerith.

What is she going do when she finds out? What will become of their engagement? Would he lose her?

"Leon…" Yuffie said gently, placing a hand on his back. He looked at her. "I know this is going to hurt you, but he needs our help." Leon turned away. "It's the right thing to do." Her eyes were begging. "Leon. Please help him." Leon closed his eyes, turning away. Slowly, he nodded, letting out a sigh.

"Yeah," he said softly. "It's the right thing to do." He headed into the arena. "But…for who?" He stepped into the ring, looking over at Cloud.

It was Cloud, alright. No question about it. Yet somehow, he seemed different. Something about him was dark and evil. Leon sighed again.

Maybe things might turn around, he thought. I've been with Aerith all these years, and she loves me. Maybe… just maybe there's still a chance for us, even with Cloud.

He loved Aerith so much; he couldn't bear the thought of losing her. Surely, Cloud, her first true love, coming back would take her away from him. Leon looked back at his long-lost friend.

Something was wrong, and he must have been through so much over the years. He had the right to remember, to know who he really was.

"It's the right thing to do," Leon muttered again to himself.

The fights started almost immediately. Leon and Cloud fought with all their might, battle to battle, every man for himself. Leon constantly glanced over at Cloud, even though that meant letting his guard down.

"Your birthday was on yesterday," he said loudly, slashing a Heartless with his Gunblade. Cloud looked over at him, a little confused. Leon chuckled. "Happy birthday, man." Cloud stared at him, his Buster Sword seeming to move on its own.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" he asked. He tried to think, but he couldn't remember anything.

Leon took a few steps sideways towards him.

"You have to remember, Cloud," he said breathlessly as more Heartless jumped at him. "It's me, Squall." He let out a cry of pain as a Heartless threw a fireball at him, hitting his shoulder. "Uhh… R-remember! We… we were best friends. Hollow Bastion… H-heartless…" He didn't want to mention his fiancée, even though he knew that might be the one thing to bring Cloud back.

But he had no choice; Cloud wasn't responding to anything else.

"You're searching for someone, aren't you?" Leon said, smiling a little at his friend. He jumped up and brought down his Gunblade on a Heartless, killing it. Cloud's eyes widened and he quickly turned to Leon's direction.

"How did you know?"

Before Leon could answer, a huge Heartless grabbed him from behind. It lifted him over his head and then slammed him hard onto the ground. Leon felt like every bone had been smashed, he could taste blood.

The pain was horrific.

He let out a soft groan, a trickle of blood running down his face from his hairline. Slowly, he closed his eyes as he was forced to black out. Cloud stared in horror at the lifeless body, then turned back to the Heartless. There were too many of them, he couldn't take them all on at once; he was too exhausted.

He glanced back at Leon. The shadows cleared a little from his eyes.

"Who… am I?" he muttered to himself. The shadow Heartless monsters began jumping on him. They started sucking what was left of his energy. Cloud yelled in pain, dropping his Buster Sword. His head was spinning, he couldn't breathe. Were that young man and that girl from his past? Why couldn't he remember anything? What had he become?

The air was being sucked out of his lungs, and he finally gave in to it. He collapsed onto the hard ground and moved no more.

He was swimming, swimming in darkness. He felt lost, he couldn't move, he couldn't open his eyes. He wanted to get out, that was all he wanted. All he wanted was Aerith.

He could hear a voice calling him in the distance. His mouth suddenly tasted sweet and tangy, someone was giving him an elixir. Slowly, the darkness faded.

"Cloud… are you alright, Cloud?"

He opened his eyes. It was that girl, Yuffie. Cloud sat up, rubbing his head. He looked over at the girl. She seemed so worried.

"Do you know me from somewhere?" he asked, frowning. The shadows were too clouded; they didn't let him recognize her. Leon stood behind her, looking in better shape than before. Yuffie gripped Cloud's arm tightly.

"Please, Cloud," she begged. "You have to remember. Remember when we were kids. Remember Hollow Bastion." She smiled feebly. "Remember, Cloud. Please remember." Cloud couldn't. He rubbed his eyes, trying to clear the shadows.

"Cloud, we know who you've been searching for." He looked up at her, shocked.

"You… you do?" Yuffie smiled sadly.

"She's alive, Cloud. Aerith's alive, and she's been waiting for you." She took out the photo of a beautiful young woman and held it up to Cloud. He grabbed it, staring wide-eyed at the picture. He suddenly gasped in pain, reaching his hands up to his eyes.

They were burning, the shadows started to clear even more, from his eyes and his mind. Yuffie quickly placed a hand on his back.

"Cloud! Cloud, are you okay?" she said frantically. Cloud stopped, slowly lifting his face up to her. His eyes were clearer, he could see her. He recognized her.

"Yuffie," he whispered. "You're… you're Yuffie. I… I remember." He looked at her with awe. "Wow, you're all grown up now." Yuffie let out a relieved sigh and threw her arms around him.

"You remember!" she breathed, hugging him tightly. "You remember me!" Cloud raised his arms to return the hug. His eyes focused and everything suddenly came back.

"It's been a while." He looked up at Leon, slightly surprised.

"Squall!" he exclaimed. "Is that you? What happened to your face?" Leon smiled a little.

"Actually, my name's Leon now," he said. Cloud was a little confused, but nodded.

Suddenly, a surge of pain erupted through his head. He released his arms from Yuffie, holding his head and letting out a groan. The darkness was trying to flow into him again, trying to make him forget everything.

"What's wrong?" Yuffie said. Cloud just shook his head. He got up and pulled her to her feet.

He looked back at the photo in his hand.

"Is this really her?" he muttered. Leon looked away and nodded.

"Yeah," he muttered softly. "That's Aerith." Cloud stared at it in awe. The picture was a hundred times more beautiful than the image he saw on Hades' wall.

"She's all grown up," he said softly. He looked at Leon, a small smile on his lips.

"You two have changed too," he said, looking between the two. "So you all made it out alive."

"Did you leave with Tifa and Rinoa?" Yuffie asked. Cloud shook his head grimly.

"I've been on my own for the last 9 years," he said, looking up at the dark sky, sighing. Yuffie took his hand, smiling.

"Are you coming home with us now, Cloud?" she asked. "Aerith has been waiting a long time." Cloud smiled, but then he looked down at his claw.

Was this the person Aerith would want to meet again? A monster that didn't have a soul?

No, I can't let her see me like this, he said to himself. I can't.

Suddenly, a yelp came from inside the arena. The trio saw Hades being thrown out of the ring, crashing through a wall. Cerberus's growled and snarls were heard; it didn't like being intruded. Hades' yells were heard again. Cloud's eyes darkened and his hand clenched into a fist as he looked over in its direction.

"Not yet," he muttered to her. Yuffie was confused.

"What? Why not?" Cloud started heading towards Cerberus's chamber. He stopped and turned around to face her.

"There's something I need to take care of first," he said to his friends. "But I'll come home. I promise." Yuffie smiled. She went over and hugged him.

"Okay," she said softly. "Traverse Town, alright? That's the world we're in." Cloud nodded. He looked over at Leon.

"It's good to see you again," he told him. Leon nodded. Cloud shot Yuffie one last smile, and left towards the chamber. They watched him.

"I… I still can't believe it," Yuffie said. "He's alive. After all these years. Aerith was right after all." She looked at Leon behind her. He tried to smile.

"We'd better get back to… to tell Aerith, huh?" he said, a little too heartily. Yuffie saw right through it.

"She needs to know he's alive, Leon" she told him. "I'm sorry." Leon nodded sadly.

"It's the right thing to do, right?" Yuffie smiled. She went over and wrapped an arm around his back.

"Yeah," she whispered. "It is." She reached up and kissed him softly on the cheek. She smiled at him. Yuffie took his hand and they headed out the Coliseum Gates, to their Gummi Ship to go home to Traverse Town.

Cloud walked into Cerberus's chamber. He cautiously peeped out from behind the wall. Hades had finally been able to restrain Cerberus behind a barbed door. It was still trying to ferociously bite its way out, but it couldn't get past the door. Hades let out a relieved sigh.

"Phew! That'll teach ya to try and bite me!" he exclaimed, almost laughing at the beast. Cerberus seemed to be even angrier, trying to slam its way out, but still stayed restrained. Hades turned around, quite surprised to see Cloud approach him.

"Whoa!" he said. "What are you doing back? You're still supposed to be—"

"Deal's off," Cloud said coolly, glaring at him. "I want my soul back." He raised his sword up at the god. Hades laughed, like it was some kind of joke.

"Are you kidding me?!" he chuckled. He could tell that Cloud was so not. "Look, you signed the contract saying you give me your soul. I even let you read it. You can't go back. That's just how things work." Cloud took a few steps closer to him, his eyes almost glowing with the shadows. Slowly, Hades started to back away, a little afraid.

"What are you gonna do?" he said, half-laughing. "You can't kill me if that's what you're thinking." He stopped when his back pressed onto the barbed wall. Cerberus immediately started slamming itself into it again. Hades jumped off, only to meet Cloud's blade.

"No," Cloud murmured. "But you can feel pain." He raised his sword over his head. "And that's good enough for me." Hades stared with terror at the Buster Sword.

"Hey, hey! Let's… let's not go crazy here, okay?" Cloud's expression didn't change. Hades backed further onto the wall, Cerberus snapping only an inch away. "Look, okay. I'd love to help, but… but what's done is done!"

"You're a god," Cloud said darkly. "You can change it." Hades laughed nervously as the blade of his sword was placed dangerously close to his throat.

"Okay, okay. I… I'd love to help you… but there's one little problem I didn't tell you about."

"What's that?" Hades swallowed hard as he felt Cerberus' hot breath run down the back of his neck.

"Well… this may seem a bit weird, considering that it's me, but…"

"Get to the point," Cloud said coldly.

"I… I sold your soul to someone already," Hades said, grinning nervously. Cloud's eyes widened in horror.

"You… what?!" His teeth clenched; his anger erupting. He didn't care anymore. Cloud raised up his sword, ready to bring it down on Hades.

"I had no choice, okay?!" Hades yelled. "He really wanted it. He tried to use this power or something on me!"

"Who?!" Cloud spat. "Who did you sell my soul to?! You have until the count of 5, or say goodbye to your head!" Hades quickly tried to think back.

"Okay, okay. What was his name again…?" he muttered to himself.

"One!"

"Hmmm, it was something really long…"

"Two!"

"Started with an S… Latin or something…"

"Three!"

"No… no, it was Hebrew… Yeah, it was probably something Hebrew…"

"Four!"

"Okay!" Hades said, holding up his hands. "I remember! I remember the guy's name! It was Sephiroth! The guy I sold your soul to was Sephiroth!"