Cloud decided to make one more stop before he returned to Rufus. He turned his motorcycle in the direction of the City of the Ancients. After a few moments he turned off the engine and continued on foot towards the sound of the waterfall.

"Vincent? It's me." Cloud yelled into the cave behind the waterfall.

Cloud had no idea why Vincent had decided to take residence in the place that they had run into Lucrecia two years ago, but he supposed it helped him with his eternal guilt. Cloud hoped that he wouldn't end up like Vincent- Aerith or no Aerith.

"Cloud!" A high pitched voice yelled.

The next thing Cloud knew, he was being crushed by a young ninja.

"Don't worry Yuffie, I don't have any materia on me today."

"I'm not looking for materia! I wouldn't touch the stuff anymore- not since I know what it is now. How is Barrett doing with finding another energy source other than oil?"

"He's still looking. Is Vincent around?"

"I'm here."

Cloud jumped a bit as Vincent called out from behind him.

That guy always manages to creep me out.

"I am here as well, Cloud."

Cloud turned to see Red XIII coming out from the cave entrance. He was surprised to see him here, as last he heard, Red had started a family back in Cosmo Canyon, but he supposed that he had come for a visit.

"Hello Vincent, Red. I need to talk to Vincent alone. Sorry, but it's important." Cloud said as he motioned for Vincent to follow him out into the forest.

"Awww. No fair Cloud! You're no fun." Yuffie pouted as she returned to the cave with Red in tow.

After Cloud and Vincent had traveled way beyond earshot, Cloud turned to him.

"Vincent, Rufus ShinRa is alive."

"That is unsettling news."

"That's not all. He's says he, well, has the power to bring Aerith back. I think he might be telling the truth."

"Well this is very unsettling news. I, myself, do not know if this is possible, but I have seen live people cloned before. Hojo tried it with me, but he wasn't successful luckily."

Cloud involuntarily shivered and he felt sick. If Hojo was the one who had created this technique, he wasn't sure if he wanted to go near it.

But to bring her back Cloud would do anything necessary.

"Well I just wondered what you thought."

"I think it is risky, Cloud, but I understand. If it were Lucrecia I would do it in a second."

"Thank you Vincent. I'll let you know what happens."

"Good luck, Cloud."

Back at 7th Heaven, Tifa was checking her email. Barrett had emailed saying that he and Marlene were fine and they had just discovered a scientist who had developed a way to convert sunlight into energy. Tifa was skeptical, but if it worked it would be a much better way to power things than the polluting oil. The next email was from Cid. He wrote that he and Sherra were doing fine and that he was working on a new ship. Tifa took the time to write replies to both of them. She congratulated both of them, turned off the computer and tried not to worry about Cloud.

Cloud entered the building and went straight for the door next to Rude and Rufus. He entered the room.

"Hello, ex-SOLDIER Cloud. I assume you have made your decision."

"I want to know more about this."

"Naturally…the process is extremely difficult to explain, but I will do my best. We use the subject's remains to create a DNA model and from that, our clone machine can determine everything from the subject's eye color to their height to make a perfect clone. It will look and feel just like her. After that the only thing left to do is channel her spirit, a technique very similar to summoning the souls in the lifestream for materia. Her body is unique and only her soul can enter it. There's no way this can go wrong."

"I've decided to go along with this. Will a lock of her hair work?"

"Yes, hair is preferable. Well then, let's begin."

"Now?" Cloud was surprised.

"Of course, ex-SOLDIER Cloud."

Rufus wheeled over to a nearby bookcase and entered a few keys into a keypad and the bookcase moved over to reveal an opening. Cloud followed Rufus down the dimly- lit corridor. They soon entered a large room with a huge, complicated machine in the center. The machine looked like a giant computer with hundreds of buttons that was attached to a huge tank of what looked like sea water.

"Give me the lock of hair," Rufus requested. Cloud complied.

Rufus wheeled over to the machine and pressed some buttons until a little door opened and he placed the lock of hair inside. Cloud felt odd not having the lock of hair on him like usual. He knew he was just being childish. There was no way that the lock of hair could make him feel any different.

The machine burst into life and the water in the tank started to bubble as if it were boiling. Cloud watched intently as little solid pieces of what seemed to be gelatin were molded and placed in specific spots by robotic arms. For some reason he thought the cloning process would take days or weeks, but it seemed as if it were only going to take mere minutes. He watched in awe as a heart was formed out of the gelatin-like substance, then lungs and other internal organs. After some time, two legs were completely formed. Cloud blushed slightly when he realized that Aerith wouldn't be dressed when she was completely formed, but the process was so interesting he couldn't tear himself away. Soon, everything up to the neck was completely formed and the machine was working on her head. First the brain, then the bone structure and muscles. Finally Aerith's beautiful face was formed. Cloud felt his eyes become wet. He couldn't believe his eyes.

It's…it's really her. Aerith.

Cloud was feeling the strongest emotions he had ever felt in his life. Seeing someone he cared for, someone he loved, forming right before his eyes was almost bringing him to tears. Of course, he had cried when Aerith had died, but he was determined not to cry when she was brought back to life.

"Her shell is done. Now I am going to remove her and place her into the machine that will attach her soul," Rufus said as he pushes another series of buttons.

Cloud watched as Aerith's new body was removed from the tank of liquid and placed into a tube. A second later a blinding blue light appeared and Cloud was forced to look away, but only for a second. Rufus wheeled over to the tube and opened it. Aerith was lying there as if asleep.

"She'll remain unconscious for about another thirty minutes. You can place her in the room over there," Rufus pointed.

"Is there anything to dress her in?" Cloud's blush was full force now.

"Just the gowns in that drawer."

Cloud went over and opened the drawer and grabbed a gown. He slowly walked over to Aerith's sleeping body and lifted her arms and placed the gown on her and then lifted her to tie the gown in the back- all while trying not to look. Her hair was shorter since the machine obviously didn't know what length it was when she died. It suited her. The hair was just above her shoulders and she looked as beautiful as ever. Cloud tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and then he picked her up and moved her into the room Rufus has indicated. As he looked around to voice his thanks to Rufus, he realized Rufus was gone. At least the man had tact. He placed Aerith on the white hospital bed in the center of the room. But he couldn't bear to not hold her. He hoisted himself onto the table and held her like he never did while she was alive.

Tears escaped his eyes and he cried despite himself. He just couldn't hold it in any longer. His relief was so immense that it brought him to tears and if he had not been on the bed already it would have brought him to his knees.

Aerith stirred beneath him and he didn't even bother with wiping the tears off. He bent his neck and kissed Aerith on her temple.

"Aerith?"

She twisted her neck a bit and yawned quietly. Then, to Cloud's amazement, she slowly opened her eyes and blinked. Her eyes were the most beautiful thing Cloud had ever seen in his life and he had no doubt that they would remain the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life until the day he died.

END OF CHAPTER III