Cloud looked around amazement the three of them fell through Etro's Gate. Lightning summoned out one of her monsters to catch them, and it carried them down to the ancient city below. Once they were safely on the ground, he noticed the change from his clothes to his armor, and was surprised to see that Vincent's clothes had changed as well. Clad in sleek black metal armor the gunman looked over himself with curiosity: even his gauntlet had changed into the new metal. With his cape still in place he checked for his gun, only to find that it too had transformed. With Cerberus replaced by Chaos' Death Penalty, Cloud gave his friend a worried glance. Lightning shrugged and motioned for them to follow her as she started inside one of the buildings.

"Follow me; I'll take you to Etro."

The men nodded and did as they were told, following her through a maze of paths and buildings until they made to a crystal throne in the center of an open room. Cloud looked on in awe as he laid eyes on a beautiful woman sitting there. She was utterly beautiful, with glowing skin and eyes like stars. Her hair was a beautiful shade of mint, and she wore a white gown that seemed to be made of feathers. An emerald tiara rest atop her head, with a glowing belt of the same kind gracing the gentle curves of her waist, as well as a band of it climbing up her left arm. The woman looked over them with a gentle smile, and held out her hand to them.

"Welcome back Lightning, I see you have been successful." Her gaze turned to Vincent. "You were the carrier of Chaos; the bit of him that still runs in your blood will prove useful in the coming battle."

The man looked at her curiously, but the calmness he held couldn't hide the awe and excitement in his eyes; at least, not from Cloud. As the woman's gaze turned to him, he gulped, but her gaze stayed gentle.

"Cloud, your memory has held the memories of your friends from your slumber, but it has lost the memories of your former masters. Having served under both the God of Discord Chaos, and the Goddess of Harmony Cosmos, your expertise will help guide your sword in battle." She closed her eyes. "Fenrir has chosen a strong, dependable warrior to serve him."

Lightning smiled slightly. "Of course he has…"

Etro's eyes opened again, but this time they were fixed on Cloud with an ominous haze. "From now on, you will be Fenrir's warrior, the chosen God of Wolves and Protection. Lightning will teach you how to summon out your powers, as well as your army of monster summons. They will be ones not found in your world, but with her help you will soon know each as well as you know your friends."

Vincent stiffened when her gaze turned back to him. "Vincent Valentine, your dark powers will balance out the powers of light possessed by Lightning. However, with Cloud's powers on the border of both light and dark it will take both of you to guide his heart. If he falls too far into the darkness, he will be turned into a monstrous being of hate and fear. Yet, if he comes too far into the light, he will fall into a deep crystal slumber, not to awake until the end of time."

Lightning looked over at Cloud. "I won't let that happen."

The gunman nodded, his gaze once again darkening. Etro looked over them and closed her eyes again. Her warrior motioned for the men to follow her as she turned toward the balcony. They once again did as instructed, and followed her from the great room. Out on the balcony, Lightning rest her hand on the rail and looked over Valhalla.

"Cloud, we haven't seen your weapon yet. I need to know what I'm working with before I can teach you to summon out your powers."

Cloud rubbed his neck. "Well, how do I, uh, summon it out or…whatever?"

She smirked. "Remember the feeling you had when you first got your armor. Focus on that feeling, imagine it engulfing you. Then, imagine it flowing to your hand and taking the form of your weapon. Your mind will see it before you, and when you open your eyes, that's what it'll be."

The man nodded slowly and closed his eyes, trying to bring back that un-paralleled hunger for freedom. It was a warm feeling, and as he relaxed he felt it surge once again. He did as Lightning said, and focused on it traveling to his hand. He opened his eyes again and almost instinctively shot his hand into the air, where a greyish light appeared before taking the form of a sword. As the light faded, he brought his hand down, still clutching the handle of the blade. His friends looked at it as curiously as he did when they were able to see it.

The handle of the sword was almost as long as his glove, and made of a light metal, covered in a smooth black shell. The blade was just slightly smaller than the completed Tsurugi. It was made of a silvery metal with delicate engravings that reminded him of the waves of the Lifestream. There appeared to be a figure engraved in the center of the blade, but he couldn't quite tell what it was. Lightning nodded in approval and crossed her arms.

"Alright then, looks like it'll be easier than I thought. Let's head down to the beach and we'll train there."

The men exchanged a glance before they followed her through another maze of buildings to an open plain where monsters roamed wild. The creatures paid them no mind as Lightning led them to an endless ocean. Cloud hoisted his sword up on his shoulder as she summoned out her gunblade. Watching the feathers fall and fade he was secretly glad he lacked the distracting….Things that appeared with her summonings. The woman turned to him and smirked, a message playing in her eyes as she seemed to read his mind. He snorted and dropped his blade, ready to start the lesson. She recognized his impatience and nodded.

"Cloud, was there ever any elemental magic that you could use easier than the others? Or maybe some kind of command that came naturally to you?"

The man looked up as he contemplated her words. "Depends on what you mean by 'elemental magic'."

"I don't know all your materia types you know."

He smirked. "Well, I could always use Blizzard easier. And it seemed that there was a lot of wind created when I used my swords to fight."

"Considering you're with Fenrir, I'd say we start with that wind. Wind often represents freedom, and that's one thing that a wolf always needs."

"I know, trust me."

She chuckled and nodded. "True, now let's begin. Focus on the feelings from before; let the rush of being free to run with the wind come forth, and visualize the wind guiding the blade of your sword."

Cloud watched Vincent step away as he did as he was told. A rush of emotions hit him like the waves on the shore, and he raised his sword to let a twister form around the blade. Spinning the sword in his hand the twister grew until it leapt from the blade to rip across the sand and across the water, parting the waves and ripping apart the ground beneath it. The water rushed back together as the fierce winds faded, and Cloud was left trying to catch his breath on the beach. Lightning closed her eyes and sighed.

"Don't put all your energy into one attack unless it's life or death. And even then, plan it carefully so you don't die. Now, let's try again."