Ah, I apologise for taking so long~! -bows- Holidays, then I got sick, then my school blocked the site... Then my almighty IP (independent Project) started, and midterms... -sighs- Anyway, introducing neyma, the mad checker! Yeah, she's now betaing for me, and I loves her lots. Ja, where were we?

Aerith was falling, and Cloud's world was ending again. Leon was too caught up in his duel to catch her, and he himself was too far away. Cloud started running for her, arms stretching out, knowing he would fail, but still trying. Everything else stopped, sped up again, and Cloud screamed as-

-greenblueskylightwingstream-

"Aerith!"

Cloud stumbled, and fell onto his face as part of him jerked free, running faster, harder then before. The part of Cloud skidded and caught Aerith with a triumphant yell and stood, the woman wrapping her arms around his neck as he turned and Cloud's world, once again, came to a shuddering stop.

"Oh yeah! Zack saves the day again!"

It was Zack, just as the small part of Cloud that remembered his face told him. Grinning, black hair and a torn SOLDIER uniform. "Yo, spikey! Damn it's great, being corporeal again!"

Leon hummed under his breath. This had gone on long enough, and he was starting to get more than a little irritated at the Nobody. Time to finish it off, and since it wasn't playing nice...Renzokuken.

He charged, gunblade over his shoulder. As he swung at the Nobody, he pulled the gunblade's trigger in time. It stumbled and Leon stepped back, gunblade over his shoulder once again.

"Rough Divide!" He split the non-being vertically, and started to catch his breath. It had been a long time since he had used one of his old Limits, and it had drained him somewhat."...gone are the days of the chains of 'em..." He smiled to himself and turned, to be confronted by a crowd around a smiling Aerith, a stunned Cloud and a man talking animatedly to Yuffie. The crowd parted as he stepped forward, and still smiling Aerith looked at him.

"Leon? This is Zack." She was smiling broadly, and there were faint sparkles of tears in her eyes. Leon blinked.

"Never heard of him...you, I mean."

"Cloud! Don't I even rate a mention?" Zack pouted and blinked at Yuffie. "Hey, you're that kid from Wutai! Been staying outta trouble?"

"...you were living in my mind, and all this is a surprise to you?" Cloud's voice was soft, and he was pale.

"Ah hah, I guess not. Hey, you alright...?" Zack's voice dropped and his brows furrowed in concern.

"...I need..." Cloud left, face going blank. Zack sighed and started after him, but Aerith grabbed his arm and shook her head slightly.

"Aer?"

"He needs...time, Zack. He was upset when he found me, and I can only imagine what you're doing to him..."

Zack looked crestfallen. "I don't want to hurt him.."

Leon stared blankly at everyone, and couldn't restrain it any more.

"What the hell is going on?"

Leon nodded slightly. "So, you died when you were...?"

"Approximately 21, maybe 22. I don't really remember, and being pickled in mako does funny things to a mans head, even if he is a SOLDIER." Zack finally finished eating. "I didn't remember what nachos tasted like! I use to eat 'em with Reno all the time..." He scratched his head.

"And you died taking out an entire army, helicopters and all, to get you and a comatose Cloud to Midgar, to see Aerith?"

"Yup, sounds about right."

"...I don't believe this. Well, I do, but..." Leon sighed.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Sounds like some kind of video game to me." Zack grinned good naturedly.

"...Sora would love you."Aerith giggled, nodding. "They'd have a blast. Sora kind of like...well Leon and Cloud's love child, but with your personality."

"Love child?!"

"Well, yes, he does look like it. Your brown hair, with Cloud's spikes. Just longer."

"...no more mentions of me and Strife spawning, please."

So THAT is Cloud's problem. Dead best friend in his head,watching Aerith die like that while thinking he was Zack... Messed up, real messed up. More messed up then me, I think. Is he ok?

Cloud was, for lack of a better word, brooding. He wasn't entirely sure why- his dead best friend was now alive and kicking, Aerith was safe, and Leon was...Why had Leon come into the equation?

He shook his head. He should be rejoicing, but now he really didn't know who he was. Before, where Cloud failed to cover a situation, it had been Zack-Cloud that handled it. A mix of bravado, humour, sheer will and the ability to do 75 squats in 30 seconds. But now he didn't have even that...He pulled the Buster Sword from off his back, and looked at it hard. For sometime, it had seemed like the only thing that he could rely on and unconsciously he touched it to his forehead.

Do I have to give it back? It means so much to the pair of us...

Ah hah. How was that? Please don't stone me for it. Any good? I turned 17... That was Squall's age when he took on Ultimecia! I couldn't do that, and I'm kinda panicked about the fact I'm going to be ten points behind and I need to do a math course to get into Uni, and I'm technically failing English. -sigh- I hate maths (and now English) with a passion...Ja ne.