Chapter 2

Cloud couldn't believe what had just happened. He rubbed his face and tried to convince himself it was all just a dream. That must be it, a dream.

"Cloud Strife!" Shocked, he snapped his eyes open. His vision wavered with the sudden movement so Cloud shook his head as he slowly, but warily, took in his surroundings. He blinked in surprise. This was when he had been chosen to go………with Zack……..to Nibelheim!

"Cloud Strife!" The commander barked for his attention.

Cloud straightened himself up, something he did out of an old habit, but apparently it was now a new habit. Aerith had sent him back through time! Was this the "Gift" she mentioned? Was this the "Second Chance"? He couldn't believe it. This just shouldn't be possible.

"For the last time, Strife!" The commander barked into his face.

Cloud jumped. It had been ages since he had been called to attention like that. He hesitantly saluted, unsure. "Y-Yes, sir."

"It seems you are not ready to take on this mission, cadet." He all but growled.

Cloud had to think of something…and fast. "No, sir. Apologies, sir, I was formulating how to better utilize my gun…,sir." He saluted again. The commanding officer furrowed a brow before giving Cloud a once over. He reluctantly bought the excuse and turned his attention towards the others.

"Hmph. Just be glad that we can't afford to switch operatives now, cadet." With that, he spun and walked in the other direction with a clipboard of names he had been checking earlier under his arm.

Cloud let out a breath he realized he had been holding. This was déjà vu all over again and he feared the rest might be just that. Looking around, he quickly found the flight of stairs he remembered to lead to the bathrooms and ran towards them. He had to talk to Aerith again and fast.

Cloud rushed into the bathroom and leaned over the sink to look the mirror. This must be a hallucination. This must be! Taking off his helmet, Cloud gripped the sink before he carefully forced himself to look into the mirror. What he saw didn't surprise him as nearly as much as the mako that was still reflected in his eyes. Now, how was he supposed to look a person in the face and talk normally when it was obvious something had changed?

"Aerith." He breathed with defeat.

Running a hand over his head a realization dawned on him. He blinked. Several thoughts floated into his head. The first, he realized, was that Aerith was still alive in this time and, as she had indicated earlier, she would have also retained her memories. The second was that Zack was still alive. He could save him, and Sephiroth could live differently than he had before…after…!

He scratched his head. The last thing Cloud noticed was his body. He could still feel that he had a portion of his previous strength still left within him, if not half. He wouldn't be as weak as he was before and could now probably survive for quite a while against Sephiroth…possibly. It was a fresh new perspective.

Looking in the mirror again, he sighed. Now the main problem was how to avoid anyone looking into his eyes long and carefully enough to see the mako. This time round, he was particularly glad that the infantry had such ridiculous helmets to cover their faces. Maybe he could fool everyone into believing that he was really shy without his helmet on.

Sighing, he dropped the helmet on his head before heading out to meet Zack. He decided to just go with what he had done before until he figured out how to stop whatever was to come later on.

xxx xxx

Cloud stood fidgeting in the middle of the Shinra hall. He had opted for taking off his helmet earlier because he realized he was sweating too much with a nervous energy. Nobody would notice…would they?

Shrugging, Cloud decided that nobody expected a cadet to have mako in the first place so they wouldn't look too closely to see the difference. They'd just think it was a trick of the light or something.

Looking around Cloud realized this place brought more unpleasant memories than pleasant ones and meeting Zack again was giving Cloud a hell of a lot to be nervous about. Thinking about Zack made Cloud think of Sephiroth, which was even more nerve-wracking considering he'd killed the man…more than once.

Actually, over time, Cloud started feeling an immense pity for the great General. He considered all of the things Sephiroth had gone through, much of which wasn't his actual choice, and felt sorry for the man he had once admired. But, now that he could give Sephiroth a second chance, he didn't really know how to act around the general.

Sighing in defeat, he swore he would talk to Aerith to find out what she was thinking in sending him back into this crisis. What was she hoping to accomplish? He really didn't want to go through this again.

He was so caught up in his many worries that he hadn't heard the sound of footsteps approaching his way.

"What's up?" Cloud jumped before spinning in the direction of a familiar voice. Z-Zack? He stared wide eyed before clearing his throat and reigning in his shock. He calmed down a bit and breathed. He'd been through this before.

But what had he said before? …Ah, yes…

"I'm having a little trouble rounding up the group…"

"We're in a hurry, let's move it!" Cloud found Zack was as impatient as ever and smiled inwardly with the thought.

He couldn't believe he was doing this again but he straightened anyway and answered with a "Sir!". He couldn't help but laugh on the inside while trying to keep a straight face.

"Wha - -Cloud?" Apparently, realization dawned on Zack's face. "Together again, eh?" he smiled. "All right!"

"Thanks." Cloud found himself answering Zack as he would have, as he had done, more than half a decade ago. He smiled with the memory and the joy of being able to do so again. "Hold on, I'll get everyone." And with a lightness in his heart that he hadn't felt in a long time, Cloud ran to assemble the others.

After gathering the others, Cloud realized that Zack didn't notice the mako in his eyes. He let out a breath, glad that Zack's hyperactive personality sometimes stopped him from looking into the finer detail of things. He shrugged as he and the other two cadets, (which he sadly knew wouldn't survive the trip), stood facing forward in a small line waiting for Sephiroth and Zack to appear.

Zack came first. Then they stood straighter when Sephiroth headed their way, all grand in a wave of black and silver. Cloud nearly sighed but then again…Sephiroth would have caught on then.

Cloud looked at Sephiroth. It had been a long time since he had…killed him…again…. The man looked absolutely normal, like nothing had ever happened to make him mad. But then again, it hadn't. So now here he was, faced with the same problem as before, only this time he knew what was going to happen and try to stop it.

Suddenly, Cloud realized something strange about what Aerith had said before. 'A second chance'. Thinking more about it, Cloud didn't really need a second chance at saving the world or anything, nor could he have saved Aerith and the planet at the same time…so what was it?

"By the way, where are we going?" Cloud heard Zack asking Sephiroth.

Sephiroth was looking at Cloud, a quirk of the eyebrow when Cloud looked straight back at him. Cloud stood wondering if something was on his face………Shoot! He had forgotten the mako! Sephiroth was sure to notice!

Apparently, not wanting to leave Zack's question unanswered, Sephiroth turned, looking unaffected by what he had seen, and faced away from Cloud.

This was going turning out to be a more difficult thing than he had first imagined. He nearly groaned.

Looking at the two Soldiers, Cloud was dreading Sephiroth's answer even before it was said.

"To Nibelheim."

xxx xxx

"Sir…s, something strange just crashed into our truck!"

Sephiroth stood. "That would be our monster…"

One of their three hadn't survived the road trip. He had been slain by the dragon that had stopped them midway. Cloud knew it was coming but the cadet had been the first to go out this time as well and he hadn't been able to stop him in time. And, even though he knew, he couldn't help but mourn for their loss. They were only children compared to how old he actually was.

Sephiroth had slain the beast like before, only, it was Zack helping him this time, unlike what he had thought a long time ago. He chuckled inwardly. How delusional he had been. But he fired his gun and continued firing until the beast fell to the floor in a bloody mess. He walked up to it to see the last flicker of life go out from its eyes. It had only been protecting its territory. Cloud felt sad that they had slaughtered it,…again from his point of view. He sighed.

When he had regained his self and his memory, he had thought the dragon didn't really exist and that they hadn't beaten it all those years ago. Apparently, he was wrong.

They walked up to Nibelheim, Cloud was absolutely dreading this part. It was like watching a movie that had been broken so that it would only play one part over and over again. He kept inwardly groaning to himself just waiting for the question to come. But at least he put on his helmet again this time. Cloud wanted to see if Tifa had enough sense to try and approach him.

"So, how does it feel?" Sephiroth asked. "To be home after all this time? I have no hometown. I wouldn't know." Cloud nearly groaned aloud but stifled it with much effort. What should he do? Answer it as he nearly did back then or should he not?

Well, soon enough, Zack asked that one particular question back.

"Uh…what about family?"

Cloud nearly cringed. This was where everything began.

"My mother's name is Jenova. She died shortly after I was born. My father…" Cloud thought about whether he should have denied that claim. But a mere infantryman shouting denials at the General would be quite a strange sight to see. Instead, he turned to see Sephiroth chuckling rather darkly with a sneer and a look in his eye that said everything was despicable. Cloud shivered before Sephiroth gave his sort of shrug. "Why am I talking about this? Come on, let's go."

Following Sephiroth, Cloud glanced back behind him to see Zack giving Sephiroth's back an incredulously confused look.

"Sephiroth's mother's name is Jenova?" Zack contemplated. He crossed his arms in a sideways glance. "Huh…"

Zack ran to catch up with the others but before he reached Sephiroth, a voice spoke behind them.

"Are you one of the Soldier people who've come to investigate?" Cloud froze in place. That was Tifa's voice, only this time her question was a bit hesitant than what he remembered it to be.

Zack spun around to face Tifa, who had a weird look on her face as if she had said the exact thing before at one point.

"Yeah, my name is Zack, and I'm with Soldier." He got a proud smile on his face. "1st Class, mind you, 1st Class!" he grinned.

Tifa put on her thinking face and looked at Zack doubtfully.

"Huh."

Zack gawked. "What do you mean, "Huh"?"

"Are there a lot of Soldier 1st Classes?" Tifa straightened and asked, serious, and dead on to Zack.

"Nope, we're a small, elite group." Zack pounded his chest proud.

"They only sent two?"

"Yeah, me and Sephiroth." Zack looked back towards Sephiroth, who looked on the conversation in his indifferent manner. Cloud watched from the sidelines, absolutely knowing what was going to happen that he could have said it word for word…that is, unless Tifa decided to do something strange and drastic.

"Uh-huh…" She turned and started walking away, but not before spinning around again and raising her hand a bit as if to ask a question of Zack.

Cloud tensed, just waiting for Tifa to say something this time. But eventually, as before, Tifa just shook her head and ran away. It made Cloud wonder whether she had a different question to ask this time about whether he was here and not the question about whether he was a Soldier.

He saw Zack cross his arms and whisper that Tifa was a "Weird girl…" but it made him smile.

He headed towards the inn and stood right outside the door as Sephiroth announced they would depart for the reactor at dawn…and to make sure to get plenty of sleep, which Cloud didn't think he could do.

"Only one of you needs to keep watch." Sephiroth said before he turned and headed to the doors.

Cloud decided this was perfect. This time, he would be the one standing watch as the others slept to think about how to, and he didn't really like the word, sabotage their mission. It would be a long night.

"Ah, that's right…" Cloud turned his head to see that Sephiroth was talking to him. "You have permission to go visit family and friends, if you so wish." He headed straight inside.

"Nibelheim, huh…" Zack sighed before heading in as well.

Cloud quietly followed behind Zack. This was a good time to see how quiet he could be with half of his skills. If Sephiroth couldn't hear him either, it would be a bonus.

He crouched on the stairs and behind the wall so that he could hear their conversation. He was close enough to hear their whispers as well.

Taking a bold peak, he caught Sephiroth looking out the window as Zack approached him to ask.

"What are you looking at?"

Sephiroth had a slightly strained look on his face as if trying to remember something.

"This landscape…" he breathed. "I could swear I've seen it before."

Well, that wasn't good. Cloud hit himself mentally. Sephiroth was looking down at the Shinra Mansion and remembering that he had been there before with Hojo. Had been there with his real mother, Lucrecia Crescent, and had been the center of the Jenova Project. He cursed under his breath, which he immediately held when he felt Sephiroth slowly turn his way.

By this time, Zack had walked into one of the rooms and collapsed on the bed. It had only been Sephiroth who was staring out the window still contemplating why the scenery had looked so familiar. And now, Cloud was slowly, but quietly, edging down the stairs in an attempt to get away.

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

Sephiroth turned to look towards the staircase. Was there someone spying on them? Perhaps it was someone's pet…but, no. He had clearly heard a voice and becoming suspicious, and surprised that he had not heard them earlier, he started walking towards the steps. Perhaps he was too absorbed in trying to remember that he had missed clear footfalls heading their way? That could not be. No one had been able to sneak up on him before and he doubted the residents of this town were better than even other Soldier 1sts. He had quiet pride that not even Genesis nor Angeal could ever sneak up on him even if they tried, which they had at one point.

Taking another step closer he found it odd he was not hearing anyone scurrying down the stairs and away by this time. Maybe they had frozen in place? It was such an odd predicament that he found himself considering what to ask the person once confronted with them. Why were they spying? Why were they here? How could I have not heard you? Or perhaps he should ask, why they had cursed to make themselves known.

Sighing slightly, Sephiroth rounded the corner to look down the stairs and was prepared to meet the person one on one. Surprisingly, and he doesn't surprise well, he only saw a flash of blue before the person ran out the door and out of sight. He had not heard him!

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

Cloud rounded the corner of the inn and hid in the shadows. He was breathing harshly, with his heart pounding in his chest. Clutching it, he couldn't believe Sephiroth had nearly caught him. It was so close that all Cloud could think about was how to answer him when he obviously had no answer.

He paused as he heard the slight creak of the inn door opening. Was Sephiroth out looking for him? Did he know he was the one that had spied on them? This was turning out to be a disaster and Cloud's mind started reeling.

He caught a glimpse of silver hair before dashing behind the buildings and into the trees that grew out in back as silently as possible. His erratic breathing wasn't helping, his nervousness either. What was he supposed to do now? Head back to the inn, feign sleep, and then explain to whoever approached him why he was so tired and beet red as if he had run for hours? Not a chance.

So he just slipped into the trees before he heard, rather than saw, Sephiroth approaching his general direction. This was going to be one heck of a chase.

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

Sephiroth found this puzzling.

How could he not track this person long enough to catch him? He did not run after the being because he feared he would miss him in the wrong way.

His hearing was failing him. That had to be it. Then again, his eyes couldn't seem to catch the person's form for long either. It was as elusive as a fly would be to an average being. How could he not catch this one person? The Great General Sephiroth?

He frowned at that. When had he been considered so 'Great'? If anyone else were to see him now chasing some phantom, which is what he deemed it to be, they would be in for quite a laugh.

Looking around he wondered if he should just level the area and force the person out of hiding before getting him to explain to him how he had remained so elusive. But that would only lead to more trouble, for him and the company, so he decided to leave it be for today.

The being would surely come back if there was something he wanted waiting somewhere. For now, Sephiroth decided to head back to the inn for a strategy on how to catch this elusive phantom that had defeated him in a game of hide-and-seek.

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

Cloud sighed in relief. He couldn't believe he had managed to stay away long enough for the General to give up.

Sliding down from the tree he had climbed in panic he started heading back to the inn, cautious in case Sephiroth really hadn't given up. Hearing a sudden sound, Cloud whipped his head to one side so quickly he hit his head on a low branch. He groaned. It was a wild rabbit.

"Well…at least these helmets are good for something."

Maybe Zack would not ask him where he was, if he was lucky. So he quickly made his way back.

Unfortunately, Cloud found Zack all hyperactive and doing squats next to the bed waiting for him to return.

"So, where've you been?" Zack gave Cloud a puppy dog look of "Tell me!"

"Uh…I went…for a walk?"

"That's it? You didn't meet anyone you knew or something?" Zack looked disappointed.

"Yeah…" Cloud felt bad for lying to Zack but he couldn't just say that he had been spying on the General and went to play 'catch' with him.

"Aw, and here I thought you were going to tell me all about Tifa." He flopped back onto the bed with a pout. "Well, we should sleep. Tomorrow we go to the reactor." He grinned.

Cloud sat on his bed and looked at Zack.

"Uh…Zack?"

"…" There was a sudden snore and Cloud couldn't help but laugh. He couldn't fall asleep that fast even if he tried.

Feeling tired Cloud lay back on his bed and started dozing.