A/N: *Sigh*…Reading the comments about my story, I have come to realize some shortcomings. First off, I am…unsure whether I should actually specify the idea about Minerva's child. You see, when I write stories I do not think about what actually happens beforehand. It simply spills into what it is without much thought. Another point which bothers me is whether I should bring into account the little things that I had mentioned within the story to full view. There are just so many specific details within the game itself that I find myself overcome with difficulty in fitting it all in. And so I apologize beforehand for any inconveniences or questions you may have about certain aspects of the story that I have not brought into the light. If it is ever brought to my attention, like the part about Minerva's child, I shall try to remedy it, perhaps, at a later time. Otherwise, it might just end up coming out again in the future. But, I have done a lot of research so that this story follows the game nearly exactly and I hope many of you enjoy that aspect of the story.

Now, I must warn you all. This is a love story between the two characters I have listed this under. If this does not please you…please discontinue your readings of my story. I apologize for any inconveniences.

On a rather different note, since there were such great many people with such exultant comments, I have decided to post yet another chapter this weekend. I hope this pleases many of you, and thank you for staying with me per far.

P.S: The only reason I am able to update so quickly is because I have taken the time and written a lot of it before I had it submitted. Do not count on it always being like this for the chapters I presently have not submitted are quickly dwindling. Thank you and enjoy. :}

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Chapter 7

Zack rounded the corner of the building, a hand on the hilt of the Buster blade, and chased the red spectral trail of cloth running around another corner further up ahead. He needed to catch him and ask what he had meant when he said he was looking for Cloud. "Genesis!"

Quickly rounding the corner he looked to either side of him. He had lost track of the man and this was getting dangerous. He had to warn Sephiroth. He quickly doubled around and headed straight for Shinra Inc.

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

Cloud was tired, no, more than tired and he was happy about it. The battle with the Admiral had been friendly and fun but a bit difficult to endure in his young body. But, it had set his heart at ease. He had never really had a friendly match with anyone in a very long time. Now, he was resting in the waiting room with a wet towel over his head. Lying on the bench wasn't the most comfortable of things but it would just have to do for the moment. He couldn't help smiling.

"Wow, nice job, Strife." Cloud lifted the towel enough to see who had spoken. Some of the other contestants were standing around awe-struck.

"Yeah, that was really cool how you matched up to the Admiral." They started chatting as if their favorite concert had gone off with a blast.

Cloud sat up and pulled the towel off his head. "Thanks. It was fun."

"Really?" The boys gawked. "If that were me out there, I'd have been scared stiff."

"Yeah. Admiral Girard's known as the Spear Master. I would've died the first time that spear headed my way."

"You know, Strife, we really thought you were dead at that first strike. It was so fast that we couldn't see it."

Cloud just watched as the boys started rattling on and on about the battle. He was glad that they had a great time watching, but the next matches would start soon and he needed to be prepared for the worst. Cloud stood. "The final matches are beginning soon."

"Oh yeah, we'd better go. See you later, Strife." The boys rushed down and out the hall and into the main room.

Cloud sat back down for a brief moment. There were only ten matches left and most of them were matches with the rest of the cadets left. Somehow, most of them had gotten lucky enough to either win a battle with a sick officer or lucky enough to not have been drawn. But now, it was judgment time and the last couple of battles would determine the winners. Usually, the officers were exempt from the rest of the competition if they had beaten several others out of it, like the cadets and Soldiers, but the stronger ones remained to be a blocked passage for the lower classes to ever win a spot in the top three. Cloud didn't know whether the officers were allowed to receive a prize this time because the two other generals had left two spots open…. He would just have to see.

Standing, Cloud headed for the last couple battles of the day, and the end of the competition.

xxx xxx

"Match! Colonel Jaeger!"

xxx xxx

"Match! Commander Weiss-Richter!"

xxx xxx

"Match! Commander Gunther!"

xxx xxx

"Match! Admiral Gabriel Alexander!"

Cloud watched as the lower classes fell one after the other. That had been seven matches so far with none of the Soldiers or cadets even making it past the first five minutes. This was troublesome. After their matches all of the officers had forfeit and most people guessed it was because nobody wanted to match the General in a cross of swords. So, they had done their duty and forfeit. Now there were only six people left including him and Sephiroth. This was really bad, indeed.

"Match! Colonel Lucci!"

Now there were four people left and if another officer won the battle then they would take one of the other two vacant spots at the top.

"Match! Commander Wolfe!"

Cloud faltered. There was only one match left and that was with him…against Sephiroth. He couldn't believe his luck today. This was a nightmare. Well, on the bright side, if he lost this battle he would still be ranked third………He paled and held his breath in hopes that it might not be real…

"Next! Cloud Strife vs. General Sephiroth!"

"Damn it!" Cloud cursed aloud before marching onto the arena where the General already stood, waiting. His heart beat loudly in anxiety. Oh, this was going to be fun.

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

Sephiroth was thrilled, no, beyond thrilled at the results of the competition. As the matches wore on he feared he might have lost the chance to duel Strife for some answers but apparently this time, luck was on his side.

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

Cloud slumped out onto the open field where Sephiroth calmly awaited his arrival with crossed arms and a quirked eyebrow. The whole area had gone silent as the people gripped their seats in excitement. The last battle had been what they were waiting for and who knew that a cadet would be the last to face off with the General.

"I have a proposition." Upon hearing Sephiroth's voice, Cloud looked up.

"Proposition, General, sir?" Cloud asked cautiously. What did Sephiroth have in mind to proposition with him?

He waved a gloved hand. "A deal before we begin the match."

Cloud stood up straighter and faced Sephiroth. "And what might that be, sir?"

Sephiroth assessed Strife and saw how cautious he was treading. "Answer a couple of my questions, truthfully, if I win the battle and in return I'll do you any favor you desire. If you win, you owe me nothing and I'll do you the favor anyway."

"A couple of questions?" Cloud thought about it. Was that really a bad thing to say yes to? On the other hand, a favor from Sephiroth with no boundaries could be just what he needed to move Shinra into a different position in using a replacement energy source. He thought about it some more. Now why would Sephiroth do something like that for a couple of answers? Maybe it was important…

"Your answer?" Sephiroth shifted. "If you are unsure, you have the whole audience to back up my claim." He slightly gestured to the people staring wide eyed at the two.

The crowd shouted. "Accept it! Accept it! A favor from the General!" Cloud knew that a favor from the General was what most people desired inside the company and out. How much power they could have if they only controlled the strongest man, or some just wished him for his attentions no matter the gender…

Cloud looked at Sephiroth skeptically. "Why? Is it really worth it?"

Sephiroth shrugged, a graceful movement all on its own. "I am unsure myself."

Cloud was still doubtful but he took up stance and nodded. "Fine, I accept your offer, General."

Sephiroth gave a slow sinister smile. "Good." He charged.

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

Cloud parried the first strike as Sephiroth came at him with a force of will. He grunted with the effort. He had forgotten exactly how strong Sephiroth had been before but now it was all coming back to him. Sephiroth was pushing him hard, sparks of light came from the clash of both swords and Cloud had to work to make sure his sword wasn't on the verge of breaking from the effort. He dug his heels into the ground and threw his weight into knocking away Masamune. He hopped back a couple of steps. He burned with the effort and he automatically knew he couldn't win. He gritted his teeth and gripped the sword handle.

"You surprise me. You were able to deflect Masamune." He slowly circled around the arena facing Cloud and Cloud followed suit. The crowd seemed as if they had jolted awake and murmurings started taking place. Cloud ignored them.

"It wasn't easy…" He kept watching Sephiroth, just waiting for his next strike. Sephiroth disappeared and Cloud quickly calmed himself. He had seen Sephiroth pull this move off enough times to know his patterns. He twisted on his heel and brought his sword up to block his back where it was met with the point of Sephiroth's blade. He knocked it aside and slid around to face the General. He had disappeared again. Cloud swung to his right and Sephiroth was suddenly there to block his attack. Sephiroth was taken aback as slight surprise was shown on his features.

"You can see me?" Sephiroth tapped Cloud's sword away.

"…No…I can't see you." It was true. Cloud's eyes couldn't follow Sephiroth's movement anymore but he was still able to use the abrupt wind changes to his advantage. That and the fact that he had once tried pulling the General's move off a long time ago gave him the insight it took to defeat it to some degree.

"Hm…" Sephiroth looked thoughtful before feinting from the front and coming from the left. Cloud used his reflexes to counteract the move he hadn't anticipated but he wasn't fast enough. Masamune had slightly grazed his cheek. He felt blood trickle down.

"Damn." Cloud breathed, twisting away and under Sephiroth's line of sight. He twirled on the ground and brought his sword to Sephiroth's legs. Sephiroth immediately blocked and jumped back.

He glanced at Cloud's grazed cheek and frowned. "Apologies."

Cloud rubbed the blood off with the back of his right hand, never taking his eyes off his opponent. "It's nothing." He dashed forward, bringing the sword under in a wide arc.

Sephiroth countered before tapping Cloud's blade so that it ricocheted in the other direction before swinging his sword in from the other side. Cloud had no time to think. He twisted in the air, guided in his sword's momentum, and attempted to kick Sephiroth in the midriff. Sephiroth grabbed Cloud's foot and twisted him over. He landed on his back in the dirt and panted.

"Do you yield?" Sephiroth inquired steadily, sword still raised. That had been the closest anyone had ever gotten to land an attack on him and he wanted to be careful. This boy was dangerous.

Cloud struggled to his feet. "No." He gripped his sword and charged. Sephiroth braced himself for the impact but Cloud just somersaulted over and behind him. He twisted and swung out with his sword. Sephiroth's eyes slightly widened in surprise before bringing up his sword to meet Strife's in a clash of sparks. Strife was making him work for it.

Cloud was panting. The strain of each blow was getting to him now. Sephiroth was strong, too strong, and he wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. Even his arms were tiring quickly. He gulped once to try and smooth out his dry throat before hopping back a couple of steps. His arms were trembling with the effort and he didn't know how long the sword would last either. He could feel it getting more brittle by the minute.

Sephiroth was surprised, again. He really wasn't used to being surprised this many times in a row but Strife was clearly ignoring that fact. It couldn't be the mako that was making him so strong, that was only part of the question, but how had Strife managed for so long with a body that was obviously not matching up to his experience in battle? Sephiroth turned and fully faced Cloud. He saw the slight tremble from the vibrating sword tip and took in Strife's fatigued features. He frowned. He hadn't really meant to take the battle very far but Strife was proving to be more than difficult to overcome. He figured he should end the battle quickly.

Cloud charged, holding the sword in both hands and over his right shoulder for a down swing. Sephiroth braced himself as Cloud jumped and put the weight of his body into his force, bringing it down onto Masamune. He grunted and managed to push Sephiroth back, if only slightly, before he was pushed off. Cloud nearly fell, and Sephiroth saw that as an opportunity to attack. Cloud quickly brought his sword up to block Masamune's swing but the sword he was handling was too weak. It shattered in half and the broken point flew to bite deeply into Cloud's left arm. Cloud fell to his knees and clutched his bleeding left arm, panting. Sephiroth paused in shock.

"I…I yield…" Cloud panted before sitting on the floor. The crowd roared.

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

Sephiroth stood there shocked amidst the commotion of the outside arena. He felt his heart stop as he stared at the blood blossoming on Strife's arm and through his fingers. Sephiroth immediately felt terribly guilty. Cloud was now sitting against the wall, panting with his eyes closed. He lowered his weapon and crouched in front of Strife.

"Can you stand?" He asked quietly.

Cloud cracked an eye open to look at Sephiroth and immediately Sephiroth felt better, though he had no idea why…. "What are your questions?"

Sephiroth frowned. "That can wait. We need to get you to the infirmary." He moved closer and lifted Cloud bridal style.

"H-Hey wait, what are you doing?" Cloud struggled. "I can walk!"

Sephiroth merely ignored him and continued out and into the halls. "This will be faster, rather than you limping your way there." Sephiroth kept looking straight ahead.

"It doesn't matter. It was only a scratch and it has nothing to do with my legs so let me down." Cloud growled. Sephiroth looked at him then.

"You've overexerted yourself and by now the adrenaline must have rushed from your system." He merely stated.

Cloud bit back another growl. He was right, darn it. He had been trembling so badly he knew he couldn't walk but if ever there was an embarrassing moment, this was it. It was absolutely strange, being held by the man he had killed. If anyone ever talked about this, he was never going to live it down.

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

Zack rushed up the stairs, he had to find Sephiroth. He had heard that Cloud had matched up to Sephiroth but this was no time to be excited. He would do that later. Passing by the officers who had wanted to wait until Cloud and Sephiroth were there to announce the results, he had overheard Admiral Girard bursting in laughter and mentioning that his new favorite cadet was last seen being carried off in a wonderful manner by the cold-hearted General himself, and that it was a sight to see. The admiral also mentioned that they were heading in the direction of the infirmary. Zack was really curious why Sephiroth had carried Cloud away but first he had to deliver the information. He rushed towards the infirmary.

Bursting through the door, Zack found a sight he never would have dreamed of seeing and nearly had to burst out laughing. Cloud was sitting on a bed reprimanding Sephiroth, who was standing next to it, about how he could have done something, and something, and something… Zack wasn't really paying attention. He walked up to the two.

"Hey, Cloud, Sephiroth." He nodded in their direction. "What have you two been up to?" He grinned.

"Nothing! I could have walked here myself." Cloud huffed. Well, he eventually could have.

Zack was grinning from ear to ear. "Oh, I should've seen it!" he laughed but sobered up some after. "Actually, I have really bad news."

Sephiroth quirked a brow with his arms crossed. "Oh?"

"I found Genesis but…" he gave a confused look and cocked his head to one side. "it was really strange. He kind of ran away after he said he was looking for Cloud."

"He's already here?" Cloud burst. The other two looked at him and he gave himself a mental slap at the giveaway.

"Already?" Zack frowned. "You knew he was coming?"

Cloud looked away. "…Kind of…"

"How?" Zack threw his hands up into the air. "And what does he want?"

"I don't really know. All he said was that he was going to hold my mother hostage unless I help him." Cloud shrugged, angry. "He said he'd be here by the end of the week."

"When did you talk to him?" Zack asked.

"I didn't. He sent me a letter." Cloud motioned towards the door. "It's inside my pillow cover." He couldn't think of anywhere else to hide the letter. Cloud tried getting up and off the bed but Sephiroth gripped his shoulder and shook his head.

"No need for you to go. Zack shall retrieve it." He looked at Zack. "Zack?"

Zack sarcastically straightened and saluted. "Aye, aye, sir!" and burst through the infirmary doors before Cloud could give a word of protest.

"Zack, wait!" Cloud yelled after him but he was long gone. This was bad. The letter from Red and Cid were there with the other letters too and if anyone read them, which was a surety by now, he would have a whole lot of things to answer to. He tried getting up to rush to the door but Sephiroth still held him.

"Settle down, Strife." He commanded.

Cloud couldn't do anything but listen lest he gave anything away. He rubbed his face and waited for the inevitability. He would deal with it as it came; there was no need to rush things. So he stayed silent. He felt his heart beat more anxiously than ever.

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

Zack ran into the bunks and shifted around Cloud's bed before finding the handful of letters. He read who each one was by and gave a confused look.

"Who's Red XIII and B..Bug….Beguhane? Huh?" Zack looked at the name from all angles but still couldn't make it out. The long spelling was confusing his ability to read. "XIII? Is the number part of his name?" He flipped to the other one. "Cid? Cid….hm…" He finally flipped to the one's from Genesis and, he guessed, Cloud's mother. He shrugged before stacking them all under his arm and running back to the infirmary.

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

Sephiroth watched as Cloud fell into misery. It was strange. What had happened between five minutes ago and now to create such a drastic change in him? He could only determine that the letters were concerned and that they held some secret Strife didn't wish revealed. That possibility made his determination set. He wanted a look at the letters, even though that was a breach of privacy, but everything concerning Strife was too incomprehensible so if he got the chance he would take it. Strangely, he felt slightly thrilled at the possibility of knowing the cadet a bit more, but he frowned at the thought.

"I need to use the restroom." Strife's voice brought Sephiroth out of his reverie. He took a step back, out of his way, and nodded. Strife quickly strode into the infirmary restroom and shut the door with a click. It was locked. He frowned at that too. He wondered how long Strife was going to stay in there when he heard the water running. He figured Strife merely wished to wash up a little but wouldn't come out unless goaded…. Too troublesome.

At that moment, Zack decided to burst into the room with a shout of energy. "I'm back!" He looked around. "Huh, where's Cloud?"

Sephiroth indicated to the restroom before walking up to the other man. "Have you retrieved the letters?"

"Oh, yeah, but there were a couple of other letters too so I just brought them all." He handed the letters to Sephiroth who started glancing at them one by one. Zack sat on the bed Cloud had been recently occupying and when nothing happened, he started dozing. From the letters, the top one was from a man named Cid. Sephiroth frowned. Wasn't Cid the name of the man who was supposed to have been launched into space before Shinra closed the program? Sephiroth had read the file about the failed project some years ago while researching modes of transportations to certain fields. Cid, the man's name, had come up more than once and he even heard some of the Shinra employees talk about the man once. They had admired him.

He opened the letter. What he read made his eyes widen in shock. Jenova? That was his mother's name, and the Highwind? Sephiroth had recently heard that one of Shinra's finest airships had been stolen…but by Cid? And how was Strife affiliated with the man and the matter? They knew where Jenova was? And why were they sending her up into space? None of it made any sense. He held his head in order to stop a migraine, but the only thing he saw was another sudden flash. Something that seemed so familiar at one point but he had never lived. He saw Jenova…. Sephiroth quickly tore open the second letter.

It was from someone named Nanaki and Bugenhagen. What Sephiroth read made him frown deeply. It was a strange thing to say when one replied that they were glad the adventures were not dreams after all, but the thing that stuck out the most was Hojo's name. Hojo… Another flash came to him, of the lab, of the experiments, of the fire in Nibelheim. He shook his head.

How did Strife know Hojo and what was their relationship? This person, Nanaki or Red, had been detained before? There were too many questions but only so much that he could ask Strife. He needed to find the right thing to ask first to confirm his suspicions. That day, in Nibelheim, how Strife had said that everything had happened in a dream, he had known exactly what would have happened. Also, Strife's sudden increase in skill, with the sudden appearance of mako in his system, and the experience all indicated how strange his position was. Then there was that sudden flashback that he had had. And now, in this letter, this being, Nanaki, confirms that he too had dreams of something? It couldn't be mere coincidence.

He quickly skimmed the other letters, which confirmed Strife's story on Genesis but not on why he wanted to see Strife, Sephiroth dismissed that for the moment. Looking towards the restroom, where Strife had yet to come out, he determinedly walked over. He glanced back at Zack and found the man asleep. Good, it wouldn't do for an audience.

In front of the door, he knocked, once, twice, three times… "Strife?" He waited for a reply.

"…Yes, General?" Sephiroth felt stiff. It felt as though they were on shaky ground with held formality.

"Can you fulfill your bargain now…?" he asked tentatively.

"……yes…" came the soft reply. Sephiroth disliked having to push Strife into a corner but his questions needed to be answered and there was one question in particular he was dreading the answer to.

"…Are you…from the future, Strife?" Asking the question sounded weird even to his own ears and he nearly regretted asking it. He waited patiently. He thought he might get a laugh from the other side but as he waited he was greeted by nothing but silence. Strange. "Strife?"

There was a click from the door and Cloud stepped out of the restroom. He looked straight up at Sephiroth with worried eyes before bowing his head down. This was just great. "Yes…I am…" Cloud thought the man might go mad anyway, who wouldn't, given the answer he had just given to him. Maybe he should have just laughed it off and lied…

Sephiroth let out a breath and looked away. How could this be possible? So it was true? Was coming back to the past even possible? He glanced at Strife. Why had he come back? He turned back towards Strife. "What is your objective in coming back?" he wasn't angry, only exasperated.

Cloud looked at him skeptically. "You're not surprised? I thought you would be more furious than anything." He sighed loudly and threw his arms into the air, "Even I was surprised!" He walked over to where Zack was sleeping, Sephiroth following close behind.

"You did not choose?" Sephiroth asked confused. He had always thought that if there were such events it would be by one's own will.

"Why would I? I didn't want to come back and try to save the Planet all over again!" Cloud paused…he shouldn't have said that.

"Save the planet?" Now Sephiroth was skeptical, but it seemed to be the truth. Startling.

Cloud sighed and grimaced in disbelief. He should have watched what he said more carefully. Now, there was nothing he could do but tell the truth. "Well, no point in hiding it now." He shrugged. "There's a reason why I didn't let you look over Hojo's old documents in Nibelheim, Sephiroth. That was the start of it all." Cloud sat down in one of the chairs next to the bed and leaned his chin on his hand. He was looking away in a brooding manner.

Sephiroth was listening but that had been the first time Strife had referred to him by his name. And, he found he rather liked the way it sounded coming from him…reluctantly. "The start?"

"You know," he glanced at Sephiroth from the corner of his eye. "Jenova isn't your mother." He stated casually.

Sephiroth frowned. "What?" Disbelief mingled in with him questioning Strife's sanity. Was he serious? It was a strange thing to say when the topic about his mother seemed so out of place.

Cloud leaned back into the chair. "Hojo only said she was your mother because of the cells you carry. You were conceived by someone else, someone who waited for you…" He remembered. Lucrecia had desperately asked Vincent whether Sephiroth was alive that day but they couldn't bear to tell her what had become of him. Vincent had answered that he had died, and perhaps he had, but she had left in sorrow.

"How do you know such things?" Sephiroth couldn't believe what he was hearing. What had happened in the future for Strife to say such things?

"You wanted to know who your mother was, didn't you? Why her name was on that plaque in the Nibel reactor. That's why you went to the mansion, isn't it?" Cloud looked at him squarely and frowned himself. "I had to stop you; otherwise you might have killed us all, all over again!"

Sephiroth was shocked. He had been the cause of their deaths? He thought about it, whether he could kill Strife and he found he couldn't, not then, not ever. "I couldn't have killed you."

Cloud glared. "What makes you so sure? You burned Nibelheim and murdered my mother!" He slowly let out a breath, to calm himself. He went back to looking in the other direction. "That was a long time ago…" he said softly.

What could Sephiroth say to that? He hadn't actually done those deeds, not yet anyway, but there was no possible way to erase Strife's memories of a future that may no longer be. He rubbed his temples. "Did…something happen to bring you back here?" He was worried that the answer would be yes but he was curious, to say the least.

"No…nothing has happened for two years now. Everything was at peace…."

"…Then why?"

"The gift of a second chance." Cloud turned and looked at Sephiroth with distant eyes and Sephiroth realized that those weren't the eyes of someone as young as his body indicated, but he quirked an eyebrow in question. Cloud leaned back and smoothed a hand through his hair. "I don't really know what it means. She only said that it was a gift, but now I'm wondering if the gift may actually be for you…"

"A second chance…" Did that mean that something had happened to him in the future? He looked at Strife and demanded that he elaborate.

Cloud stared at Sephiroth through the corner of his eye for a while before answering. He seemed to be assessing if he should say anything. Finally he said, "…I killed you."

Sephiroth found the room around them reeling. He had died, not a hero as everyone claimed, but as a villain everyone feared. He found it ironic because he had never actually wanted to be a hero. What else, it had been Strife to kill him in the end. He thought it strange. He had been able to best Strife in combat just moments before; though it was true he was very capable, he had been no match at all for him. So, then, how was it possible? Could he have grown weaker? Sephiroth didn't think he liked the future Strife had come from, with him harming those he should have cherished and murdering all else.

"You're wondering why I'm unable to beat you." It was a fact. "She sent me back at half my strength, though I don't think I'd be able to beat you again even in full. It was tiring, time was against us, and you were my enemy. Meteor would have fallen and demolished the Planet and Jenova would have triumphed."

Sephiroth looked at Strife questioningly. "She? Meteor? What is Jenova?" And why did it sound like whenever Strife mentioned the planet it was said with a capital p, like it was alive somehow.

Cloud waved a hand and dismissed it as unimportant. "You'll find out eventually. Just don't go mad this time."

Sephiroth sighed. "Strife, if all you have said is true then I no longer have a reason to go…'mad' as you have just indicated. And since you have answered my questions, you may ask your favor." He wasn't particularly worried about what Strife might ask of him but he had received strange requests before and it wouldn't surprise him if he had gotten another, only, he had offered it this time….

Cloud stood. "I'll ask it of you later." He walked to the door and turned back. "Goodbye, General."

"Strife," Sephiroth called suddenly, he looked at Strife. "what weapon did you use?"

Cloud smiled sadly. He was asking what weapon he used to kill him. "The Buster blade." He replied and headed out the door.

Sephiroth froze before looking towards where Zack had been snoring peacefully the entire time. The sword at his back gleamed with the pride of its previous owner and he wondered if it had gleamed even brighter the day it was handed to Strife. That meant that something had happened to Zack and he found, this time, he would try and protect those that were close to him. He headed out the door Strife had gone through just moments before.

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

He had won a materia as a prize for being second in the tournament. It was a fire materia. One of the officers had given it to him on the way out, albeit reluctantly, but the smirk on his face indicated that the officer thought that Cloud was too weak to control the materia effectively. That made him smile. He put it in his pocket.

Cloud walked around Midgar's upper levels, roaming the streets for no apparent reason but for a breath of fresh air. It was chilly out tonight and not many people were seen wandering the streets. He walked around until he found an old wooden bench by the fountain and sat next to it. He sighed, head in his hands. How was he supposed to deal with all of this? "How am I going to do this?" he whispered.

"And what do you intend to do?" Cloud jerked at the sound. Looking up, he found Genesis floating gracefully down on his black wing. He landed before approaching Cloud.

"What are you doing here?" Cloud glared.

"Hm, I wonder." He walked around a little. "Perhaps I was seeking you out."

"Why? What do you want from me?" Cloud stood and faced Genesis.

Genesis stopped and whirled on his heels to face Cloud. "Can you stop my degeneration?" he seriously asked. Cloud looked at Genesis then. The man was seriously worried about whether he might actually die. Cloud felt pity for the misfortune that was Genesis', and looking into his eyes, he registered fear.

Cloud fell back on the bench. "Maybe…." He glanced at Genesis. "It's Jenova's cells you need, isn't it?"

"Or by the will of the Goddess." He held up a Banora apple to the sight of the moon.

"I can get you some, but not directly from her. No one's ever going to touch her again." He said menacingly.

Genesis twirled on his feet with a look of surprise. "How? The only other source is Sephiroth and he'd rather see me rotting in hell." He thought about it for a moment. "Again? How is it you know of Jenova in the first place?"

Cloud ignored the question. "I'll only get you what you need in return of a favor." Cloud looked at Genesis seriously, "And that you stay away from my mother."

Genesis grinned. "Of course. Anything." He exaggeratingly bowed.

"…I have Jenova cells in me…" Cloud looked away. Genesis looked surprised but doubtful.

"You could not have received any." He scoffed as he looked towards the fountain.

"Well," Cloud stood, "there's nothing to lose. If it doesn't work then fine, but if it does…you'll be free from deteriorating."

Genesis looked thoughtful. "I see."

"I'll see if I can get a scientist we can trust to stay quiet, unless you have a suggestion…"

"Hm. I may have someone."

"Then call me when you're ready. I should get back." He turned to leave.

"Understood." Genesis smiled. "In return, I am at your service." Genesis turned in the other direction. "I think…I'm starting to like you, Cloud Strife." He chuckled. Cloud looked back only to find that Genesis had disappeared from sight with only a single black feather floating down from where he once stood.

With a frown, Cloud turned and walked away towards the tallest building in Midgar, Shinra Inc, the fallen angel at his back.

xxx xxx