Note: I am a bad, bad author. I leave you with possibly one of the worst cliff-hangers in the story and then proceed to disappear for nearly a month. Believe me, I am ashamed. That being said, to show you how truly sorry I am, I'll be posting two chapters today! So don't forget to check out chapter 5 after this one!
(My thanks and answers to anonymous reviewers are at the bottom of this page.)

Published on: 09/09/2012

Chapter 4

Sephiroth, Zack and Cloud found themselves back to back, eyes on the ring of Turks all around them.

"Too bad, yo," another red-head, a guy this time, said. "Would have been easier if we could have waited 'till Hewley went off on his own."

Angeal disengaged the girl he had been fighting and backed off towards his friends and Cloud.

"You were followed, Zack," he growled quietly.

"Oh man, Cissnei," Zack could only groan.

The red-headed girl—Cissnei—shrugged, looking somewhat apologetic.

"Sorry Zack, business is business. You managed to throw me off your tail quite a few times when coming here, so I figured you were hiding something important."

Someone emerged from the shadows, and Cloud started when he recognized him.

"Tseng!"

Somehow, having to oppose someone he had previously fought side by side with made this seem much more sinister… although the Turk looked completely unaffected.

"Strife. Zack," he said, nodding to said SOLDIER. "And... Sephiroth, I presume?"

Sephiroth pulled his helmet off and threw it away, not dropping his battle stance for a second. He looked just as calm as Tseng.

"I admit I had not expected you to be involved in this, Sephiroth," Tseng said. "For Angeal to come back to Midgar was reckless enough, but for you to become his accomplice..."

"Enough about that!" Zack growled, menacing. "What have you done with—"

"Zack," Sephiroth cut off, not taking his eyes off Tseng. "That's not what they are here for."

Tseng tilted his head, clearly intrigued.

"We are only here for Angeal," he conceded. "If you agree to not stand in the way, we will overlook your collaboration with him. I'm sure the President will accept your will to help a friend, but understand that we cannot leave him to wander freely, especially after what happened with Genesis. I am sure you see my point, Sephiroth."

Zack was nearly growling, and didn't seem in the slightest disposed to let the Turks take Angeal away. Cloud could understand that. Zack had been unwilling to openly betray Shinra just minutes before, but if it was his friend and mentor's life on the line, it was obvious he'd do it in a heartbeat.

As for Cloud... well, his loyalty to Shinra was non-existent in the face of his loyalty to Zack, especially since he had learned so much about the corporation from what had happened to Angeal and what few things Rain had told him. His only worry was that Sephiroth might not follow. He had said he had things to do in Shinra. Would he be willing to betray Angeal to get to this truth he was searching for? And if so, what would Cloud do?

"And, Angeal," Tseng was saying, "please do not think about escaping by flying. We have the rooftops covered."

Sephiroth scoffed. Cloud still felt a little weak in the knees when he heard that voice. Would he be able to leave Shinra without Sephiroth? But then...

"Thanks for the warning," that very same voice said.

A fireball exploded right in Tseng's face and the Turk went flying. Before Cloud could even understand what he was seeing, an arm looped around his waist and he was projected right through the residual fire, barely remembering to protect his face. Sephiroth's booted feet hit the ground and Cloud's own barely did the same before he was driven forward at a pace he hadn't thought his legs could sustain. They couldn't, by the way. Sephiroth was half carrying him. Cloud's brain was still trying to assimilate that.

He heard cries and the clang of weapons behind them, then two heavy set of footsteps that could only belong to Zack and Angeal. Gunshots rung from the rooftops, and Cloud nearly felt his heart stop when he saw Sephiroth's sword rise in impossibly quick strikes to intercept a few bullets.

Shinra's Number One SOLDIER led them through a complete maze of streets, seemingly knowing perfectly well where he was going. Cloud was desperately trying to sustain the rhythm so as to not burden him, but his weight didn't seem to make much of a difference to the man. Turks were quick, and bullets still sometimes rained around them, but they were loosing ground.

Then they reached a new street and suddenly, three black suits were waiting for them. Zack and Angeal shot forward to intercept the Turks, while Sephiroth simply jumped over them—jumped! that far from the ground, Cloud's heart nearly stopped—and raced to a nearby pick-up truck with the logo of the Shinra company.

He none too gently threw Cloud in the back, and Cloud tried to not feel too offended and to not hit his head against the hard metal, while his idol wrenched the door open and threw himself at the wheel. The vehicle came to life and burst forward with a whine of overworked tires. They passed the battle and Angeal and Zack flawlessly jumped in the back, with Zack adding the nice touch of an Earth spell to unbalance their enemies.

Cloud bunched himself in a corner and tried to not be in the way when Angeal moved forward to knock on the driver's back window.

"We can't use a Shinra vehicle!" he yelled above the engine. "They'll just track us!"

"I know," Sephiroth answered calmly. "But I needed to get this back."

He reached down to the feet of the passenger seat and Cloud felt himself pale, then begin to turn green. Having motion sickness was already hard enough when the driver was looking at the road. Sephiroth raised a duffel bag and a long package swathed in fabric. There was no doubt that this was the famous Masamune.

"Eh," Angeal said. "Came prepared for anything, did you?"

Sephiroth grunted, his eyes mercifully back on the street.

"So we need another car?" Zack yelled.

"I can do that!" Cloud exclaimed.

Angeal and Zack turned to look at him expectantly.

"Well, if you are alright with illegally acquired vehicles, anyway," Cloud smiled, happy to feel useful.

Angeal frowned, but Zack elbowed him and smiled back.

"I'm sure we'll live, Spike."

Two minutes later, Sephiroth stopped in a deserted street with a scream of abused brakes. Just when Cloud was really beginning to feel ill, too. He was only too happy to hop down and run to a nearby car. Not of prime age maybe, but he seemed to remember this brand had good engines. They didn't have much time, so he smashed the window in and opened the door from the inside. He silently apologized to the owner; hopefully they could afford to lose a car.

"Hey!" someone screamed from one of the nearby buildings, making him cringe. "What are you band of thieves doing?! Just wait until I get down here and...!"

Zack jovially raised his sword to salute the man.

"You have a good sense of civic duty! Keep it up!"

Seeing such an upbeat man with such a large and heavy sword was apparently too much for the man's sense of civic duty. Meanwhile, Cloud had brushed the glass fragments from the driver seat and was fiddling with the wires under the dashboard. Zack leaned in and whistled in admiration.

"Where did you learn that, Spike?"

"Rain," he grunted. "He had... has a thing for mechanics. More of a motorbike guy, though."

"Taught you useful skills, that's for sure."

That was probably sarcasm, but Cloud got back to him when the engine sputtered to life. He let out a cry of delight. But suddenly he could hear several cars approaching and it seemed like a very bad sign.

Cloud barely saw Zack move from the door before Sephiroth appeared, took him by the back of his shirt and flung him in the passenger seat. It was getting harder and harder to not feel offended to be such a lightweight, but he quickly retrieved his dangling legs so Sephiroth could seat. Zack and Angeal threw themselves in the back and they were gone in the flashy, mechanic abusive way Cloud was learning to recognize as Sephiroth's preferred driving method. Rain would have hated that. Cloud's stomach did too, though for completely different reasons.

Bullets rained behind them, but the Turks were still too far away in the narrow alleys to catch up to a SOLDIER with superhuman reflexes. Five minutes later, they were out of the city.

Cloud was curled up in the passenger seat, utterly miserable. Sephiroth was throwing him curious looks.

"I apologize for manhandling you earlier, Strife. This was the most efficient way at the time."

Cloud nodded shakily, not opening his eyes nor his mouth for fear of vomiting.

"Are you ill?"

"Oh man," Zack exclaimed from the backseat. "I had totally forgotten! You've got motion sickness, right, Cloud?"

Cloud groaned in misery.

"Well, congratulations Sephiroth. Your driving probably didn't improve anything," Angeal said with what seemed to be his usual brand of dry humour.

"You know perfectly well I am an adequate driver when the situation doesn't call for mindless speed," Sephiroth answered.

If Cloud hadn't known better, he would have said the man sounded offended.

"I apologise Strife, but I'm afraid we can't stop until we're sufficiently far away from Midgar. If you need me to pull over, though, please say so."

Well, his role model was talking to him and politely worrying about his health. He could at least find the strength to open his mouth.

"Don't worry about me, sir," he said in a hoarse whisper. "I'm used to this. I'll be fine."

Then he shut up, because he could feel his stomach start to heave. Damn, this sucked. He couldn't even complain to Rain, who'd always been sympathetic, because someone or something had gone and stolen his brother from him! Speaking of which...

"What did you mean about the Turks?" he quickly blurted, before the others could start another line of discussion or his stomach decided to veto the motion. "That they weren't there about Rain?"

Zack had been trying to ask to Tseng what they had done to Rain, and Sephiroth had interrupted. What did he know that Cloud didn't? He peeked through his eyelashes and found Sephiroth's piercing cat eyes watching him.

"Yeah, I had been wondering about that," Zack said.

Sephiroth returned his eyes to the road.

"You heard Cissnei and Tseng. The Turks were here because Cissnei was following you and your behaviour tipped her on Angeal's presence in the city. They were here to recover Angeal, and only that. They were clearly unwilling to bring you or me into the battle, Zack. And you saw Tseng's reaction when you nearly asked him about Strife's brother: he didn't know what you were talking about."

"Then Shinra doesn't have Rain?" Zack asked.

Cloud's hope deflated.

"That, or he was taken by a department that wasn't the Turks'—which seems unlikely—or they have him but they know nothing about his accomplices."

"Which would mean Rain hadn't talked," Angeal said.

"Yes."

There was a beat of silence.

"Then, it's pretty certain Cloud's brother didn't betray us, right?" Zack asked.

"It seems that way."

Cloud heaved a sigh of relief. He could not have borne it if they had all kept doubting Rain.

"Very well," Angeal conceded. "Then Strife is here for his brother, and Zack is here because puppies are notably too loyal."

"Hey, quit it with the puppy thing, would you?"

"But why are you here, Sephiroth? I know you, you could easily have accepted to stand aside and still not helped in my capture. That's what I expected you to do."

Cloud had to open his eyes, surprised. He saw Sephiroth slid an unreadable glance to the rear-view mirror.

"Did you, now?"

Angeal barely looked apologetic.

"You always were goal-driven, Sephiroth. A few days ago, you refused to leave Shinra, stating there was information you were after. What changed?"

A slow smirk made his way to Sephiroth's lips.

"Tseng."

"Huh?" Zack grunted, lost.

"Tseng was kind enough to reveal Strife's contact was apparently trustworthy. Strife, your brother was the only source in my reach that ever seemed to hold the kind of information I want and willingly revealed part of it. Do you understand?"

Cloud stared, motion sickness nearly forgotten in his awe.

"You want to find Rain."

Sephiroth nodded, eyes on the road. The wind rushing in from the broken window kept playing with his hair. Cloud felt his hero-worship awaken with a vengeance. Here he was, seating right next to his idol who actually wanted to save the most important person in his life.

"Well, if we are finding Rain, then why are we driving away from Shinra?" Zack actually said.

"We". Zack had said "we"!

"Zack..." Cloud said hoarsely.

His friend reached out and ruffled his hair, laughing.

"Come on, you didn't think I wouldn't help, right? I mean, the guy helped Angeal. It's only fair!"

"Yes, quite," Angeal promptly said. "Honour dictates such a debt does not remain unpaid."

Cloud's eyes nearly bugged out. Angeal too? There were three SOLDIER Firsts ready to help Cloud Strife, trooper un-extraordinaire, find his missing brother? This was surreal.

Sephiroth didn't sound phased at all.

"We are driving away, Zack, because the Turks will be on high alert looking for us right now. When they figure out we left Midgar, they won't expect us to come back. Then we can slip in with more chances of success. Besides, we need a safe place to regroup, rest and plan."

"Oh, right. Sounds good."

A short silence fell in the car. Despite everything that had happened, the sun was barely rising. Now that the adrenaline was gone, Cloud was beginning to feel the exhaustion of the night creeping on him. Apparently, Zack did too.

"Well," he yawned, stretching. "Wake me up if you need me."

That being said, he settled in his seat and promptly fell asleep. Cloud tried to do the same despite the heavy discomfort of his roiling stomach. In his semi-asleep state, he could hear Angeal and Sephiroth talking in hushed voices. There was something soothing about their calm, low tones, as if they hadn't all just become fugitives alone against the most powerful organization on the planet.

Cloud soon slipped under.

He awoke with a start, covered in sweat and Rain's name on his lips. Angeal turned to look at him, but then quickly returned his attention to the trees around them.

It was their second week away from Midgar, and by then Zack, Angeal and Sephiroth had all gotten used to the nightmares that shook him from his sleep a few times per night. It had been especially embarrassing the first time it had happened, in the car while they were fleeing from Midgar, but by now Zack wasn't the only one getting worried.

He had heard Angeal and Sephiroth wonder if he was suffering from post-traumatic stress from Rain's disappearance, especially since the only thing they ever managed to get from him when they asked how he had discovered his brother was missing was incoherent and nearly tearful babbling.

Yep, embarrassing alright.

Cloud sighed and got up, deciding he didn't want to try and go back to sleep. He approached Angeal instead.

"Do you want me to relay you?" he whispered.

Angeal seemed to consider it, then nodded in acceptance. He rose and made his way to his own sleeping bag. Cloud settled to watch the camp for the last hours before daybreak.

They had managed to get supplies by stopping in a few towns and gathering what they needed in modest quantities at a time. At least they had more than the contents of Cloud and Sephiroth's bags, and the clothes Angeal and Zack had had on their backs. It was a good thing, since they couldn't afford to spend more than one night at a time at an inn. Their whole group was already too remarkable as it was, if the Turks decided to ask around for two muscular men, a tall one and a teenager. When in town, they did their best to never be seen together and generally split in two pairs: Cloud and Zack, Angeal and Sephiroth.

Cloud was grateful he hadn't left Midgar in his Shinra grunt uniform. He had kept the shoulder guards and the practical brown shoes and gloves, but the scarf, the knee guards, the blue tunic and pants would have been too noticeable. He had replaced them with a long-sleeved undershirt, a tan leather plastron and some sturdy black pants. Angeal and Zack had since their escape had to make similar changes to their SOLDIER First attires; even Angeal understood that while travelling in a group and without his wings, he had to make concessions to discretion.

Surprisingly, the most reluctant one had been Sephiroth. Cloud sneaked him a glance over his shoulder. Every time they entered a town, Sephiroth had to hide his too recognizable hair under a cap and his eyes behind sunglasses. The leather had to go, too, to be replaced by a dark grey turtleneck and some sensible pants. Though Sephiroth bore it stoically while they were in town, he hadn't seem to appreciate it when Angeal had one day suggested it might be best he keep the disguise on at all times.

"You really stand out," Angeal had reasoned. "The roads may not be as populated as the cities, but we are bound to be noticed anyway. We don't need your hair giving us away."

"I hope for your sake you are not suggesting I cut it, Angeal."

"I am not that suicidal…"

Cloud admitted to himself he was a little surprised that Sephiroth had been so vexed by Angeal's suggestion. Although the SOLDIER had disguised himself before and had eventually conceded this was necessary, for the next few hours he had kept on a frown that suggested it really didn't agree with him. Cloud still sometimes caught him sliding a longing glance to the bag where his leather uniform now resided permanently. Did Sephiroth regret it because it was more practical or—dare he think it?—because of vanity?

Cloud felt his lips twitch and turned back before his staring woke Sephiroth up. Wouldn't Rain love to know the man he feared could be immature over something as inconsequential as his clothes? Cloud's smile dropped before it was fully formed. He'd give anything to be able to tell him.

Cloud rubbed his tired eyes and grimly focused on his watch.

"When are we going back?" Zack asked over breakfast. "Not that I don't love you guys to bits and that spending time camping in the wild and playing spies in Kalm isn't fun, but this is gonna get, you know, boring."

"Same old Puppy," Angeal sighed.

"You're just saying that because you miss your flower girl," Cloud snorted with a pale sliver of humour.

"Hey!"

Zack gave him a shove, but as he was obviously happy he had made a joke, it lacked any real edge.

"I'll have you know I'm worried about Kunsel," he replied haughtily. "We still don't know for sure that the Turks aren't aware he was involved."

"We can't go back so soon," Sephiroth said. "There has been no mention of your absence or mine on the radio news, which means they are still unsure of how to cover up for our disappearance. They might have a plan to bring us back in the company's folds or to eliminate us. They'll be looking for us."

"Not to mention we have yet to find a suitable plan to get information on Rain's location," Angeal added. "If the Turks have him, this will be very hard."

"Indeed."

"Well, what if they get him out of Midgar while we wait? It will be ten times harder to find him, then!"

Cloud frowned at his breakfast. He had had a while to think this over. Until now he had kept secret the true nature of Rain, but… what if there was really no way Shinra had him? These dreams he kept having… were they really just the result of a traumatic experience? How come, then, that they were so clear and always so repetitive?…

He sneaked a look at the three arguing SOLDIERs. They were all here to find Rain. Whether or not it was Shinra they were going after, didn't he owe them what few information he might have? He couldn't tell them everything, because there was no way they'd believe the soul of a warrior from the future had been in his head since he was a child, but…

"Hey, hum… everyone…"

They all expectantly turned to him.

"Did you remember something, Strife?" Angeal asked. "Anything might be useful."

Cloud fidgeted nervously. Zack swung an arm around his shoulders and smiled reassuringly at him. Angeal and Sephiroth had probably told him about their PTSD hypothesis.

"It's just… it's not…"

He sighed, defeated, and put his bowl down.

"Look, you're all going to think this is weird and all but… I might have… a clue on where Rain is right now."

"That's great, Cloud!" Zack said, enthusiastic. "Well, where is he?"

"I don't… know that exactly."

They seemed puzzled. Cloud burrowed his hands in his blond spikes and tried not to lose courage.

"Like I said, you're all going to think that this is weird and that I'm not a hundred percent sane, but… you've got to believe me. I've got a really, really good reason to think my nightmares are clues to Rain's location right now."

Angeal and Sephiroth exchanged knowing looks. Zack looked startled and hesitant.

"Uh, Spike…"

"No!" he yelled. "Please, you have got to trust me! I am not saying that because I am traumatized or whatever. There really is a good reason why these dreams could be more than they seem, I promise! I may not be able to tell you why right now, but it's true!"

Rain had spent so much time in his head, who said he couldn't be trying to send a message to Cloud through his dreams?

Sephiroth hummed, his face unreadable.

"And besides," Cloud soldiered on, heart hammering in his chest, "you said we can't go back to Midgar right now. Well, if these dreams are true, then Rain is not in Midgar. What have we got to lose if we check it out rather than play hide-and-seek for a few more weeks?"

"He's got a point here," Zack said, smiling feebly.

Cloud could have kissed him. Even if he may have said that to escape the boredom of more time stuck camping in the forest.

"You have to admit," Sephiroth began calmly, "that this is a rather suspicious claim, Strife."

Cloud lowered his head, disheartened.

"After all, none of us have even met this Rain. You are our only guarantee that anyone went missing in the first place, let alone that a man named Rain does exist."

He stared at Sephiroth, startled.

"Hey!" Zack protested. "I have known Cloud for months now. He is no liar! Besides, what would he have to gain from all of this?"

"I wonder," Sephiroth murmured.

He looked pensive, and his slit green eyes were locked on Cloud. With a shiver, Cloud realized what he meant. For all Sephiroth knew, Cloud could be completely delusional and have tricked himself into thinking he had a brother named Rain. After all, Cloud grew up a lonely child in a backwater town, and he had exhibited rather suspicious behaviour since they had fled Midgar: the nightmares, the panic fits when they questioned him. He might have seemed insane for less than that. He would know; it was exactly because of that that he had never told another soul about Rain.

He opened his mouth, feeling nauseous, but he had no idea what to say to protest.

Thankfully Zack clapped his shoulder, looking protective.

"Hey, listen," he said defensively, "whether or not Cloud is right, it's like he said: we've got nothing to lose if we check it out."

"You say that, but we don't even know where it is he would have us going," Angeal argued. "I am not saying I don't believe you, Strife. I have certainly seen my share of strange happenings lately. But it is a surprising claim to make."

Cloud nodded, still feeling faint, but a little better. At least Zack and Angeal were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, and Sephiroth didn't seem inclined to outright disagree with them.

He closed his eyes and sighed, releasing a little of the tension that had accumulated in his shoulders.

"Well... My dreams always start the same way. I'm flying over a very large body of water, probably an ocean. I am going right towards a coast, getting there fast. The nearer I get, the more I see forests, mountains and lot of snow. I'm pretty sure it's the Northern Continent, even though I've only ever been there once on that mission to Modeoheim."

He gave them an interrogating glance. Zack nodded, encouraging him to continue.

"Then the scene switches, and I am at the edge of a forest. It's a very weird one. It's dense, and it looks dark under the trees, but I think the trunks are all white. There is a strange atmosphere, too—like it's really silent."

Angeal frowned.

"A forest on the Northern Continent, that's somewhat vague. Especially since some of the details could just come from your subconscious. It is a dream, after all."

Cloud shrugged, not knowing how to answer that.

Sephiroth sighed and gracefully got up.

"Well, if it's decided, we might as well get on our way. Let's go get the car."

Finding a boat for the Northern Continent was no easy task since they were still trying to be inconspicuous. They abandoned their stolen car and bundled all the swords together in a package they swathed in fabric so that Angeal could carry it on his shoulder.

Sephiroth had to spend the entire crossing with his cap and sunglasses on or holed up in his cabin, and it clearly grated on his nerves. It would have amused Cloud if it hadn't been his fault in the first place the man had to hide. And for what? A chimera for all the SOLDIER knew. He didn't think Sephiroth was very happy with him right now.

Once on the continent, they just might have had to try all the forests around if it hadn't been for Zack's friendliness and a providential inn-keeper who happened to have quite an interest in the local legends.

Within a few days, they were standing at the edge of the so-called Sleeping Forest… Too bad they had already been there five minutes ago and had been aiming for the other side of the woods.

"Right," Zack said, blinking. "I think I am starting to get what that guy at the inn was saying."

"Fascinating," Sephiroth said, eyeing the trees with growing interest. "I was certain we were heading to the North."

"This is not good," Angeal sighed. "How are we going to go through?"

"Any idea, Spike?"

"Sorry, no. The dreams just go right through the forest… But it's definitely this one, I can tell."

"Shoot. Well, can't we just go around it? Where are we going anyway? What happens next in your dreams?"

"A city…" he said hesitantly. "I think there is a city in there; but it's deserted… at least in my dreams it is."

"A city in the forest?" Angeal asked, doubtful. "It seems strange. I have never heard of any city of importance around here, even an historical one."

"I am ready to believe it," Sephiroth said, to all of their surprises. "Strife told us of a forest with a strange atmosphere, and here we are… My sense of direction has never been as thoroughly fooled as in these woods. I can readily believe they have their load of secrets."

"We still have no way of going through, though," Zack whined.

"We'll have to see if we can find anyone living around here, maybe a village," Angeal suggested. "They may have more information."

"Or Cloud's dreams could decide to be a little more helpful," Zack said, addressing a hopeful look to his friend.

Cloud grimaced and shrugged.

"Don't get your hopes too high on that."

Cloud's dreams did decide to be a little more helpful. After a few hours of following the edge of the forest without seeing any traces of habitations, they camped not too far from the trees. Barely two hours later, Cloud woke all of them up.

"A harp!" he blurted, eyes wide. "We have to dig up a harp!"

The three SOLDIERs exchanged weird looks. Cloud could tell it would take a while to convince them, this time.

"I still can't believe this worked," Zack repeated, awed.

The forest was definitely not sleeping anymore. The tall white trees may have been intimidating, but birds were chirping and the underbrush moved a few meters away, betraying the presence of some small animal. Most importantly, it had been half an hour already and they had yet to end up at their starting point.

"Thank the Planet," Sephiroth answered wearily. "I just might have had to skewer you if all this digging had been for nothing, Strife."

"R-right."

Cloud gulped, not reassured in the least by the man's calm. Who knew Sephiroth could be so impatient? But finding the harp had been a long process, and they had had to go back to a town for digging utensils, too, which had made them lose a day and had given everyone plenty of time to doubt this would ever work. Cloud had been the first one to do so—his dreams had led them true until now, but the harp thing had seemed really random.

Well, if this was working, then it was a definite proof his dreams were more than that, right? It meant Rain had to be in that deserted city!

"We shouldn't be far, now," he whispered, heart beating fast.

He was unable to mask the growing hope in his eyes. Zack swung an arm around his shoulders and squeezed, smiling reassuringly.

"I'm sure we'll find him, little guy."

Cloud didn't even frown at the height jab. Angeal and Sephiroth too looked to be in high spirits. Evidently, they had drawn the same conclusion he had: there was no longer any trace of doubt in their eyes.

Sephiroth tugged on his gloves. He had put his leather battle-gear back on that morning, and Cloud wondered if he expected a fight. Like the strange tree trunks, his silver hair seemed to catch all the light under the canopy.

Within a few hours, they reached the Forgotten City.

Silence had befallen the group. The abandoned city was an awe-inspiring sight, and it even got to Cloud, who at this point could barely think about anything other than his brother.

"Who could have built all that?" Zack whispered, intimidated.

No one answered him.

If its guardian forest had awoken, the city hadn't. It stood sprawling and silent, its streets large and strangely organic against a stratified ground littered with what seemed to be seaweeds and corals. Only the wind whispered in the abandoned doorways and the blind windows of the shell-like buildings.

Cloud led them through the middle of the town. The main street headed straight to a tight grove of these strange white trees and slipped in. In a clearing among the trees, a lone, big shell house stood overlooking a pond. A single column of sunlight illuminated the scene. There was such a strong feeling of peace here that Cloud would have wanted to linger if he hadn't been so intent on finding Rain.

"In here?" Sephiroth said in a low voice.

He looked wary, and he probably was whispering less by deference like Zack had been, and more so as to not alert any potential enemies.

"There is a passage to an underground area," Cloud answered in kind.

Sephiroth nodded and pointedly took the lead, Masamune in hand. It felt somewhat blasphemous to see a weapon drawn in this place. Cloud shook the thought out: he was here to get his brother back, even if it meant battling whoever took him.

They didn't encounter anyone inside, though. They silently searched the house, until Zack at last stumbled on the hidden passage. Sephiroth slithered inside and Cloud immediately followed him, Zack and Angeal bringing the rear.

It soon became clear this place was even stranger than the whole city. The more they descended, the more it seemed like they were going down stairs of light, and the darkness all around was so thick it felt like void. Cloud could not even see or touch walls anymore. He concentrated on the stairs and tried not to think of what would happen if he tripped and fell.

"This is crazy," Zack breathed from behind him, and Cloud could only agree.

It became even more so when they saw their destination: suspended in the darkness below them, ramparts of light wrapped around an island of solidity. Through the translucent walls, they began to discern buildings. Soon, they set foot on the strangest assembly of turrets and catwalks, almost like someone's unfinished castle.

Sephiroth signalled them to stay back and Cloud obeyed, heart in his throat. The SOLDIER silently glided forward to take a peek at the rest of the light encased place. In the quiet, Cloud heard the gasp he couldn't quite muffle and gulped, hand tightening around the handle of his sword.

But Sephiroth motioned them forward and Cloud rushed in, breathless. He never could remember the end of his dreams. He remembered the house, he remembered the stairs, he vaguely remembered the strange castle. What else was there, he discovered at that moment.

The turrets rose from a lake that took up most of the ground surface between the transparent ramparts and sparkled in their light. On the opposite end from the castle, a round altar was suspended over the water, accessible only by a series of pillars. But what really snatched Cloud's attention was the large, green crystal that shot out from the middle of the lake, seemingly glowing from the inside. In the heart of the crystal, a human body faced them, eyes closed as if sleeping.

Cloud knew, then, what always startled him so much in his dreams that he woke up without remembering their end. This man looked exactly like him.

Another note: Before you all rush to the next chapter (reminder: I'm publishing chapters 4 and 5 in one go), I'd like to seriously thank everyone who has been reviewing, alerting and faving this story, especially lately. Your love is felt, people! And since I have had a surprising number of anonymous reviews on the last chapter, special thanks to everyone I haven't been able to answer! I have personal messages for only a few of you, but I love you all. ;)

To bleep: That would have been so awesome. I totally would have loved to do it, too bad the story took another direction!

To Firijia: Wow, thanks for the nice and long review! About Angeal and Sephiroth's power level, I like to remember Zack died against a troop of Turks and infantrymen, and he was at least as strong as Angeal at that point. Plus, Cloud was vulnerable in this situation and none of them would have liked to see him die in a battle. But I hope the outcome of the scene was satisfying? And I duly noted your request, I'll do my best not to do it anymore!

To the mysterious Guest who kicked me: Are you the same guest who kicked me after chapter 1? Well, glad to know people read my profile. XD