Well well well. I think we have a notion as to what we're going to see.

As we left off Tifa has confessed to a small string of self abuse and cloud is over everything worried. Koty has had a revelation on the paradox and cloud is now in it for the long haul. But I can't tell you the end results just yet. That would ruin the story ;].

Anyway it's Tifa's turn to get a chap again. And for you Vincent fans he will have a short to do in this as well. Anyway. Now onward and upward. What will happen read and reviews.

Heart stoppers and soul crushers.:

"He will leave you again" the voices were returning. "He will leave you and die. All alone… and you will do nothing to stop it."

"Shut up." Tifa cried into the surrounding darkness "he promised. Cloud never breaks a promise."

"And you believe him? Foolish girl. You have no idea his heart or where it lies. He will leave you to rot."

She snapped into consciousness and was shocked to find herself delicately resting against 'him'. 'Oh gods above what's happening to me' she reached a hand upward to touch his face. 'I can't help but feel something terrible is going to happen….. Cloud….. Are you going to leave…..?'

"Morning beautiful." He rumbled through the morning grog. "Sbeen a while."

"Um hm."

"You sleep well?" he spoke brushing her hair out of her face.

"You sleep at all?" she retorted after seeing the obvious deprivation of rest on his face.

"I'm okay….. I was worried. Tifa?"

"Yeah…..?"

"Can you move?"

"I guess. Why?"

"I need to talk to you and the rest of the group….. It's urgent."

"Okay…. Right now?"

"No just later today….. If you still want to rest go ahead."

"No I have to do something with the bar….. I haven't done anything in days."

"Sublime!!!!" a loud shout came from another room.

"Oh no" cloud groaned.

"What?" shifted uncomfortably.

"He's at it again……. Now the silence then glass and metal clanging……" he was surprisingly accurate "and now…." A loud bang was heard throughout the house "the crash….. And the corrections."

"Damit all…. Another failure." The voice was irritated and resembled thunder. "I must reprise this ,the algorithm must be precise."

"See" he sounded unsurprised.

"How did you know?" her curiosity peaked.

"He's been at this for hours…. No sleep I guess…… but he….. Well he's got a plan to get rid of lithium." He was hiding something.

"Okay. And what's that…."

"I can't tell you….. I'm gona get up….. I gota talk to Vince about something. "Cloud was dodging the question.

"Oh not yet you're not." She pulled his lips to hers and then pushed him back. "First you're going to tell me what's going on."

"Its something everyone needs to hear at once." His voice was stern and he lifted himself from her with finality and fled the room.

'Damit cloud…. Oh no….' the voices again spoke to her.

"You see…. You have already lost him…… you will die alone." It laughed at her tears as they rolled forth from her eyes.

Alone and now desperate for relief she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small syringe.

Downstairs cloud and Vincent oddly were conversing with each other. The rest of the group either ignored them or did like Yuffie and cowered away for fear of the apocalypse.

"This is good cloud. You have thought this through quite well…. Are you sure that this is the only way though." Vincent's voice growled in satisfaction from beneath its crimson prison.

"Yeah….. I can't leave her alone anymore. She deserves better….."

"And you are certain that you are….?"

"No……. but I will be…….. For her and Denzel I have to be." He was even to Vincent's eyes dead serious.

"Carpe diem my friend." The gunslinger then rose and flicked his cloak for the sake of drama.

"Thanks Vince…. For everything"

A wave of the man's armor clad hand told cloud that his gratitude was received.

'Honestly cloud you waste too much time. You should have done this years ago.' Vincent walked away to find Marlene and Denzel perched in front of the stairs.

"What are you two doing" he asked as if certain they had committed a crime.

"Those noises. What's going on up there?" Marlene was first to speak.

"They've been happening a lot is that Koty guy okay?" and Denzel spoke.

"I'm sure he is fine….. Have you seen Tifa…?"

"No…… why is she missing?"

"Cloud was needing to discuss something with the group. Tifa has yet to be seen."

"She didn't come down with cloud she's probably still sleeping."

"Ill check on her you two had better go to cloud it concerns you as well."

The children shared puzzled glances and marched off to cloud. Vincent trudged upstairs and into clouds room.

He thought he would find her there. She was lying on the bed curled up into a ball on the comforter.

"Tifa…." Vincent shook her lightly "Tifa we need you down stairs. Tifa?" he shook her again lightly before realizing she was trembling.

'Is she having a nightmare….. No this is different' he felt her forehead. 'She's burning up.' it didn't take him long to notice the syringe lying on the bed next to her 'oh Tifa….. What have you done……'

"Cloud!!" he shouted and with alarming speed he heard the footsteps approach from behind him.

"What's wrong." He had his sword in hand and was ready to do combat.

"It's Tifa…. I think she's on some kind of drug. She's unresponsive."

"Its mako….."

"Mako…. But that"

"I know. Where's the needle how much did she take."

"I'm not sure but the size of this needle and the reaction tells me too much." He began to cover her up.

"Shit…… Tifa please hold on……"

"I sense something wrong what has happened" Koty emerged from the darkness.

"Tifa……. The mako…… ah fuck………" cloud was panicking.

"I see. Then there is something I can do to help……. Stand aside" hesitantly Vincent moves and cloud still panics but is held by Vincent from interfering.

"Tifa…. No what are you doing………… leave her alone"

"Cloud please" Vincent protested his violent actions by tightening his grip.

"My soul for yours my essence to protect you….. This is our contract……… my oath to you….. Upon your life I swear…. SOUL CRUSHER!!!!!" a violent light poured from his arm and into Tifa. A loud scream could be heard and then Koty was on his knees "this I promise…. These are…… the ties that bind…….she will wake soon………. I must leave now."

As Koty stood and walked away Vincent noticed an all too eerily familiar glow in his eyes. The glow of mako. 'What did he just do'

"Cloud??" Tifa's head perked up as his form loomed over her.

"I thought you promised no more mako!" he was upset but not angry.

"I'm sorry."

Vincent didn't wait for the reunion but instead followed Koty back to his room. Once there however things didn't go as planned.

"Here it comes" he doubles over. His arms and shoulders tensing.

'Koty?!' Vincent watched as Koty contended with what he could assume was mako induction. 'But wait… does he even know what mako is……?' he thought as he watched him 'he must be rather strong. Even SOLDIER members generally scream in pain from mako induction……… it's not something that simply gives one strength.'

It was several minutes of him watching Koty writhe. The man showed pain but also determination. He watched as he stood despite the obvious pain. Then he witnessed him shake it off as if he had never experienced it.

"What just happened" Vincent spoke with him. "That was mako induction. What did you do"

"I traded my essence for hers this will bind us. Eternally….. She will always have a piece of my soul."

"For hers?"

"Such power…..!!!!" he looked down and Vincent could feel a powerful aura overtake the room. "Phenomenal."

"That's the power of mako….. You must be careful…. With mako the power is only temporary but with enough of it ,it could kill you."

"So this is what you call mako….. Sublime!!!"

"A question? What did you do back there"

"I took that which ailed Tifa and exchanged it for a piece of my soul. This allows me to endure the ailment and give her strength to heal her wounds simultaneously. Call it divine retribution. But this power is phenomenal."

"That would mean that you took the mako from her…… hmm…… that amount of mako should have killed you…… I was going to kill Tifa…. How did you"

"Allow me to elaborate" he spoke as he marveled at the strength he had acquired.

Back in clouds room Tifa found it hard to breath. Not because she had nearly OD-ed on mako but because cloud refused to leave her lips.

"clou…" she was muffled by hungry lips.

"shhh."

"cl…." Another kiss.

He just wouldn't relent. Not that she objected. The moment was passionate. More passionate than anything she had ever felt before. 'cloud I swear ill never do it again please just don't leave' she prayed he would not break it. To her dismay however he desisted and lifted her by her hand to his torso.

"Tifa baby….. don't you ever do that to me again…. You could've died….. if Koty hadn't….."

"Koty? I heard him say something about a contract…… what was he talking about….?"

"don't know don't care you're safe and that's all that matters."

She almost shed a tear at his concern. 'cloud……' she kissed him in exchange for his words. 'cloud I love you so much…… please……. Don't leave……. I don't wana be alone…….'

"Tifa…?"

"yeah…" her voice cracked.

"let's go down stairs…. I have something I want everyone to hear." His voice was nervous.

"hey spike were you lookin for me." Zack's voice growled as he sauntered into the room rubbing his eyes.

"yeah… meet me down stairs in a few I got something to say… to everybody….."

"kays… later then." He yawned and left the room.

"Tifa….."

"what's on your mind sweetheart…"

"I miss Aerith….."

"oh." Her heart dropped.

"I just wish she were here I wanted to tell her too."

Her heart suddenly skipped and she felt incredibly nervous 'what are you up to'

"perhaps there a way for you to." Koty and Vincent emerged with Yuffie trailing behind. "I do need assistance though."

Cloud took a moment to size him up and noticed a huge change of attire. He wore his plates but with the addition of a trench coat and an almost equally long white scarf falling in front of him. He had even changed his hair. It was slicked back into short spikes with a large portion of it hanging roughly in front of his eyes.

He reminded him of zack when he and cloud had first met. But he had a completely different air about him. And short of the cold grey eyes and the ever-present fact that he had blonde hair similar to clouds he was an almost exact match to the man. Though his hair was shorter he could easily pass for the former soldier with a little dye and the proper outfit.

"wait what….. what are we doing." Something told Tifa this was not a good thing.

"where is Fair." Koty inquired with a quirky grin. "my formulas are nearly flawless but I need something from him, and cloud…."

"did I hear you call." The daunting man popped his head through the door.

"sublime. Now all of the pieces are gathered but I would ask first if you are ready. Should this work I will not be in commission for combat. It would be best if you steel yourselves for the worst."

"first off what are we doing." cloud interjected before narrowing his eyes.

"consider it a present."

"I don't like the sound of this…." Zack whined unsure now as to whether or not he should have entered.

"I will only ask once more" Koty lowered his head. "are you prepared.….Do you wish to save them all?"

"yes" cloud shouted almost primal.

"sublime…. Now all of you brace yourselves"

"wait what are we…." Yuffie started before she found herself nauseated and dry heaving as if she had been thrown off of an airship.

It hit Tifa then. 'shit…. I wish he would give me a little warning before doing that.' She looked around to see cloud was unaffected. However he was slightly pale for his usual self. Zack and Yuffie were both doubled over trying to hold their stomachs in place and even Vincent seemed slightly ruffled as he stammered and then moments later regained his footing.

"what in the name of……" Tifa was completely taken aback. It was the church. As run down and fading in its former glory as it once was it was still there and she vaguely contemplated as to their reason for being there before her body decided that her organs needed to be emptied via regurgitation. "uahh"

"rest for a moment. Then we will begin." Koty rested himself on a small dilapidated pew.

"what are you up to now" cloud was suspicious but for some reason anticipated his plan.

"he's gona… uhaaa" Yuffie tried to speak. "try…"

"silence….. this is not to be spoken till the time comes Yuffie…. It is ….. a surprise." Koty shushed her.

They spent a few moments recuperating from the 'warp' they had just experienced. By the time Tifa was able to stand zack and Vincent seemed fine and cloud's normal pallor was returning. Yuffie on the other hand seemed to lack the same capability and sat hunched on the floor looking on with a sickly expression. 'poor thing that had to suck for her….. can't say it was roses her either but I don't get airsick either.'

"now are you all prepared. This may be shocking…" Koty's voice lowered back to its gentle tenor for the first time that morning.

"I'm good." Zack chimed.

"I'm ready." Cloud resounded.

"hmm" Vincent grunted in response.

"and you miss Lockheart?" Koty inquired with a glance.

"yeah Yuffie though." She responded.

"ill be fine I just need a moment. Go on ill…. Ugh… ill be okay" the ninja heaved as she spoke.

"okay… zack….. stand there" Koty motioned to the center of the plot of flowers ahead. "cloud you as well.

They both moved forward and Tifa watched as Koty's arm began to glow again. 'what's going to happen….. this doesn't feel right.' She suddenly felt a familiar presence and the scent of fresh flowers washed over her. 'no…….. they aren't thinking…… ah.'

Suddenly Koty roars as his arm erupts with a pure white light. "RETURN!!!! COME FORTH AND BE WHOLE AGAIN!!!"

Zack then drops to his knees seemingly in pain and the light from Koty's arm envelops him. Seconds later the light bursts from zack and covers cloud who holds his arms out instinctively as if taking something.

"cloud…… zack….." Tifa screamed in horror as cloud dropped to mirror zack.

"wait Tifa don't" Vincent grabbed her arm and prevented her from intervening.

As things unfolded in front of her she gritted her teeth. The light was blinding and Koty's pained roar was enough to ring a wince from the fighter. 'are they going to be alright. Oh god……. Please if there's anyone listening keep them safe.'

More light and then a scream from zack and a demonic roar from Koty. 'oh…. No…. they're going to get killed.'

"RETURN!!!!!!" Koty's voice was now a full stream of echoing thunder and his arm radiated a violent red aura.

The flowers seemed to writhe beneath zack and then wither as if being burned. 'no Aerith's flowers…. This has gota stop.' As soon as she thought the light dissipated and zack fell onto his hands apparently exhausted from the event.

Koty too collapsed to the ground heaving exhaustedly and coughing. Also being noted was the smoke rising from his arm and the extreme heat being emitted from him. 'what.. the hell….' She looked at cloud after that. And noticed he was crying, and even more strangely smiling.

"Koty." Vincent released Tifa and walked to the man's side while Yuffie tended to zack.

"behold……. Witness my faith….. and my belief in you strife……… behold that which you desire so……." Koty coughed as he looked at cloud.

"no way" Yuffie shouted in disbelieve as she held an unconscious zack.

"unbelievable." Vincent stared as if he had seen a ghost even his general cold façade fading for a moment of awe.

"h…ho…..how…" Tifa looked at cloud and the form lying in his arms.

She gazed on at the sleeping woman in cloud's arms. 'aer..Aerith……. how did…….. it's not possible.' She watched as cloud pulled the woman close. He seemed like someone being reunited with their long lost sister.

She was alive. Tifa watched the rise and fall of her chest and examined the all too familiar flower girl. 'it can't be an illusion.' She walked over to them. 'she's really here.' She reached out to touch the young woman. Her skin was warm and soft like a recently slept in bed. 'Aerith…..' her heart stopped for a moment as she noticed the smile on clouds face. He looked almost as if he would burst into tears at a moment's notice.

"you doubt me still…….. I………." Koty doubled over before finishing "this is my gift my apologies for the burden I place upon you….. my soul……….. despairs that I have brought so much pain upon you….. none of you deserve the pain you have been given…….. and so I repent for my sins……. I hope that you can accept it…. I am sorry…… my friends." He then slipped into unconsciousness.

"how…. Did he….. why.." she continued to watch cloud and the flower girl. 'did he do this to apologize. He has nothing to be sorry for….'

She looked at the woman again. She wasn't conscious but she responded to Tifa's touch by pressing her face further into her hand. 'you're back……. We've got so much to catch up upon.'

"we should wait here…….. until Koty regains consciousness. We will need three people to carry zack Aerith and Koty. Unfortunately Koty is quite large and we may need help moving him. I suggest we rest here." Vincent implied.

"yeah." Tifa glanced back and suddenly Koty sits straight up awake and seemingly fine.

"again brace yourselves…." He seemed fine but Tifa could plainly make out the strain he was putting up. however she had no time to voice an opinion as she felt herself nauseated again and looked up to see seventh heaven .

"damit….uhhh" she gagged "a lil warning……uahhh….. please."

Koty then handed cloud his trench coat and cloud wrapped it around the sleeping flower girl. 'oh god. I almost forgot she's naked…… great now ill have to let cloud get a peep show or I won't be able to hold his attention.' She laughed mentally at her thoughts but physically she felt like praying to whatever deity made porcelain. She recovered just in time to catch a sign of weakness that Koty had not previously shown.

He stammered and it looked as if his legs would not hold him. And he fell forward into the door of the bar with a crash as he tried to open it.

"what the hell." cid could be easily heard and then the man was at the door. "what in the name of all things holy?" he dropped his cigarette as his eyes found cloud and his precious cargo.

Needless to say it took the rest of the group little time to emerge and gawk at the sleeping woman. 'this is gona take a while to explain' Tifa held her stomach and smiled as she looked at cloud his eyes betraying his unbreakable persona. He seemed happy. 'I swear ill never touch another needle…… if he'd just smile like that a little longer.'