Cloud sat in Aerith's church. He had been back here often lately. Before, it had been where he had gone to be alone, lost in his thoughts. Now, however, he hadn't had much to dwell on. His past was complete, he had found Genesis and many of his old burdens were gone.

It didn't mean that he cared any less for Aerith or Zack or the flowers or the sword. It was just that, for once, he felt like he had a future worth looking forward too.

"Hey." He heard from behind him as he polished the Buster Sword.

"Zack?" He said with surprise, whirling around. He hadn't heard anything from either Aerith or Zack in a few years.

"Yah, I've been waiting for you to show back up for a while." The raven haired man said with a light chuckle.

"Sorry." Cloud said, setting the sword aside.

"Nah, don't be sorry. You've been happy. That's what's important." Zack said with a grin.

"I really have been." Cloud said, looking up at his old friend.

"So you and Genesis, huh? I would never have guessed, especially not back then." Zack said, coming to stand in front of Cloud.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Cloud said honestly.

"And here I was thinking I had the hard time at Modeoheim." Zack said, looking up at the sky.

"It hurt when I though he was really dead. Until then, I'd held some hope that I would see my Genesis again." Cloud admitted.

"I'd love to sit and chat all day, but the planet is kind of impatient." Zack said and his smile turned kind of sad.

"Is something wrong again?" Cloud said, standing. "Is he trying to come back?" Normally, it would be Aerith to tell him such things, but he didn't mind seeing Zack.

"No, a least not actively at the moment." Zack said, shaking his head. "I came here to say good bye."

"Goodbye?" Cloud said a bit confused. Zack had been in the lifestream for over 10 years.

"The planet is growing weaker, Cloud. You have to have seen it. The monster population growing? I was kept around as companionship for Aerith. Gaia can no longer afford to sustain me." Zack said with a sigh.

"So that's it?" Cloud said. It felt like someone had punched him in the chest.

"I'm afraid so, though I got a lot more than most people. It's not like you need me anymore. You've got Genesis to look out for you." Zack said, sad smile still in place.

Cloud didn't know what to say. There were a million things he had always wanted to go over with Zack. Now, however, they all seemed pointless.

"How long do you have?" Cloud asked.

"Maybe a half hour at most." Zack said and he was already starting to look insubstantial. "The planet held off dissolving me until you came. One last thank you, I suppose. "

"Don't you want to spend it with Aerith?" Cloud said, feeling guilty for taking the man's last moments, both in life and death.

"We've said our goodbyes. There isn't much left we could say." Zack acknowledged.

"Still, I'm honored." Cloud said, looking up at Zack.

"You know, you never really failed anyone." Zack said with a small smile. "It was more like everyone else failed you."

Cloud just stayed silent for a moment. "I'm not sure what to say to that."

"You don't have to say anything. It was just something I've been wanting to get off my chest for a long time." Zack said before taking a seat next to Cloud. He didn't actually have to sit, but it seemed like a nice gesture.

"Are you scared?" Cloud asked, not sure why he was asking such a question.

"Nah, I mean, fading into the lifestream is what we're suppose to do, right? It's supposed to be peaceful, or at least that's what Aerith tells me." Zack said, glancing at the ceiling of the church.

"Still, it's been nice knowing you were watching over us." Cloud admitted.

"Aerith's still there. And the planet really likes you. You've got plenty of people covering your back." Zack said with a smile.

"Is the planet really in that much trouble?" Cloud asked.

"I would lie, but there isn't much point to it. Yah, it's pretty bad." Zack said with a sigh.

"Is there anything we can do?" Cloud asked.

"No." Zack said shaking her head. "You got rid of the problem. Now, Gaia just has to fix her wounds."

"I'll miss you." Cloud said, noticing that Zack was barely a silhouette now.

"I'll miss you too, bud. But remember, there are plenty of things left here for you." Zack said and in a moment the air sparked and he was gone.

Two small tears found their way down Cloud's cheek as he finished with the Buster Sword and returned it to its shrine. It was time he headed home.

Genesis sat in Seventh Heaven. He and Cloud had decided to continue to live here. Tifa needed the support with the children and the bar, and Cloud didn't really want to leave. They had however added a few rooms to the back. He and Cloud now had their own mini apartment.

Genesis was currently waiting for Cloud to get back from a local delivery. The redhead had thought about aiding Cloud with his business. It was really needed, so few could brave the wastes anymore, but Rufus Shinra had Genesis so busy with training that he didn't have time to spare.

That's how, on a Saturday afternoon, he found himself sitting across from the boy named Denzel. Genesis knew that the kid idolized Cloud. A lot of kids did in the way children use to idolize Sephiroth. The great hero. Not too many people knew what the savior of the world truly looked like, papers had been one thing that was lost with the old world, but everyone knew the name Cloud Strife.

The boy was fidgeting and Genesis could tell that there was something on his mind.

"You know, I don't bite." Genesis said with a small smile.

Denzel shifted in his seat a bit more, then looked up at Genesis."You were friends with Sephiroth?"

That was not the question he'd been expecting. Though he supposed he should have.

"Once upon a time, yes, I did consider him a friend." Genesis said slowly. He wasn't sure where the boy was going with this.

Denzel looked like he hadn't expected the answer Genesis had given. Perhaps the boy thought he would deny the association.

"Do you know why he did it?" Denzel finally said, looking away.

Now, that was a loaded question if there ever was one.

"No one will ever truly know, but I can hazard a guess, yes." Genesis said, continuing with his honesty. He really wished Cloud would make it home soon.

Denzel looked at his hands for a moment before he looked back up to Genesis.

"Do you think Cloud...?" Denzel's voice was small as he asked the question.

So that's what this had been about.

"No," Genesis said, shaking his head. "When Sephiroth lost his mind, he had no one to rely on. Everyone he'd ever cared about was either dead, had abandoned or betrayed him. Cloud has a lot of people who he cares for and who care for him. Sephiroth found out what had been done to him in the worst way possible. Cloud knows the truth and he's dealt with it. You don't have anything to worry about."

Denzel breathed a sigh of relief. Genesis could see there were still questions on the back of the child's mind, but, for now, they remained unasked.

The pair stayed silent for a while longer. Denzel and Genesis looked up in sync as the door to the bar opened.

In a flash, the child was up out of his chair and had his arms wrapped around Cloud.

"Hey, what's this about?" Cloud said, returning the hug and shooting Genesis a confused smile.

"I just-" Denzel said with a few tears in his eyes. "I had a bad dream last night. But Genesis told me everything would be ok."

"Did he now?" Cloud said as Genesis looked away.

"I simply told him the truth." Genesis said.

"Well, either way, since Tifa and Marlene are out, I thought the three of us could go do something." Cloud said as Denzel took a step back.

Denzel's face lit up at the idea. "Are you going to teach me how to use a sword?"

"No," Cloud said with a small chuckle. "Don't be in such a hurry to learn."

Cloud knew that, one day, Denzel would have to pick one up. The monster population would demand it. He could keep the child innocent a while longer, however.

"He's no younger than a lot of SOLDIER candidates." Genesis chimed in.

"See, Genesis thinks I need to learn." Denzel said, looking Cloud in the eye.

Cloud just sent Genesis a 'look'.

"I said no such thing." Genesis said, raising his hands in the air. "I just stated a fact."

"You are 14 now, aren't you?" Cloud said with a sigh.

"Last month!" Denzel said with a bit of enthusiasm.

Cloud sighed, "Alright."

"Yes!" Denzel said, jumping up and down.

"But!" Cloud said firmly. "You will listen to everything I have to say. This is serious, Denzel."

"Of course!" Denzel said, standing up straight. Genesis couldn't help it, a small smile graced his lips.

"You're coming with us." Cloud said, turning on Genesis.

"I wouldn't miss it." Genesis said, before standing and following Denzel and Cloud out the door.

"So, how was your day?" Tifa asked, setting some bags down. Marlene had gone out to help Tifa picking up supplies for the bar and the girls had done a bit of shopping for themselves. Marlene was turning into a lovely young lady. Currently, she was wearing a purple sundress she and Tifa had bought that day.

"Interesting." Cloud said, moving to help Tifa put the things away.

"Where's Genesis?" Tifa asked, it was odd to find the two apart when they weren't working.

"Out back with Denzel." Was all Cloud would say. Tifa could tell he was being evasive.

"What happened?" Tifa eyed Cloud, putting her hands on her hips.

"Everything's fine." Cloud said defensively.

"Cloud Strife, don't lie to me. You suck at it. Now, what's going on? Tell me before I march out back and find out myself." Tifa demanded.

Marlene was just standing in a corner, trying not to laugh.

Cloud just looked away from her. "Denzel and Genesis talked me into starting his sword training."

"What! You promised we'd talk about that first." Tifa scolded.

"They were pretty convincing. He's not really any younger than I was when I first picked up a sword." Cloud said, still not meeting her gaze.

"And that turned out wonderful for you, didn't it?" Tifa snapped.

"That's not fair, Tifa." Cloud said with a glare.

"I'm sorry, but, really, he's not ready yet. Something obviously happened that you won't tell me about." Tifa said, slamming her hands on the counter.

"We went out to the wastes, on the far side of edge. We were attacked. Genesis and I took the brunt of it and Denzel is fine, he just got a little scratched up. Genesis patched him up and is currently showing him how to repair his clothing." Cloud said a little shortly.

Tifa just sighed. "What am I going to do with you three?"

"Boys." Marlene said with a chuckle.

Cloud reached into a bag, which Tifa tried to take quickly, and inspected a pair of leather gloves that were much too small for the woman in front of him. They, however, would likely fit Marlene just fine.

"So, it looks like you have some explaining to do, too." Cloud said, looking at the gloves.

"Alright, so I was teaching Marlene how to defend herself." Tifa admitted and had the good sense to look a bit guilty.

"She didn't take me out of the city, though." Marlene said with a laugh. "Though my clothes got ruined, too. Do you like my new dress?" She twirled a bit so he could get a good look.

"It's lovely." Denzel said as he walked out of the back room.

Marlene just looked to him and blushed a bit. "Thank you." She said.

"So, it sounds like I have something else to repair?" Genesis said, leaning on the door frame, a slight smirk on his face.

Tifa just wordlessly handed Genesis the same bag that the gloves had come out of. The man had a freakish knowledge of sewing thanks to his theatre obsession.

"Look, it seems we both think they're ready more than we're willing to admit." Cloud said with a sigh.

"I suppose so." Tifa said, glancing at the children as they followed Genesis into the back part of the building. They were always eager to watch and learn new things.

"It's not fair, we got them half grown." Cloud said, shaking his head.

"No, it's not, but I wouldn't trade them for anything." Tifa said, looking back over to Cloud.

"Me either." He said with a small smile.

Another short interlude. Hope you joy and please review-DHT