Cloud growled, flicking his head to dislodge the sweat falling into his eyes. He wasn't even doing anything tiring, but his younger body was no where near cut out for even this. Just walking from one town to another was exhausting, not to mention fending off monsters along the way. He understood now why his companions had needed to stop so often.

He was going to Banora. It was Genesis's hometown, as he had gathered from the First Class's fan club, and Planet knew he would need all the information he could get his hands on. Trying to look back who knew how many years into the past which was actually the future through memories he wasn't even sure could be counted as his own anymore was difficult enough, and Cloud doubted -knew- he had cared much about the red haired man in the first place.

A rumbling started up from behind him and Cloud glanced around wildly, trying to find a place to hide. It was probably no one important, though he had little right to make judgments like that considering he himself could barely be considered relevant anymore, but it never hurt to be safe. Except when you spent too much time being safe while everyone else was dying and -stop thinking.-

His memories were starting to come back. His memories were coming back and it was painful and horrible -and how many people has he killed- and he wasn't even getting anything useful out of it. Cloud's memories were coming back, and not just the ones Bugenhagen had said would.

Yes, he was getting back the holes in the past -future- hundreds of years and while he was learning things every moment, most of it required mako and the rest was useless. He legitimately didn't need to know at the current moment how amazing of a source of energy solar power was. Such knowledge would be helpful for rebuilding, but before they could need to rebuild they had to make sure there was anyone left to help.

But at the same time, he was also getting back his pre-mako memories. Memories of his mom -who's now dead, thanks to him. She lived longer the first time- and of Nibelheim and he was nervous -scared, he was scared out of his skull and what's going on he doesn't understand- because it felt like somehow, and it made no sense even to him, but they were rubbing off on him. They were making him feel like the child he had been, but only some -all- of the time. It was beyond bizarre, but that didn't matter right now because any second those approaching chocobos would be in his line of sight, and consequently, he in theirs.

Cloud ducked behind one of the infrequent trees as the chocobos approached, though such slim cover wouldn't be much help if they were truly after him. He held his breath as they grew closer, letting it out only when they had passed him and were safely down the road. He emerged, trying to see who they were, but they were wearing hoods. There were only two, and Turks didn't normally ride chocobos, so he should be safe.

Soon enough Banora appeared on the horizon and he hurried towards it, ignoring his aching legs and shoulder. It probably wasn't good to go on through leg pain -it's not- but he honestly had no idea. Mako had always handled minor injuries in the past, and his drive to contribute was not about to let him stop within sight of the town.

He got to the town and paid for a room at the inn with money he had gotten from the monsters he had slain. It was certainly a good thing they dropped so much money, the way he had gone through potions on the way here. Cloud lowered himself onto the bed and leaned back. He lowered his hand to rub the outside of his leg near his knee -he needs to take better care of himself, a hurt IT band is no joke- and hoped it wasn't anything serious. Though he doubted his part in the whole plot would involve much fighting, he needed to be ready, just in case.

After eating a meager -well sized- meal of bread and potatoes, he went to bed, hoping he would be able to discover something important in the morning.

Nothing.

There was absolutely nothing here that mattered.

He had spent the whole day searching, and the only thing he had found out about Genesis was that he was the son of some rich family who owned an apple orchard or something, he didn't care -it could be important.-

Groaning, Cloud sat at a table in the inn. Maybe, maybe... maybe it would be better to think if his leg would stop hurting. He hated saying this, but if wanted to be at all useful he needed to -stop hurting himself- either get mako or get rest. Since only one of those was an option at this point he should probably go to bed.

Yes, sleep would be a good thing right now. All he needed to do was get up, climb up the stairs, close the door behind him, and fall on his bed. That was all. Then he could get everything done tomorrow, when he was feeling better.

...Who was he kidding. Even if it meant hurting more the next day, he needed every minute to find out as much as he could. He was practically useless physically, but that didn't mean he would just lay around all day. With that Cloud pushed himself to his feet, ignoring any twinges his leg was giving off. The question was, who could he ask?

"Hey, you, guy with the crazy blond hair."

Cloud swung around, one of his eyebrows already raised. "Me?" he asked pointing at his own chest.

"Yeah, c'mere, s'important."

The woman speaking was clearly drunk, leaning against the wall with one hand braced on it, her short black hair sticking up in the back where the wall had disordered it. Though the situation made him slightly uneasy -no, stop, don't talk to drunk strangers- he approached. Even in his current, makoless condition, he figured a hundred plus years of battle knowledge should lend him the upper hand should the encounter go sour.

"What is it?" he muttered once he was a short distance away.

The woman grinned. "You got a freind waiting ou'side. Gave me a pretty penny to tell you."

Cloud froze. Since, at the present moment, many of those he considered friends -he doesn't even know these people, who are they?- were out for his blood, following this lady's advice and going out to meet the person wasn't a good idea. On the other hand, this might be the lead he's been waiting for.

It could also be -no, that's stupid, he barely even knows the SOLDIER- Zack.

Deciding with a sharp nod to the messenger, he turned and walked out the door, senses primed for the slightest tell of danger. He didn't see anyone he knew, but that didn't mean they weren't that they weren't there. Walking over to lean on the wall of the inn he waited, eyes flicking back and forth over all passersbys.

"Cloud"

A gasp nearly escaped him as he spun around, mentally cursing the demon infested ex-Turk. No matter how alert he was being, the man always got the jump on him.

"Vincent," Cloud murmured, examining his -oh, Planet, how could he be friends with someone who instills so much terror- friend. "You're not here to take me back to Cosmo Canyon, are you?"

The immortal shook his head, eyes ghosting over everyone near by. "No. Let's speak further away from here. Come."

Cloud set off after him, taking too-quick steps to keep up. Eventually they reached a point Vincent deemed distant enough from the town, sheltered by some apple trees. "So?" Cloud asked a bit coldly. "Why are you here, if not to lock me up again?"

Vincent stared at him, his face blank. "She's dead."

Cloud felt panic race through his system. Who was dead? Yuffie, Aerith, Tifa, -Tifa!- Elena, none of them were supposed to die! "Who?" he asked shortly, managing to keep his voice even. There was too much to do to get broken over one death when wasting time would cause so many more.

Vincent shook his head, his face remaining blank. Perhaps too blank. "I am sorry, you misunderstand. It is dead. Jenova. She is destroyed."

Relief flowed through his body like a cooling wave, washing out his tense muscles and panicked heart. At the same time, it felt, well, odd. Jenova was dead? All these years fighting its remnants and he wasn't even there when it died. "Are you sure? Cloud questioned, "If there's enough left of her to activate Sephiroth..."

"There is not."

...Alright then. "What now?" he asked a bit blandly, not quite able to get his head around the idea that such a major force had been taken out in a matter of months. Of course, they still had the whole degradation bit to deal with, but that wasn't what had kept the planet on the brink of death for centuries.

Vincent nodded slowly, acknowledging Cloud's astonishment. "There is a plan for Genesis and those with enough Jenova and mako in them to degrade. There may be unforeseen consequences for each of them as individuals, but it should negate any degradation and remains of Jenova left in their blood stream."

That was nice, Cloud supposed. "Are you going to tell me what this plan is?" he asked, impatience nipping at his fingertips.

Vincent shook his head, stepping forward. "There is something else. You can feel it, can't you?"

Cloud stepped back, unnerved. What was Vincent talking about? He couldn't feel -yes he could, yes he could- anything out of the ordinary. Just the slight childlike -he wasn't a child, and if he had been he certainly wasn't now- feeling he got every once and a while, but that wasn't as important -yes it was, it really was- and even if it was he -he, Cloud, his self- "Stop it!" Cloud yelped, holding a hand to his head before looking up in desperate confusion. "What's happening to me, Vincent? It's like being controlled by Sephiroth, but all of my actions are my own. I barely even notice it unless I'm thinking about it."

Vincent hesitated, which was never good news. The ex-Turk rarely made an attempt to be tactful, and that he was now did not instill confidence. "I myself had thought we had integrated seamlessly, but it appears with the destruction of our greatest threat returns what we had been repressing."

"And what is it we've been repressing?" Cloud growled, his -his- hand twitching.

"Well," Vincent explained quietly, "we are the ones who have been doing the controlling. The sending of memories through time appears to have sent a part of our sentience as well, a part that, up until now, has unknowingly overpowered our past sentience. Mine is quite content with the situation, but I fear yours may be more confused and high strung than mine was."

Cloud shivered. High strung was -is, was, is, was, will be, he doesn't know!- definitely the right word. He wasn't completely aware of it, -how could he not be aware of himself?- but there were definitely times when his emotions and thought processes had been skewed by it. "So I have, all this time, been possessing my own body?"

Vincent nodded. "You will need to come to an agreement with it. Try to keep in mind what you felt when you had no control over your actions."

Cloud -he needs help- nodded. "I'll try." It was probably going to be hard -can he hear him?- but he had to -give him his body back- at least try.

"Good luck," Vincent responded, turning to leave but freezing at the sound of a voice.

"Well, what do we have here?"

Dreams of the Morrow, Chapter 23: Cloud. 2,012 words. Updated May 28, 2014.

That was unexpected. Actually though, I had no plans for this to happen, it just kind of did. We're nearing the end, though I kind of doubt you'll like it. Perhaps I've been watching too much Attack on Titan. It's beyond fantastic, by the way. SPOILER The last chapter will be from Kunsel's POV.