AN: Thanks to all those who have revived. It means a lot to me, even to have just a few words. Also to those that have read and not revived, I still appreciate you even taking time to read.

It was dark and raining as five year old Cloud ran from Tifia's house in the middle of the village, back to his own home. When he tripped and nearly fell on his face, due to the mud that sucked at his feet, he again cursed his small stature. It was extremely frustrating being a twenty five year old man stuck in the body of a five year old.

That had happened a month ago. One month ago when he had waken up in the body of his five year old self. At first he had been confused and unsure what to do. Then realized what could he do? He was five, who would listen to a five year old? He would have to wait. That was all there was to it, but why send him so far back? Why not to when he had been in cadet under Shinra?

Whatever the reason, he would not complain. He had time now to think, to decide what he would do and if possible relax a little before the upcoming turning of events.

Since then he had relished in the simple things. He had forgotten what his mother's voice had sounded like. The smells and familiar faces of Nebelheim and most importantly Tifa. He had had to hold himself back from hugging and scaring her when he had first laid eyes on her. Though she was only a four year old, she was still the same in so many ways. Her smile had never really changed as she grew older, though it possessed a more innocent look now, and her laughter was also more readily given.

All which seemed perfectly normal for a girl her age, but to Cloud it something so much more. She was alive! She was well and most of all she was happy.

It had been wonderful, at least for the first week. Then the nightmares started, reminders of that formal life. Nebelheim burning, his mother lying dead, Tifa dying in his arms, and most of all Sephiroth.

He had waken to find himself attacking his mother. Who had tried to waken her screaming child, only to have him suddenly at her throat as soon as she touched him. Thankfully, his small body had not been able to injury her serious. She was also not frightened by his odd behavior, something he was glad. He would not have been able to stand it, if his own mother was terrified of him. She seemed more frightened of what horrors were tormenting her child, and had never ventured close to him, when he was caught in the grip of one of his nightmares. Most recently he had been jerked awake to find his mother throwing whatever objects she could lay her hands on at him from across the room.

He smiled ruefully at the thought; she always did whatever she could to try and help him fight off his nightmares. What she didn't understand was that they weren't nightmares, not yet anyways.

He hadn't realized how painful this would be. Knowing what the future would hold if things did not change. It was like bracing yourself for the worst pain imaginable. Not sure if or even where it would come from, but it was not just the pain that was the agony, but the waiting. Worse yet was that was no one knew! No one knew of the horrors that lay in store for them if he didn't make the right move to stop it.

Cloud had taken to staying around Tifa as much as possible these last few days. She had always brought comfort and peace to his mind before, and though she could no longer understand, nor take the images and memories from his mind. She helped him forget, at least for a while.

He had almost reached his home, when a piercing scream ripped through the night air from the house. Cloud's hand automatically went for his sword even before he started running, and nearly panicked when he felt nothing. Only to remember he was five! Of course, it wouldn't be there! Armed or unarmed that didn't stop him from crashing in through the front door. He paused for a moment in the doorway every sense alert. Another cry from upstairs. Mother!

In an instant Cloud was across the floor toward the stairs. It was then that his battle instincts flared. His body might be the body of a five year old, but that didn't mean his mind and other senses were. Someone was coming up behind him fast!

A large hand suddenly landed on his shoulder bringing him to a halt. Cloud turned, grabbing the wrist tightly, swinging his body out from beneath the hand, until he was behind the attacker. Twisting the arm as he did so and pinning it behind the person's back. It was then that he recognized his attacker. Master Zangan!

Zangan was impressed; he had seen the boy come crashing through the doorway from his position at a corner chair and had of course made a move to stop the boy, when he headed for the stairs.

He knew as did all the villagers that Cloud had changed in the last month. Just looking at the kid, one could see that the boy seemed older, more mature and though no one else had noticed, the martial master also saw that the boy carried himself differently too. He had a balance and ease uncommon for one his age. While other boys boosted of scrapped knees and elbows, the one and only time the master had seen the boy fall, the kid had rolled into it. Letting his whole body take the impact instead of just his hands and knees. It was something that only older people with lots of experience falling and dodging ever obtained with that degree of grace and skill, usually only fighters and warriors.

Now once again he was surprised by the boy's skill. Cloud had him in an effective arm bare, well effective as far as technique goes. The timing and execution had been flawless. The only problem was with the boy's height and size he could not apply the proper pressure and get the arm high enough to do any damage. The kid after all barely came up to his waist, being on the small side even for his age.

Cloud too seemed to realize this, for as soon as he saw who it was he held, immediately let the older man go. The martial master slowly turned to face Cloud, who had taken a couple of steps back warily. Zangan made sure to keep himself between the boy and the stairs, especially when another cry came from top, making the boy start and move forward.

Zangan held up a hand reassuringly, "It's all right Cloud. Your mother will be all right."

He winched as another painful cry filled the room, and the Cloud stared forward.

"Does she sound all right to you? Let me pass!"

Zangan was surprised at the authority coming for such a young mouth. He put a hand on the kid's shoulder this time making sure the boy could not shrug it off.

"Cloud, this is normal. Childbirth is a not easy. You..."

He stopped when he saw Cloud's face go deathly pale, his face a picture of shock. Zangan too starred at the boy in shock, realized the kid didn't know!

How could he not know? Then thought better. Syris's pregnancy was not very apparent even to the observant eye. Her body was one of the few that hid pregnancy well and Zangan himself had often thought she did not look like she was expecting. It had taken him a moment, when he had found her early that evening, collapsed against a building, to realize what was happening and get the midwife. Even so, she had to have told Cloud! Well maybe not. Everyone knew her husband had died a year ago and though she seemed strong, there was no way to tell how it really had affected her.

"Cloud, sit down."

Cloud was shivering violently, his clothes and hair dripping wet from the rain outside and he let the Master led him to a chair and wrap a blanket around his small frame.

He barely noticed it at all. His mind was still in shock, not only from discovering that his mother had been pregnant the whole time he had been back, but that she had not told him! Well, she might have told him, before he or his other self had come back, which would explain why he would have no recollection of it. After all this was not suppose to happen. He had all the memories of his childhood, and his mother had never at any point been expecting another child. Something had changed, but what? Everything else seemed the same, why only this?

Before he could come up with an answer the door upstairs opened and footsteps were heard above them, before a woman appeared at the top of the stairs. Both Cloud and Zangan stood up expectantly as she came down.

"Is my mother all right?"

Cloud spoke before she had even reached the bottom step.

The woman smiled hesitantly, before responding, "She is resting right now, but would like to see you, Cloud."

As he started for the stairs, the woman looked up at Master Zangan and a look passed between them meant only for adults to understand. Cloud however saw it and understood and his heart clenched.

No, it couldn't be! His mother died in the fire of Nebelheim! Not here, not now! Why had things changed? As he opened the door, he felt his heart stop beating. His mother lay in the bed in the middle of the room, looking pale and weak. Too weak and when she looked up at him, he knew. He had seen that look too many times. In the faces of Marlene, and Denzel, when they had been too weak to keep fighting and were slipping away.

His mother held out a hand to him urging him in. He stepped forward, and took her small hand in his. She had always been small, like him. They even shared the same hair color, though hers always hung softly down her back, unlike his unruly hair, which even now was already sticking up in small spikes.

"Hi, Cloud. I'm glad you're here."

Her voice was so soft and Cloud felt tears rise in his eyes. He couldn't lose her! Not again! He was suppose to come back to save her, save all of them. He managed with past experience to keep the tears from his voice.

"I'm here now Mom. I'll take care of you now, you don't have to worry."

She smiled, "Don't you worry about me, my love. I'll be all right; there is someone else you need to take care of now."

She moved the blanket back and for the first time Cloud saw a tiny bundled, wrapped up tight, lying beside her. Cloud watched in amazement as she slowly lifted the tiny bundle and held it lovely in her arms, before looking at Cloud again.

"Your little sister needs you Cloud. You must take care of her now." She looked down at the baby, "You both must both take care of each other."

Cloud moved transfixed and climbed onto the bed next to his mother, starring at the small face within the blanket. The baby was small and had a shocking amount of hair, which was blond like them.

As if sensing his stare, the baby suddenly opened her eyes, and Cloud found himself starring into sapphire eyes that were so like his own that it startled him. They starred at each other for a long time, before a small hand wiggled free of the blanket and stretched out toward him.

Cloud caught the tiny hand, surprised by the strength in the grasp.

When he looked up at his mother again a small smile of his face, he saw she was no longer looking at them, but was starring out the window, seemingly entranced by the rain, which splattered up against the glass.

"Rain," her voice was thoughtful, "Rain needs clouds in order to exist and clouds need rain in order to give life to the planet. They each need each other."

She then smiled looking down at them both, "You have your very own rain, Cloud. Her name is Rain."

She then gently laid Rain in Cloud's lap and he immediately put his arms around her, supporting her head. He felt award, he had never held a baby before. The youngest child he had dealt with had been Marlene and she had been eight when she first started living with them. This was a baby, what did he know about babies. Rain opened her eyes again and her face scrunched up and looked like she was about to cry. He did the only thing he could think off. It was what he had done with Marlene and Denziel, when they had been scared, which was the only thing he could do. He talked to them.

"Don't be afraid. It's okay, I'm here."

As if she understood him, the baby's face immediately calmed and she starred at him with wide, bright eyes.

His mother laughed, "She understands you. Good."

She…understood him? Isn't that what the Cetra had said? There would be someone to understand him.

Cloud suddenly knew the planet's intention. It was taking away his mother and in return was giving him this child, which should not have been born, but why? How could this little buddle possibly understand him? She didn't even understand this planet that she was born into, no less the horrors that were in it.

His mother's body suddenly relaxed. A peaceful smile on her face and she closed her eyes, content. Cloud barely heard the whisper.

"My Cloud, my Rain. The planet's chosen heroes."

Cloud watched as her body stilled and another person he loved joined the lifestream.

Cloud had been upstairs for over an hour and Zangan was starting to get worried. He was just debating whether to go check on him, when they heard the door open and a moment later the boy descended the stairs, a small bundle in his arms.

He moved to stand in front of the boy and saw the small baby he held in his arms and closed his eyes briefly.

"Cloud?"

The boy's blond hair now covered his face, but his voice was calm.

"Mother is gone."

Zangan heard the sharp intake of breath from the midwife behind him, but his attention was solely on Cloud, who now looked up at the woman and Zangan cringed inwardly. The boy's expression was too old, to full of understanding of pain he should not know.

"Thank-you for everything you have done, for both my mother and sister."

It sounded like a dismissal and woman starred at the boy, unsure what to do. Zangan voiced her concerns.

"What will you now do?"

"I will stay here, and care for my sister."

It was stated so decidedly that is almost sounded like it was coming from an adult. Not a five year old boy, who had just lost his mother, but as he stared into Cloud's determined face, he had no doubt that was just what he would do. The boy was mature that much was decided, but mature or not there was no way a five year old can stay alone and with a baby none the less.

Apparently the midwife was just voicing the same option, for Cloud's face suddenly darkened and for a moment he was starring not a boy, but someone very different and dangerous.

"The boy and his sister will stay with me."

Zangan spoke before he even thought and both the woman and Cloud looked at him in surprise. Cloud looked like he was just about to object, when a tiny hand suddenly reached from the blanket and touched his face. The boy looked down and his face softened. After a moment he spoke a single word.

"All right."

Zangan smiled, for some reason relieved and nodded. He would keep the boy near and could hide him and his strange behavior if need be, from the other villagers. There was something different about this boy, and something inside him told him he had to do what he could to keep the boy and his sister safe.

Cloud walked behind Zangan as they left the house, but as the door shut, he couldn't help thinking that though village was not burning. The Nebelheim he knew was now as good as gone. Things from now on would be a very different.