AN: This chapter is a little shorter than some of my other chapters, but I was suddenly hit with what I think the term is "writer's block". I hate those!! I know where I want to go with the story but suddenly figuring out dialog and stuff is none existent. I still wanted to give you guys something this week though so here it is. I'll get the next chapter up next Friday; sooner if I can get out of this writer's hole I've suddenly find myself in. Anyway review and tell me what you think.

Aerith stood watching from the doorway as Tifa silently made her way to stand behind the still figure. For the first time she seemed hesitating to approach him, which was strange.

Tifa had known Cloud all her life, and besides Rain, she seemed to know his dark moods and emotions better than anyone else, but after what had happened two weeks ago, they had all been carful around him, giving him the space he seemed to need.

Still Areith had noticed in her six years onboard the Highwind, that Tifa had always been able to approach Cloud, no matter what mood he was in and sooth him to some degree. His tense muscles always seemed to relax ever so slightly beneath her touch. Something Aerith envied, for it reminded her of the one person she too had once had that affect on.

How she missed him! At times the pain was so sharp it felt like a knife cutting it's way through her chest. It's because of that ach, that Rain had left. Rain had been the only one to realize it was even there, not even Cloud had seen it and she hadn't wanted him too. Cloud had so much responsibility on his shoulders already without having to carry her emotional pain as well, but Rain had seen. She was the only one that could see and was the only one who was trying to make it go away, which was why Aerith had agreed to help Rain leave.

It was selfish of her and she knew it, but after six years of not knowing if he was alright, if he was happy…if he had found someone else. She had to know! Also despite Cloud's indifference, he needed to know how they were doing, more than even she did. It didn't seem obvious to most, but the stress and anxiety Cloud kept hidden from everyone was slowly starting to wear him down. Rain was slowly becoming the only thing that held him together and it was never more apparent than that night after she had left.

They had spent two days tracking Rain, but had lost her once she left the continent. Cloud had been furious, and not just the simmering, brooding anger they were familiar with, but explosive! He had nearly taken the Highwind down when he had launched his fist into a nearby panel, which turned out to be important, something to do with navigation.

They had all be shocked! Cloud never got angry easily, annoyed yes, but rarely angry and never with this kind of fury. The only one who seemed capably of prying that emotion from the silent man had always been Rain. So it seemed appropriate that it was her that evoked this new reaction.

After Cid had finally got the ship back under control and finished cursing, Cloud had demanded they land. He was going after Rain!

Aerith could see most of Avalanche wanted to join him. After all they all had known Rain longer than she did, and Rain had a way of worming her way into everyone's heart, whether out of pure annoyance or endearment the effect was the same, but Aerith could also see that unlike Cloud, they were still thinking clearly.

"Cloud, you need to think! You can't just go storming into Midgar, no less Shinra. None of us can. You especially are wanted by Shinra! You can't risk being noticed by the Turks and blowing what we have all worked so hard for. "

Barret for once being the reasonable one, and blocking Cloud's exit off the bridge.

Tifa stepped forward beside the large man, "He's right Cloud. We need to come up with a plan."

Cloud's eyes had turned dark and Aerith could see green glow as mako swirled into the irises, letting her and everyone else know how bad the situation had become, it only ever did that when Cloud lost control, and Rain was not here to bring him back.

Cloud moved so fast that Barret didn't even see him coming, until he was rolling across the floor. Tifa was also shoved out of the way, but with considerable more gentleness, landing on cushioned bench along one of the metal walls.

It was as Cloud started to move again off the bridge that Vincent, who had been silently watching from the corner moved. Suddenly pinning Cloud by the throat with his claw against the retractable door.

All movement on the bridge froze as everyone was taken aback. Vincent had always been the quietest among them even more than Cloud, but they knew he was undoubtedly loyal to Cloud as well as his friend.

"What are you doing, Vincent?" Cloud had hissed through the claw blocking his air.

None were prepared for the gravel voice that suddenly emerged from Vincent's body.

"Vincent is gone for a while, so I suggest you quite using all your air up and listen to me."

Cloud's eyes widened as one word escaped his lips, "Chaos!"

It was then that Aerith felt the demon's presence. Strong and dark, every present in the lifestream, yet fully part of the physically world as well, only demons were about to be complete in both places at the same time.

Cloud suddenly started to struggle violently trying to push the demon back, which only made Chaos tighten his grip on his neck, making Cloud gag and causing Barret to lift his gun arm and Tifa to step forward.

For some reason, Aerith had stepped in front of them stopping them. A part of her thinking the only thing that could stop Cloud now was the demon that now held him, though she didn't know why Chaos would care. She quickly found out.

"I would cease that struggling if I were you human. I have no loyalty to you and killing you would be easy enough solution to this problem." Chaos warned and Cloud immediately stilled.

"If you have no loyalty, than why try and stop me?" Cloud growled.

Chaos chuckled, if that could be called a chuckle.

"Just because you don't hold my loyalty does not mean another does not."

Cloud's eyes once again widened, "Rain?"

Chaos smiled the sharp canine teeth clearly visible. "Though I wouldn't call what I have with your sister loyalty, more like amusement. We have had quite a few interesting talks your sister and me. She amuses me, thus I will humor her request and stop you…"

The demon's eyes moved to fix the rest of them beneath its yellow glare, "any of you from going after her, until she if ready to return."

It was then that Aerith had realized the extra steps Rain had taken without her knowledge to ensure no one would get in her way and Aerith felt the first twinge of doubt. If Rain had enlisted Chaos than how bad did she expect things to get?

She kept these concerns hidden and now as she watched Cloud turn at Tifa's gentle touch and embrace her, Aerith backed away from the door, leaving them alone, but not before she heard Tifa's soft words.

"She'll be all right, Cloud."

As she walked away Aerith prayed Tifa was right.

Rain dropped to the mat breathing hard, sweat trickling into her eyes. She thought this would be easy. It had been two weeks since they had all stood in straight tidy lines as Lazard formally welcomed them into the Shinra Military, giving a speech that judging from his bored tone she wondered just how many times he had given it. All that crap about the glory and power of Shinra and how what Shinra did made a difference and made lives better.

That had all happened two weeks ago, it seemed ages longer. She had quickly learned Shinra military training had changed a lot from Cloud's time there. Due to the changing events, caused by war the military program's training time had been cut in half in order to get more troops to the front.

That didn't mean they had less to do as far as training went, just less time to do it and even Rain's trained body had begun to feel the effects of the grueling pace. She had lost count of how many cadets had dropped out the first week, not being able to handle the pressure.

That was one way Shinra reasoned it's sending such inexperienced troops to the front, thanks to the shorted and more grueling pace of the training all the weak ones were easily and quickly weeded out. Shinra had not the time to train the weak.

It frustrated and concerned Rain because she had to reveal more of her skill than she would have liked just to stay in the program and there were less and less people in her squad to blend in with.

Slowly she got to her feet and joined the cadets as they piled off the training floor to hit the showers. She quickly splashed water on her face from the sink and started to head out of the showers.

She would shower later on in the evening when no one was around. That was one of the benefits of being a woman. She didn't work as much of a sweat as the others did, plus she was already in good physical shape, so she didn't sweat much even for a woman. Thus it helped deal with the body order that might come with not showering until the end of the day.

As she passed the running showers, careful to keep her gaze straight, there were only so many bare butts she could handle in a day, when she heard a cry and the sound of someone hitting the floor. Turning her eyes slightly she could just make out through the steam a figure on the wet tiles as a couple of other figures stood over him hitting him with wet towels.

She sighed, some things did not change. The strong always preyed on the weak looking. She left the showers wincing at the sound of snapping towels.

She hurried out the door and made her way to the barracks, finding her bunk in the sea of beds and flinging herself on it. She had a little time before supper which she planned on studying.

Bookwork was the only area she allowed herself to slightly excel in. Only week two and they were already into advanced weapons technology, and open battlefield strategy. It was only through her personal experience at the front that kept her from having to study most the night like many of the cadets, but still she used every spare moment to refresh and relearn. Wutai strategies were after all very different from Shinra.

Before she knew it the hour was up and she dragged her butt of the hard bunk and started down the hall to the mess room. Only SOLIDERS were privileged to eat whenever they wanted or when schedule allowed. For cadets supper was served for an hour and only then. So if she wanted any she had to get it within that time or starve.

Rain was one of the last ones to enter the hall and she quickly sorted through the food that was offered and picked what she deemed edible and filled her plate. Honestly how could Shinra expect any of these cadets to make it to SOLIDER if they fed them like this?

Looking for a quite table away from the others, she quickly saw the only one available was already occupied. Oh, well better having to sit with one than ten.

She quickly sat down at the opposite end of the table from the cadet, only sparing him a glance. Her eyes lingered a little longer once she saw who it was. It was the kid who had taken a beating from the bigger cadets in the shower room earlier that day.

Rush, she thought his name was. He was one of the younger cadets probably no more than fourteen and was a quiet kid, who also kept to himself, but for other reasons. Rain knew the other cadets picked on him a lot. Immediately picking him out in the beginning, because of his small stature, which Rain found curious because she was a lot shorter that he was, but the cadets for some reason seemed to be giving her a wide berth for which she was grateful, it would have been troublesome to have to deal with.

This kid though seemed to take the full brunt of it. She had seen him move slower and more stiffly than normal in classes and knew it wasn't just due the training. She wondered just what kind of marks he kept hidden under his clothes that the instructors could not see, not that they would care even if they did know.

If fact the biggest bullies on the playground were some of the instructions themselves. Rain had quickly learned how to give only enough not to be noticed, but enough so not to give the instructors reason to harass. Unfortunately Rush did not and was still building his stamina, the instructors were relentless on him.

"You doing okay?"

Rush looked up, seeming surprised that she even knew he was there much less talked to him. Strife after all had a reputation for not talking much, if ever. After a moment he spoke.

"Ya, fine."

He seemed nervous, and Rain resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"You're not very good at lying, are you?"

Rush expression was so surprised and brown eyes so startled, that for a moment they remaindered her of Denzel in the hardships they had seen and innocence they still possessed. The thought made her uncomfortable, if she starting thinking like that she could very easily become attached.

"W…what do you mean?"

Rain wondered if she should continue talking, but it seemed too late now.

"You're obviously not fine. The others giving you a pretty hard time hu?"

He didn't respond just looked down at his plate and Rain signed.

"Why don't you just drop out, you don't have to put up with all that crap, it's not like the infantrymen's pay is that good."

"I need to make it into SOLIDER!"

Rain was surprised by the sudden outburst; every cadet's goal was to be able to make it into SOLIDER, well maybe except her, but the passion and determination that came with that one statement. Well, it reminded her of another cadet that had been here in another life. Stop! She need to stop this now, she could not form attachments here!

She stood up quickly and could see him jump at the sudden movement, before she could stop herself she bent down so her face was level with his.

"Fine, have it your way, but a little advice. Take the eastern hall on your way to and from classes none of the cadets use it because it's too close to the SOLIDERS section, but you won't run in to anyone there either."

Before she could see his reaction, she walked out of the mess hall.