Tifa was speechless as Zack looked up at her. He grinned with his arms crossed behind his head and with a foot balanced on his knee. He was the image of relaxation.
"Hey, Tifa! Long time no see, right?" he joked. Tifa shut her slightly gaping mouth and sat down next to Zack.
"I was wondering what the medic meant when he asked if I was going 'as well,'" Tifa admitted. "I should have known you would be coming along. I don't know why it didn't even cross my mind until now." She gave a small laugh.
Zack smiled in return. "You know I couldn't just let Cloud go away all by himself! Besides, this is the first chance I've had to leave Nibelheim since I was five."
"You left Nibelheim when you were five?" Tifa asked.
Zack nodded. "My family is originally from Gongaga. A cousin died, so we went to a family get together for the funeral." He shrugged. "I barely remember it now. But Gongaga is a lot warmer than Nibelheim."
"Really?" replied Tifa.
"Yeah. It's in a jungle. It's so humid you sweat until your shirt is dripping. And the bugs are just horrible, ugh." He frowned in disgust at the memory. "A few small bugs I can handle, but there were giant swarms of gnats and mosquitos everywhere, not to mention all the poisonous plants and animals. That place is a deathtrap, I swear!"
Tifa just smiled. "So, where is Gongaga, exactly?"
Zack gave a small hum as he crossed his arms in front of him and thought to himself. "It's here on the West Continent… It's in the central south region, south of Cosmo Canyon. Speaking of which…" He turned to the medic who was holding Cloud's mask and got her attention. "How are we getting to Costa del Sol?"
She flipped her brown ponytail over a shoulder. "We're going to cross the western river, drive through Cosmo Canyon, cross the southwest river, pass Gongaga and Corel, and then we'll reach Costa del Sol," the woman replied. "We may stop at one of the towns to refuel and pick up supplies."
Zack thanked her and looked back at Tifa.
"So. Know any card games?"
The two teens played several card games for the next couple of hours. Tifa only knew how to play War, but Zack took the time to teach her a few different games. She quickly discovered that Speed was her favorite. She also had a knack for it, even though Zack was slightly faster due to his experience. Zack was also quite a loud player. His voice rose with the intensity of each game. The two played it over and over, each game becoming more intense until they were both nearly shouting taunts to each other as they tossed their cards into the different stacks.
When Speed became too noisy for the medics, Zack had jokingly suggested trying strip poker, only earning himself an angry glare. Instead of playing more games, they slumped against the seats in silence. Tifa was the first to speak up.
"What do you think Midgar will be like?"
"Noisy, dirty, and miserable if I go off of anything I learned from those social studies classes. They try to romanticize it in all the history books and world maps, but I've heard awful things from the people who have actually been there," Zack replied.
"Who in Nibelheim has been to Midgar, Zack?" Tifa asked in surprise. "The only functioning forms transportation in town are the cars that belong to the Caps and that crappy bus."
Zack chuckled at her response. "Well, it was mostly just secondhand information I heard from the guys working at the reactor. They would talk to inspectors whenever they came through. Apparently, over half of the population lives in slums underneath the plate."
"Really?"
Zack nodded. "Yeah. They sure forgot that major detail in the books."
"Yes… It's horrible, though," Tifa whispered.
"It's ShinRa."
"Even if it is, I would appreciate it if you would stop belittling our employer."
Zack and Tifa looked up at the female medic. They had forgotten she was in the room.
"Even if they are misleading about themselves and Midgar, they supply jobs for people worldwide. Both of you kids should know the amount of power they have," she continued.
"Of course," Zack replied quietly.
The room lapsed into an awkward silence that lasted for a few minutes until it was broken by, surprisingly, Cloud. Through the mask on his face, the other three in the back of the ambulance heard his breath hitch before he started coughing. It was a rough, full body cough that had Cloud gasping. His medic dropped the mask and pulled him up into sitting position. She held him there as Zack and Tifa watched in shock.
"What's happening?" cried Tifa. The medic looked away from Cloud for a quick moment.
"His lungs are having a delayed response to all the mako he inhaled while he was in the reactor. There's been mucus building up in his chest and his body is trying to dislodge it," she explained quickly. Cloud was nearly doubled over from coughing. The medic motioned Zack over. "I need you to hold him up like I'm doing now."
Zack carefully took a hold of his friend and held him up. The medic stood.
"I have to alert Daniels. You just hold him there until I get back." With that, she darted to the front of the ambulance.
Zack did his best to steady Cloud as Tifa looked on helplessly. When the medic returned, she stopped across from Zack. She cupped her hand slightly and started thumping Cloud on his back.
Before either of Cloud's friends could protest, she said, "I'm helping break up the mucus in his lungs." After a few seconds, she called Tifa over. "You see that cabinet there? Look inside and find some tissues for me, please."
Tifa did as she was told and brought over the tissues for the medic. The older woman took one and held it in front of Cloud's mouth, ceasing her pounding on his back. Cloud hacked a few more times and finally spat out a large amount of green phlegm into the tissue.
"Oh yuck, man!" Zack laughed shakily at his best friend as the medic covered his mouth with a new tissue. "That's some awful stuff you're coughing up!"
After all the strenuous coughing, Tifa was surprised Cloud wasn't awake to truly answer Zack. His only reply was to give a small groan and slump against the two people holding him up.
Once she was convinced he wouldn't cough anymore, Cloud's medic had Zack help her lower Cloud onto his back. She returned to the cabinets and pulled out a small container, dropping the dirty tissue into it before sealing the cap.
"Uh," mumbled Zack, "what are you doing?"
"Keeping this sample to test the mako percentage," was the short reply.
Zack had no idea what she meant by mako percentage, but he didn't question her. Daniels entered the back.
"We've got another four hours of driving before we reach Cosmo Canyon," he told them. "We'll be stopping there for the night. But right now, we're making a quick fifteen minute stop, so make sure you two take care of your business quickly." He disappeared back into the front of the ambulance.
When the large vehicle pulled to a stop, Zack leapt out of the back and helped Tifa and Cloud's medic down. Another person would watch Cloud until they all returned.
A trooper and a blonde man wearing a thick aviator jacket and scarf jumped down from perches on top of the ambulance, startling the teens. The medic ignored them and went into the forest after grabbing some toiletries.
"Hey, we're not gonna get attacked by any monsters while we're in the bushes, are we?" Zack called to her.
"Course not," replied a rough, accented voice behind him. It was the man with the aviator jacket. He was leaning against the ambulance while lighting a cigarette held to his mouth. Leaning next to him was a large steel spear.
"Our job," he gestured to the trooper next to him, "is ta keep the monsters off yer asses. Don't worry 'bout 'em."
With a nod, the teens quickly took care of their business. When Tifa returned she found Zack having a conversation with the blonde man.
"Oh, so that huge ass thing up there is yours?" said the man gruffly, glancing at the luggage on top of the vehicle. "I was wonderin' how on Gaia I missed that on the trip over and what kind of idiot trooper would haul the damn thing."
Zack gave one of his usual good-natured laughs. "Well, I thought I might be able to use it on the trip over in case of a monster attack. But really, it's too heavy for me to use easily."
"Damn straight, kid," the man replied. "Monsters are fast, and they'd git cha before you had picked that thing up to swing."
"Don't I know it," Zack muttered under his breath.
"You sayin' you got monster fightin' experience?"
Before Zack had to answer, Tifa walked up to them and saved him from having to reply. He walked over and slung an arm around her shoulders, bringing her up to the man. "Ah, Tifa. I want you to meet Cid."
The man adjusted the goggles on his forehead and bent down, offering a large gloved hand. "Cid Highwind, pleasure to meet ya, young lady."
Tifa took his hand and shook it. "Tifa Lockhart. It's nice to meet you as well, Mr. Highwind."
"Eh, ya don't have to call me 'Mr. Highwind,'" he said with a grimace as he straightened up. "Callin' me 'mister' makes me sound like an old man. Just call me Cid."
Tifa laughed softly. "So, Cid, what were you two talking about? What exactly did Zack bring with him?"
"I can show it to you," offered Zack. He grabbed a ladder on the side of the ambulance and scurried up to the top. He rummaged around for a minute before looking over his shoulder. "Close your eyes!"
Tifa did as she was told. She listened to the sounds of Zack grunting and something heavy softly screeching against the metal of the ambulance. The sound of Zack coming down the ladder was awkward and she heard him hit the ground with an unbalanced thud.
"Okay, open them!"
Tifa opened her eyes and gasped in amazement. Resting in the grass next to Zack was an enormous sword. The magnificent weapon was tall; the blade itself was about five feet long with the grip adding another foot. The one inch thick blade was single edged, the sharp edge a glittering silver steel. The rest was a rough dark grey. Sharp, straight lines were carved into the dark grey metal around two linked materia slots. The brass guard was intricately carved. The grip was covered in textured red leather, a brass cap making the pommel.
Tifa took a few moments to appreciate the beautiful weapon before looking at Zack. "You wanted to use this in a fight?" she said incredulously. He gave an impish smile and shrugged. Cid walked over and examined the sword.
"She's a real beauty. A real weigh down in a fight, sure, but definitely easy on the eyes." Cid glanced up at Zack. "I gotta say, I'm amazed yer family could afford to have this thing commissioned, kid. That is, unless ya bought it from some weapons store. I know ya couldn't have found it in that puny general store."
"It belonged to my dad," Zack explained. "Before he died. So, I guess you could say it's an heirloom…"
"Heirloom or not, yer crazy bringin' that sword along, kid."
"Well, I'll just consider it a heavy reminder of home!" Zack answered cheerfully.
By this point, the medic had also returned and all the other passengers in the ambulance switched places with the teens, medic, Cid, and the trooper. Zack quickly returned the sword to the top of the ambulance. Once he and Tifa were seated on the inside again and the female medic had gone back to monitoring Cloud, Tifa spoke up.
"That sword belonged to your father?"
Zack nodded. "My grandparents had it commissioned for him when he went off to the military."
"It sure didn't look like it had ever been used in battle."
"No, no. Dad was so proud of it he couldn't bear to use it in battle, so he just used a typical issue sword for close combat."
Daniels had moved into the back as Zack finished speaking. Once he was done, the head medic said, "Prepare yourselves. We're going to cross the western river in a little while." With that, he returned to the front.
Tifa had been surprised the first time she had seen the ambulance's bulk, but she had attributed that to practically having a small emergency room in the back. Now she understood the true reason: the vehicle was built to cross difficult terrain. When it reached the river, the driver searched for a shallow area. After driving along the shore for a short while, it came to a crossing where the shallow water shone a bright blue.
The large vehicle tipped down the slope, and Cloud's medic had the teens assist her to keep the blonde's stretcher from sliding around.
The vehicle lurched as it plowed into the shallow river, spraying a large arc of water out in front of it. Tifa looked out the windows in the back doors and watched the wake the ambulance left behind as it churned up the silt from the river bottom. When they reached the other side, the vehicle accelerated and lurched again as it started to quickly climb the muddy embankment.
They reached the top without trouble, but Tifa remembered they still had another two rivers to cross. Hopefully nothing would cause trouble.
From the river, it was another two hours of driving before they reached Cosmo Canyon. Both Tifa and Zack had moved to the front to get a good view of the towering red rock canyon walls. By this point in the day the sun had started to set, casting red and orange light over the canyon, making the colors even more vivid.
The canyons were a twisted maze, but the driver seemed to know where he was going. The vehicle drove through many ravines, steadily continuing to the highest point of the canyon. There a plateau rose from the ravines. Multiple houses had been built on different levels of a tall rock formation at the southern edge. An observatory stood at the very top, its telescope pointed towards the sunset.
The ambulance pulled up to the plateau wall. A staircase carved from the stone wound up to the village. Everyone filed out of the ambulance and gathered around Daniels.
"Alright," he started. "We're going to spend the night here to pick up some items and to refuel. The troopers will stay here and watch the ambulance. Everyone else is going to stay at the inn."
As everyone staying who would be staying in the inn retrieved some bags from the ambulance, Tifa crept over to Cid.
"Cid? What about Cloud?" Worry was evident in her voice.
"Yer friend? I think Daniels is plannin' on bringin' him with us," Cid answered. "Hang on, I'll check for ya."
It turned out that Cloud was going to be taken to the inn with them so he would not be in danger of a monster attack. Two stronger medics picked up his stretcher and carefully maneuvered him up the steps once the others were out of the way.
Cosmo Canyon was impressive to say the least. Tifa was constantly turning her head, looking at all the different houses balanced precariously on rock ledges. Most of the houses required a ladder to reach them. As she studied the darkening rock face more closely, she realized there were also caves in the rock formation. Apparently they were in use. She saw several people walking in and out of them. When the group made its way toward one of the caves, she realized the inn must be set up inside.
As Tifa stepped into the cave, she couldn't believe her eyes. A bar? The bartender stood behind the bartop cleaning a glass. At one of the tables sat an old man drinking.
"Tifa," a voice called from above her. She looked up to see Zack standing on a stone balcony above. "We're up here."
Tifa found the stairs winding up the side of the cave to the balcony above. Once she reached the top, Zack led her past a front desk also made of stone and entered the room carved from the rock.
Beds were lined up along the walls, small nightstands separating them. Cloud had been set on the bed closest to the entrance. The blonde still lay unconscious, his breathing quiet and regular for the moment.
Zack watched his sick friend, the pained expression from a few days earlier plain on his face. "I hope he wakes up."
Tifa placed her hand on Zack's shoulder. "He will. I'm sure of it."
Some soft padding sounds came from the doorway and the two friends turned to see a large red animal staring through the doorway. One of its eyes was useless with a large scar reached across the eyelids. The other eye glowed amber and focused with a predator's intent.
Zack took a protective stance in front of Tifa and Cloud. "How did those idiots downstairs miss something like this coming through the doorway?!"
Tifa looked around Zack. "What is it supposed to be anyway?" It was a fair question. On first glance, the beast resembled a large cat with its mane, long tail, and round paws. A closer looked revealed more wolf-like attributes: a longer muzzle than a large cat, and a wolf's build. But the truly boggling feature was the flame that flickered on the tip of its tail.
Adding to their confusion and surprise, the animal answered in a low male voice, "An informed question. I am what you see."
Zack and Tifa froze.
"An informed question? That doesn't even make sense," Zack muttered.
"I'm more surprised that it can, oh I don't know, talk?" Tifa replied.
The animal stepped to the side to look around them, a small jingle ringing with each step. She belated realized the animal wore bangles on its legs and beads and feathers in its mane. "Is that the boy with mako poisoning?"
Tifa shook off some of her surprise. "Yes, he is."
"Word really travels around this canyon if even the animals know about it already," Zack said tensely.
The animal glanced at him. "Are the two of you his companions?"
"Yeah. I'm Zack, and this is Tifa. Our friend with the mako poisoning is named Cloud."
"Well met. My name is Nanaki."
"Pleasure."
The animal huffed. "Be calm. I do not plan on attacking any of you."
Zack continued to watch it untrustingly.
Nanaki huffed again and lashed his tail, causing the flame to flicker and dance. "I am going to bring back my grandfather. He has always been curious about mako poisoning, and I believe he could explain things you may be wondering about it." With that, he trotted from the room and back out to the bar.
The room was silent for several moments.
"Did that seriously just happen?" Tifa wondered, placing a hand to her forehead.
"I know how you feel. He had such a fruity way of talking." Zack was still staring out the way Nanaki had left.
"Well, you're taking this rather well," Tifa commented mildly.
Zack shrugged. "I'm in shock like you. This is just my way of coping. Don't worry, I'll be freaking out about this later."
"So, do we wait for him?"
"I guess so."
A few minutes later, they heard a voice drift from downstairs. "Ho ho ho, Nanaki, what's gotten into you?"
"There's someone you need to see, Grandpa," Nanaki's voice answered. He appeared around the corner a few seconds later followed by a very old man in a purple robe. The man sat on a floating green sphere that drifted along behind Nanaki. Zack and Tifa glanced at each other. Could this place get any stranger?
"Tifa, Zack, I'd like you to meet my grandfather, Bugenhagen," growled Nanaki. The old man floated over to Tifa first and held out a hand.
"Oh ho, a pleasure, young lady." He smiled joyfully behind a long white beard and black glasses.
"It's wonderful to meet you, sir. I'm Tifa." She couldn't help but smile back as she shook his hand. The old man's happiness was contagious.
Zack also introduced himself and shook Bugenhagen's hand. After the introductions, Bugenhagen floated over to look down at Cloud. His joyful expression was replaced by one more intense and serious. "Hmm. This young man is impressive. Most never survive exposure to mako. How did he come into contact with it?" Tifa explained the reactor incident to him. He nodded thoughtfully throughout the explanation. "Yet he still did not die after being submerged for an extended period of time. Fascinating. The Planet wants to use him for something, I'm sure."
"What do you mean?" Zack asked.
"Exactly what I said, my boy. The Planet has plans for your friend. If not, he surely would have died days ago."
"The Planet can do that?" Zack could not keep the disbelief out of his voice.
Bugenhagen smiled. "Of course. The Planet lives just as we live. Mako comes from the Lifestream, the river of life that flows through us all. It is the Planet's lifeblood. The Planet can manipulate the lives of anything that the Lifestream resides within, which is everything around you."
"But how?"
"No one knows how, my boy. It is only known that it can!"
"Well, what are the plans then?"
Bugenhagen just shook his head with a smile. "You will find out in time."
"Well, since you know so much, Mr. Bugenhagen, would you maybe be able to wake up Cloud without us taking an entire trip to Midgar?" Tifa asked.
Bugenhagen clapped his hands together. "Now that you mention it, I would love to try! I've been wanting to try this for years, but naturally there haven't been any surviving people to test it on. Let's see if your friend will wake up without all those strange medicines the ShinRa enjoy injecting into people. They are absolutely unnecessary in most cases." He placed a hand on Cloud's forehead and closed his eyes briefly.
After a minute of silence, Zack and Tifa glanced at each other while Nanaki watched Bugenhagen intently. Zack leaned over and tapped the red beast on the shoulder. When Nanaki looked up with his one amber eye Zack asked, "What's he doing?"
"Well, Grandpa is something of a psychic. I would imagine he's trying to reach your friend, but from the look of it, he's not having any luck," Nanaki rumbled quietly. Sure enough, Bugenhagen removed his hand from Cloud's head and straightened up with a sigh.
"How odd."
Tifa crept up to him. "What happened?"
"It was as if there was a barrier between your friend and me. I could sense him there, but the Lifestream was blocking me from reaching him." Bugenhagen crossed his arms. "I wonder…"
"Wonder what, Grandpa?" Nanaki asked eagerly from the foot of the bed.
"I sensed a great flow of memories behind the wall. Perhaps the Planet is telling your friend something."
Footsteps from the doorway alerted everyone. Daniels appeared and stopped at the odd sight before him.
"Is there something I can do for you, sir?" he asked Bugenhagen, completely ignoring Nanaki.
"Ah yes!" answered Bugenhagen with a smile. "I am Master Bugenhagen. Perhaps you better know me as a teacher of the Way of the Planet."
Recognition flashed across Daniels' eyes. "Yes, I've heard of you. One of the elders of Cosmo Canyon and one of the most knowledgeable people about Planet study."
"That's me," said Bugenhagen with a nod. "I was actually wondering if perhaps I could send Nanaki here with you all to Midgar." Everyone except for Bugenhagen and Cloud started at the suggestion. "This young man is special, and I want someone who can inform me of his progress."
Daniels glanced down at Nanaki. His face was completely expressionless as he asked, "Do you have knowledge on Planet study?"
"Yes," answered Nanaki.
"Very well. He can come, but he'll have to ride on the top of the ambulance." Sounds of disbelief came from the two teenagers, but a glance from Daniels silenced them. "Now, if you will excuse us, the other personnel are on their way up and we have to turn in for the night. Master Bugenhagen, it was a pleasure to meet you." With that, Daniels went to one of the inn beds as other medics started to trickle into the room.
"Well, we best head home for the night, Nanaki," Bugenhagen said as he began to head towards the exit. He suddenly stopped and turned around, shaking Zack and Tifa's hands. "It was a pleasure to meet the two of you. I wish you and your friend luck!" He smiled.
Tifa returned the smile. "Thank you, Mr. Bugenhagen."
"Yes, thank you!" Zack also returned a smile.
"Ho ho ho, you are welcome, you two! I hope what little I learned about your friend is of some help to you in the future. Ho ho hooo!" With that he floated out of the room, Nanaki right behind him.
Once Zack and Tifa were laying on their separate beds, Zack muttered, "This place is so strange…"
"Yeah," Tifa sighed from her bed.
"The sooner we hit the road the better, I say."
"Mm. Goodnight, Zack."
"'Night, Tifa."
The next morning found the medic team and Nibelheim teenagers up and about as the sun began to peak over the horizon. They made quick time in repacking and getting Cloud back on the ambulance. Daniels sent Nanaki to the top of the ambulance right away, and Zack had laughed behind his hand at watching the animal easily scale the ladder like a human as the other personnel gawked. In almost no time at all, the ambulance was back on the road. Bugenhagen and some of the villagers had waved at their departing friend and strange visitors before the vehicle was out of sight.
The entire day went on without any incident until they passed Gongaga after crossing another river. Zack and Tifa were sitting atop the ambulance with Cid – who was currently sleeping – and Nanaki when jagged strips of blackened metal became visible over the distant jungle tree line. Zack leapt to his feet.
"What on earth is that? It's right where Gongaga is!"
Cid cracked an eye and glanced at the distant metal. "That's what's left ah Gongaga's mako reactor," he stated simply.
Zack stared at him in shock. "What happened?"
"Malfunction. The reactor exploded an' wiped out half the little village. They're still recoverin' last I heard."
Zack was horrified. "Didn't ShinRa do anything about that?"
"Nope."
"Why?!"
Cid sat up, scratching the back of his head with an irritable huff. "They thought the locals had somethin' ta do with it, so they left 'em alone as pay back."
Zack sat down, his face pale. "That's… why would they…"
"It's ShinRa, kid. It's what they do."
Zack shook his head and put his face in his hands. "My family…"
Tifa put her hand on his back and comforted him as the landscape continued to change. The lush jungles of the Gongaga region slowing dried up and turned into dirt and sand. At one point, Nanaki had pointed his nose towards something in the distance that looked like a giant tree with domes rising up from the driest area around them, heat waves making the base shimmer.
"What is that?"
"The Golden Saucer. Used ta be an amusement park, but fell inta disrepair years ago. Whole damn thing's crumblin' away onto the prison underneath," Cid growled behind a cigarette.
"There's a prison underneath it?" Tifa asked in surprise. "What happened to the prisoners?"
"Bastards er still there, far as anyone knows. They were the type that were thrown in there so they wouldn't come back out."
"How did they not just walk off?"
Cid gave a grim smile. "There's quicksand surrounding the place, kiddo. No way out."
Tifa stayed silent after that.
They all came to a stop at the foot of the mountains once the Golden Saucer had long disappeared into the distance and camped there for the night before hitting the road again. By midday they had reached Costa del Sol.
Tifa had always imagined Costa del Sol as a wonderful vacation getaway. After all, that was what she had heard from a few people who had talked to others who had visited it in the past. But as the ambulance coasted through the beachside town, she realized how wrong she had been. Many of the buildings were boarded up and in serious disrepair. Shacks were built in the alleys between buildings, with dirty people sleeping exposed to the elements. The ocean water was a murky brown with plenty of dead sea creatures floating in it. Many of the locals stared with open hostility at the ShinRa vehicle that went by. The ambulance reached a chain-link gate with wire coiled at the top. A ShinRa trooper stepped forward and spoke briefly with the driver before waving them through. Tifa, Zack, and Nanaki all stared in amazement. Before them hovering over the helicopter pad was a giant airship. The word Highwind was painted in script along its side.
"Cid, look at that!" Zack cried, temporarily shocked out of his melancholy mood. Cid gave a large grin.
"I hoped y'all would like 'er!"
"What do you mean?" asked Tifa.
Cid gave a giant belly laugh. "That's my baby, my airship! And she's also your transportation across the ocean!"
A/N: Oh wow, an update! I apologize for the 3-days-shy-of-being-a-4-month wait. So, as an apology, I give you the largest chapter to date! 5000 words! A little character background for Zack as well as two familiar faces! Welcome, Cid and Nanaki! I tried to keep this chapter from flowing too slowly, but you guys make the final decision on whether it was or not.
As a side note, I just loved Bugenhagen in the game. I always smiled when he was onscreen. He was such a cute character! Also, I finished FFVII back in late August or early September. Guys. DAT ENDING. I'm glad I played the game after seeing Advent Children, or else I just would have been screaming "NO! You can't just end it like that!" Well, not that I wasn't on the inside... I can honestly say that I was still pretty wracked up after having to endure Supernova about 15 times... that's 30 minutes of attack cutscene, just so you know. X_X
Review Responses:
Irish-Brigid: I just had the weirdest mental image when you mentioned Tifa's dad having a coronary. Oh dear. xD
SapphyreMyst: I'm happy to hear from you! Welcome back to and thank you for the review!
sunflowerspot: I'm always thrilled when the readers get the feelings I want them to have. Thanks for letting me know!
Thanks to those who also commented about their thoughts on Cloud. I really enjoyed reading your responses!