There was something soothing in the way about the steady pounding of the earth against his feet, of the burn that his muscles felt at the repetitive action of running. It was something he had forgotten about but now as he tried to run from his worries, Cloud wondered why he had ever stopped running. He had done a lot of running when he was younger, mostly from bullies and other unkindly folk, but now that he was running out of his own volition, running to keep his sanity in check, it felt just that tiny bit more real, like something in him clicked and felt right. He couldn't stop, couldn't think about settling in anyway and finally, he let the stupid illusions of happiness that had clouded his judgement to simply vanish, leaving him with nothing but emptiness and the visions of what would happen if things weren't different.

Could it be different enough now that he had moved in, now that he had kissed the General and replaced the red-headed Commander for a small while? Had he made enough of a difference so that he could stop trying to do so anymore and simply concentrate on his own well-being, on a career possibility he had never had before? The questions ran rampant, with his speed only increasing as he kept running faster and faster, not even realising that his body was finally digging into the hidden mako reserves, making him go faster, carrying him around the track far swifter than one of his standing should have been able to go.

The blonde did not even notice the envy, wonder and jealousy that was represented in the eyes of those that were training with him. Did not notice the looks of pity as those higher ups thought that the young, seemingly innocent boy had gone through Hojo's treatments. In some ways, it was a bit amusing as he had most likely gone through far more than any of them.

But Cloud's thoughts weren't finding their way to things of the past, instead his thoughts were still on those green eyes that were so ridiculously efficient at sending him bumbling like an idiot, at making him seem more incompetent than a chocobo in a gun fight. All he had were his legs, but the memories weren't so easy to let go of, let alone were they so easy to relinquish their hold on him. Those hands, that touch and the way he seemed to have the ability to calm rampant thoughts, to ease nightmares were now overshadowed by the fact that he had been lied to, yet again. Played and lied to by the most convincing of them all, by the one person he had hoped to trust this once. However, it seemed that his hopes and dreams were something that no one truly wanted to listen to, something no one wanted to make sure became reality.

The blonde found himself wondering if he were to truly focus on nothing but the future for now, to focus on what he could be and could accomplish on his own with this new start that he had received. It crossed his mind that that might have been the direction he had been intended to go to all along that he had been a fool to think he might affect the General in anyway. He had Zack's trust and his friendship, what more could he truly ask for?

And as he ran, rain began to fall slowly, growing heavier and heavier as his thoughts turned darker. It poured when Cloud's mind returned to the self-pitying of realising just how little he mattered in the overall of things. How little a one blonde could affect the course of things, how little meaning he had when it came to those he cared for the most? It slowly dawned on him that even before, even in the life that had been before, he had always held a small sliver of hope. Hope that Sephiroth could care, would stop lying and would see him and him alone, would hold him and not think of him at all.

It was that thought that finally brought Cloud into the ground, tumbling down and crashing, however he did not even feel it. He was unconscious before he even hit the ground.

"Shit, Seph. Genesis came back without warning, it's not like I could stop him from barging in!" He could hear the obnoxious sound of Zack's annoyed voice through his somewhat hazy mind, trying to force himself to become aware. Zack had not been there when he had been awake, which had panic slowly start setting into him. Where was he?

"You should have removed his clearance."

It was amusing just how easily Cloud could pick up the traces of displeasure in Sephiroth's smooth voice, could read him without even seeing those perfect features. What he refused to admit was that his presence relaxed him, doing exactly what he didn't want it to do. A soft groan left his lips as he started ripping himself out of the haze, trying to concentrate on what was happening around him. He realised the groan had silenced the previous conversation, a hand on his forehead to keep him from sitting up and for a few moments, he wondered if there should have been panic, but instead he blinked his eyes open, met with that mesmerising green that could cause such a plethora of emotions in him. It was a bit ridiculous, really, how easily he affected him.

"I think you need to know the truth," he then stated, his voice raspy for some reason and suddenly, he realised he was quite thirsty. A rather dry cough had Zack elbowing a somewhat stunned Sephiroth - Cloud liked to think an apology had died on those lips - as the black-haired man thrust a glass of water to his lips and he drank so very gratefully, his eyes closing blissfully as he took care not to drink too fast. There was evident worry in Zack's eyes, knowing full well what the topic Cloud wanted to talk about was and quite frankly, he did not know just how the General would actually take it.

Being who he was, Sephiroth simply waited for Cloud to finish his drink and start his explanation. Cloud was in no hurry, after all, knowing that what he told would be perfectly capable of getting him the stamp of a lunatic on his forehead. It was not a thing he was looking forward to, but at the same time, he simply had to do it. The cooling liquid ending faster than he would have liked it to, he let out a sigh. Sitting up for once he actually stopped Zack from helping him - he drew in a long breath.

"I've been here before. Lived before. It's hard to explain. Why Gaia decided to bring me back is something I do not understand but I am trying to. I've been stronger, held weapons greater than anyone could have imagined and killed weapons far deadlier than anyone could have wished," he began calmly, carefully avoiding looking at either of them. Sure, he had never been there before in the proper meaning of the word, but the time period…

"It all starts in Nibelheim, a mission in which I am supposed to be just a soldier. A mission during which, Sephiroth loses his mind and is lead to believe is a god. During which me and Zack are wounded so severely Hojo takes us under his loving care and proceeds to try drowning us in mako. Zack saved us and died doing so, I ended up believing I was him. His living legacy, I believe were the exact words." Cloud couldn't quite keep the self-hatred from starting to show in that moment as the two men he was telling the tale to were quiet, almost moving away from him. In that moment he rather enjoyed the hurt it caused.

"I did as I was told. Believed I was Zack and went off on my way, joined AVALANCHE and ended up trying to save the world from Sephiroth." Cloud braced himself, biting his lower lip for a moment, letting out a long sigh before he lifted his eyes to watch Sephiroth. "I've killed you many times. I've had your sword buried in me more times than I care to remember. Yet here you are and you are not dead and could not be more different from my memories."

There were emotions there, Cloud could have sworn it. But the second he had started explaining the General had closed off. Then again, telling someone they were turning into a lunatic could have that kind of effect on someone. And so he didn't pay any heed, didn't give notice to the painful twinge that came from being pushed outside.

"But alas, I stray from my story. We saved the planet from him, or at least we thought we did, but instead the poison had gotten into planet itself and started infecting the children, started infecting everything. We managed to conquer it all, managed to win, the planet starting to heal itself again. And I was left to deliver packages," he concluded with a laugh, shaking his head. "Felt faint on one of my runs, passed out and woke up not as my previous 24-year-old body but as eight years younger. So excuse me if I faint at times trying to grasp things."

Cloud couldn't quite pinpoint why he had started sounding rather cold at some point, let alone why he had stood up to pace. But now that he was done and was met with a stunned silence, he finally took it upon himself to look at his audience. Zack was pale, whereas Sephiroth was simply silent. Like a statue, really. Not one of them even tried to say anything and thus, the golden-haired boy let out a small sigh. He was now, no doubt viewed as a complete lunatic. Rubbing the back of his neck and rolling his shoulders, he glanced at the room he was occupying before he finally started speaking again.

"I'm going to star-"

"You're going to stay right here, SOLDIER third," came the calm, albeit now a bit cold voice of a certain General. There was that small spark of stupid hope that always lit up whenever the silver-haired figure didn't want him gone, wanted him to stay, but of course he should have known by now that it was a fool's hope. "If for nothing else, then for being kept a watch on. Wouldn't do to have you spouting such nonsense in the barracks."

That actually hurt. Cloud found himself guarding away all emotion, hiding himself behind a mask he now remembered how to pull up, careful to hide everything. Zack was slowly starting to recover from the shock he had been put through, trying to grasp for words, not really appreciating just how volatile the situation was.

"Sephiroth, he's not mad," he stated carefully, only to receive a rather cold stare from the General, for once silencing him.

"I'll be in my room then," Cloud concluded with a nod of his head, turning to make his way to the room he had been appointed. He had effectively distanced himself from everyone, had effectively gotten a clear path to do what he had to do but he hadn't expected it to feel quite as horrible as it did. There was a horrible pain somewhere in his gut as he closed the door behind him, half wanting to hear that certain voice calling him to a halt but it never came. Somehow Cloud missed the hate-filled look in those green eyes in that moment.

Because now all he had seen was a small sliver of betrayal.