MUCH thanks and love to Clorith for the beta test of the final installment! XD

Ok, I know this was based off situations in the KH universe, but it also pulls extensive knowledge from the base worlds of FF7 and FF8. So if there's something from FF8 you don't get because you haven't played the game, then don't worry about it. It was just an added bonus for those who are intimate with its characters. The last song in the story soundtrack is the most important out of all I've included, and if you were to acquire any of them, the last one would be it.

It's essential to capture the full emotional magnitude behind the story's closing. While not essential to the understanding, its impact will just not be as great. The song in question is "If You Still Believe", and has Dennis Martin in its tagline. It is the final FMV song from Legend of Dragoon; a beautiful song and game. ) WinMX it or something similar in way of MP3 programs. Or email me and we'll arrange an IM time so I can send to ya. Same holds for any of the OST selections. )

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--- Shift in PoV

' ' Thoughts

" " Dialogue

-- Flashback

/ Suggested Soundtrack

( ) Disc – Track Number

/--/ No Music, Silence

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/Balamb Garden – FFVIII OST (1-2)/

He directed the current heavy lifting team with a wave of his left arm in the general direction he wanted them to go. This section of the stronghold was totaled and he shook his head miserably at the loss. He tried to deal with all the groups crowding around him and send them to the areas that needed it most, but it was just so hard to know how good a job he was doing. And it was so damned tiring, not to mention aggravating.

This squad wanted that and that squad wanted this and that group wanted everything. He brought his left hand up and squeezed the bridge of his nose in annoyance as he balanced himself with his gunblade cocked on his right shoulder. This was beyond bearable and he scowled as he thought on how anyone could do this for a prolonged period of time, Cid particularly coming to mind.

With the orphanage having had to move here, he and Edea had been occupied looking after the kids and helping the others contained behind the walls. After losing her powers to Rinoa in her unknowing succession, Edea had become just another that needed protection from the invading Heartless, and her previously frightening powers that had held him under her service had been sorely missed. But with those two helping the refugees from all over the continent, leadership had been handed to him, but only after Squall's…disappearance. He refused to think him dead. It wasn't like Squall to just…go so easily. He should know…

There had been so many casualties and the posse that had finally grown to accept more than just Fuujin and Raijin had shrunk dramatically in less than four days. Fuujin was off issuing commands in her notable way, and he smiled at that. She had a way of making one word sentences unquestionably clear and no one argued with her. Raijin had such incredible luck coming out of everything with out even a scratch that Seifer could do nothing but curse the man, even though he was so very glad they had both come out of this unharmed.

His thoughts darkened as Selphie coming towards him reminded him of the heavy casualties their Garden forces had taken. She was walking pretty steadily and he knew that she was still adjusting to her new leg. The right had been claimed by an exploding barrel and she'd had to be fit with a prosthetic. But she was adjusting rather well considering the pace at which she and Irvine were approaching. Irvine, too, had been seriously injured and had only recently gained permission to come back out on the field.

He still limped heavily and his left arm was still in a sling, but that was expected to heal. The Garden doctor had warned, however, that he may always suffer a limp, although it may degrade in its prominence. However saddening these facts were, he knew there'd been worse cases; fatalities like Rinoa. They'd found her body as she had fallen before the Heartless's final sweep, but Squall's remained to be. Looking up, he nodded to the two as they finally arrived in front of him.

Selphie stumbled to a stop, her apprehension showing through her excitement. "Seifer!" she said, breathless, Irvine putting a hand to her back as she bent over her knees to catch it. "You'll never guess what we just saw!" Looking to Irvine, she continued at his nod. "There's a ship coming this way! The Garden's radar picked it up!" Here she became slightly nervous and she started to do that little dance of swaying from foot to foot, like she did before a battle. "It's of an unrecognized origin."

"What?" he asked confused, looking to her to explain in better detail.

Biting her lip, she looked from Irvine, to him, to Irvine, and back again. "The signatures and properties are so strange… We think it might be an Esthar ship," she finished carefully.

Seifer swallowed the bile that rose in his throat, color abandoning him. Shit, he was in trouble now. Esthar ship coming this way? Damn. "How long?" he demanded. He wanted to know how long he had to prepare a semi-eloquent explanation to the president of the most technologically and militaristically powerful nation on the planet as to why his son was dead because he hadn't been there to watch his back.

"ETA: two minutes," she said, biting her lip again.

"Son of a…" Alright, he could do this. He'd learned how to take responsibility after Adel and Ultimecia. "Gimme some time. Stall them for a few minutes while I think of what to say." Nodding at his command, Selphie and Irvine started off towards where the projected landing point would be.

Raijin came bounding up in his careless way. "Yo, Seif, I hear there's an Esthar ship coming?"

Seifer gave him a sardonic glare. "You heard, huh. Funny, it was just announced."

"Uh, yo, Seif," Raijin began, unsure and scratching the back of his head. "How you gonna explain to Mr. President that his son—," Raijin cut off as he dodge Seifer's blow and just ran, far from Seifer's fist and to the safety of Fuujin's side, who sent Seifer a compassionate look before turning to issue more orders. Typical Fuujin; show you care but waste no time on it.

"He's not dead, you stupid bastard!" He shook his fist after him. "Not until they bring back his fucking body!" Calming himself, he prepared to get his ass handed to him by the Esthar royal guard.

The walk hadn't taken long, but the most surprising thing was that only one person got out. One and they were walking this way with something over their shoulder and at their side something that looked like… Seifer couldn't believe it, didn't believe it. He pushed the person in front of him roughly out of the way, following suit with the next person, and again to anyone else the got in his path until he was in front.

Squall. It's really him. Everyone had noticed at the same time and had rushed to meet him. Seifer stood there, staring in his state of shocked relief, body being bombarded as the passersby bumped into him in their haste to reach Squall, enveloping him with love. He was smiling and laughing so openly. Seifer nodded to him and turned to look at the sun shining brightly just past mid sky, squinting with one eye completely shut as the big ass grin stretched his lips.

Squall's journey had been good for him, and his own for himself. Out of pain comes growth, and they'd both done so much. They understood each other now where they hadn't in the past, and Seifer was glad he was back. Everything was bright now, and the brilliant sun pouring its rays down from above made even the deepest shadows turn towards the light.

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/Main Theme – FF7 Piano Collections (1-2)/

They had left their stuff in their bins after Cid had landed and were now waiting for him to make his way down to the ramp so they could all share this moment together. Cid had ranted earlier about missing everything because he was the only good pilot. Cloud had offered to take his place for this instance, but Cid had immediately retorted that he was the only 'goddamned pilot' and no one pushed his baby's buttons right but him. Cloud had merely shrugged and left, saying something along the lines of 'don't say I didn't offer'. Cid had joined them in only a few minutes and had moved to open the ramp immediately, for Yuffie's bouncing form in the compartment had already reached his tolerance level.

As soon as it was open, Yuffie ran out, cart wheeling down it and flipping in circles. Stopping, she somersaulted to land flat on her stomach and hugged the grass as much as she could. "Home!" she squealed. "Home! Home! Home! I'm home! And it's just as beautiful as I remember!"

Cid had followed her more leisurely. Placing his hands on his hips, he inhaled as deeply as he could without going into a hacking fit. "Aaah!" he exclaimed. "Ain't no Rocket Town, but it sure smells good, all the same." He had begun to pat himself, searching for his cigs when he cursed, remembering he had long since run out. 'Damn goody goody town not carrying them!' Sighing in defeat, he looked to Aeris and Cloud who were still at the top of the ramp looking out. "Hey, you two, what are you waiting for? Didn't you miss our Planet?" he asked incredulously. "Come down from there, already!"

They looked to each other worriedly, their faces strangely apprehensive. "Something's…not right," they both said at the same time, looking to each other in surprise.

Yuffie had stood up and looked at them after sharing a concerned look with Cid, who ranted, "Whattya mean something's not right!? Everything's right, now!" Gesturing around him, Cid continued, "Look! You don't get attacked by a fucking Heartless mob by stepping foot outside city limits! Everything's fine! Come down, already, for shit's sake," he grumbled irritably. "Let's reunite with the sense of being home before heading to town. I had to stop, couldn't wait 'til we got to one."

They looked at each other again, still on edge. Aeris's hands busied themselves with each other as she started down the ramp, looking back at Cloud once. She stopped as the junction of ship and grass, hesitating. "It's like the Planet is uneasy. I can feel so much motion," she said forebodingly before stepping cautiously off. The Planet sang as she came in contact with it, welcoming her back. But she could still feel an abnormally strong stirring within it, as if it was preparing to act, but on what she didn't know. It was strangely silent in way of explanations.

Cloud looked around from the top of the ramp suspiciously as he pulled his cape tightly about him and hiding his lower face in his scarf. He retreated into himself in his wariness. Something was up, he could feel it, and it set his entire being on a sharp edge; his warrior senses were warning him. He walked down the ramp excruciatingly slowly as he continually looked around. Cid made some sarcastic remark about him being paranoid and Cloud retaliated harshly with a hissing whisper, "There's something not right! Can you not feel it?"

Yuffie had become pensive, hand at mouth in thought. "Well, now that you mention it, I can kinda feel that something seems a little off."

Cloud nodded, but more in relief that at least someone besides him and Aeris felt something. "Be on guard," he issued matter of factly. He, too, paused at the ramp's end, meeting each member's eyes, afraid to step off. There was just something so wrong about this.

"Would you get your pansy ass outta my goddamn ship already?!?" Cid bellowed.

Glaring at Cid over his scarf, Cloud looked worriedly at the ground, carefully stepping out with nervous wings twitching, toe first then the rest of his foot. When nothing sprung up at him, he took another slow step, all the while looking around. When nothing happened then or for the next few steps, he made his way to stand beside Aeris, but didn't relax his awareness in the slightest. He didn't like what his body was telling him and that was to run. But from what, and to where? He didn't know. All he knew was the intensity with which his body was pulsating with that simple command to just run, just run away.

Yuffie went back to her prancing about with her gymnastics and Cid kept playing with that damned grass, probably envisioning it a cigarette. Cloud had been on the lookout and he about jumped outta his skin as Yuffie gave an exclamation at narrowly dodging an opening hole in the ground. Aeris and Cloud both looked to each other and approached it, pausing as they came to the slowly expanding circumference which stopped as soon Cloud came to its edge. Cid had come a bit closer as the other three gathered around and looked into the green dimension. 'Lifestream,' Cloud and Aeris shared the unspoken thought. Still looking at her, Cloud's heart wrenched painfully. No, it couldn't be it's come to reclaim her! Thankfully, his fear of that situation was expunged as nothing happened, but he still couldn't shake this feeling…

Cloud's body jolted, his mind and heart freezing at the sudden impact. Looking down to his chest and the spear of hardened Lifestream impaling it, he shakily lifted his head to the horrified face of Yuffie across from him. Dropping his gaze in the same manner back to the pool, he followed the spike's length back to where it was embedded. It was freezing and he could feel a tingling sensation in his back from the lance of the Planet's blood. But the tingling soon turned into an even colder heat and he was rapidly becoming unable to feel anything in that area. But it felt hard when his disbelieving hands touched that area of his chest. It didn't hurt at all, no physical pain, but he knew something wasn't right. He shouldn't be getting solid like this and he definitely shouldn't be unable to feel himself breathe.

/Pure Heart – Rikki (1-3)/

The pool had begun to expand again and everyone jumped back, everyone but, Cloud who couldn't move. Cid had shouted at him, frustrated, to move his skinny ass, but he couldn't! The pool had now gained enough ground and had moved under his feet. He was sinking. Aeris rushed back to Cloud's side and latched onto his left arm when she figured out he was unable to get away. He pushed her violently away with the same arm and sent her stumbling and falling to the ground at Cid's feet as he tried to catch her. "Don't come near, damnit!" Cloud told her with a panicked look in his eyes. He didn't want her to die again! He was sinking and it already had him up to his knees; he didn't want her to be sucked in, too.

He watched Aeris tumble to a heap at his feet, pounding at the ground with her small fists and screaming. He understood the words she was saying, but couldn't make sense of what it meant. Something about Cloud, that 'he wasn't', whatever that meant. But he knew he would be the one to calm her down…and try to figure out what the hell was going on!

He took a deep breath, knelt as best he could by Aeris, and placed both hands on her shoulders. "Aeris. Aeris, doll," he spoke gently trying to plead with her, "can ya please tell me what's going on?"

She nodded, hiccupping, and answered him, constantly interrupted by the invasive movements of her desperate lungs. "The Planet says that Cloud is a threat!" she cried in between breaths. "But he's not! He's not!" She jammed the heels of her hands into her eyes, rubbing at them as the tears continued to fall at her misery. But she spoke again before breaking off into unintelligible weeping, "He's not like Jenova at all!" And the dawning of clarity her last fitful emission brought left Cid feeling utterly sick, the single grass strand falling from his slack lips as he turned to watch the Planet's swallowing of Cloud in shocked disbelief.

Yuffie had totally disregarded what he'd done to Aeris and came bounding up to give her try at pulling him free. She had grabbed the arm he'd thrown her way to remove her from danger, but he paused at the look in her eye, something he surely recognized, but never from her. "Yuffie," was the quiet, astonished whisper as the realization came to him. 'Why now…? Cause she thinks you're gonna die, idiot!' he mentally berated himself.

Tearing his gaze from her much too intense one, Cloud fought with renewed vigor. He bat his wings so furiously that he thought they would tear from his back. But even with that, he couldn't remove himself from the Lifestream's suction in the slightest. He was going under too fast, and the once freezing chest was almost buried. He couldn't get out…he…couldn't. 'No.'

He looked up desperately, meeting each person's eyes. First Yuffie's, whose pained ones reflected more than he was willing to think on. Then to Cid's, who held a struggling Aeris aiming to reach him. His eyes held quiet sorrow, burdened with the knowledge of what was before him even if he didn't know the reasons behind it all. He was saying goodbye, as well...

But it was the look in Aeris's eyes that killed him. She was crying, the streams on her face, the wretchedness in her expression, and the knowledge her gaze held. She kept shaking her head and calling his name, reaching out for him. He tried to reach back, to touch her one last time, but his arms were already embedded in the pool, immovable. All he could do was look her in her beautiful eyes, the resignation present and readable in his, but never acceptance.

His throat was being engulfed and he was going under much faster now. He looked back to Yuffie, to say his goodbye, before quickly shooting back to Aeris. He opened his mouth, to tell her once more, but his soul-felt profession was choked off as the Lifestream entered into the newly opened orifice and filled it. He threw his head back as much as he could, screaming with everything he was.

But nothing could escape the Lifestream, and as the ground swallowed him, as all feeling, sound, and awareness was cut, his sealing within the planet was complete. And his choked off cry echoed in the Lifestream where only the Planet could hear.

'…Damn you!'

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Voices could be heard, more voices should be the correct thought, and their presence pushed the one from his pleasant dream away. The dreams of the strangely similar silver haired boys and Sephiroth's reappearance happily released. With that, he let go of his dream-state, and companion, with pangs of regret, whoever the familiar presence was…

He felt a hand gently, sporadically, almost fearfully, shaking him, trying to rouse him accompanied by a light brushing over the cheek of his right eye and he pinched his face. At his movement, he could feel the murmured speaking and brushing hesitate before beginning again and traveling down that side of his face only when he failed to do anything more. The continued light brushing finally got to be such an annoyance that he shifted his body, trying to push himself into a useful waking state. The inhaling of breath and air rushing in as he imagined the people jumping back away from him almost made him laugh, but the sheer trouble he was having at only opening his eyes quickly killed all would-be mirth.

He peeled his eyelids apart and tried to look at what was above him, but the only images he could discern were blurred shapes that roughly looked to be in the form of people. He positioned his hands at his sides, fumbling as his limbs were suddenly so hard to move. And as he started to push himself up, they gave out, but two sets of hands under him helped to sit him the rest of the way up. Since he couldn't see the figures, he gave a blinded nod and he brought a hand up to rub at both eyes; hopefully to remedy the 'blinded' situation.

He could hear a rushing of feet coming towards him and a loud noise as the person arrived, stopping themselves with hands braced against some solid substance. Ceasing his actions, he looked up curious as to who it was and why they were so loud. His face took on an innocently puzzled expression as he looked the person up from feet, to hands braced on a rock wall? to ecstatic face. Did he know this person? They didn't look familiar, and they were dressed vaguely similar to Wutaiians…

"Ryuu sama ga! Ryuu sama ga!" the same stranger yelled, making Cloud's heart restart. It had been so sudden and so loud that he was shocked into a spell of dumbfoundment, with the belated realization of the spoken language making up most of it. The person turned around and started running back to wherever he'd come from, Cloud guessed. His cries of 'Shiroi Ryuu sama o mezamashite!' echoing back to his too sensitive ears.

Cloud shook his head slightly to clear the residual pain from the loud voice and proceeded to take in his surroundings a bit more, lucidity slowly making its comeback. The many and large shards of green laying around him made his brows draw together as he thought on what it was… 'Green,' the solid thought resonated in his mind, '…means something.' The simple word brought such an atmosphere of peace to his mind that it distracted him from his task. What was this that he was remembering? And what was this voice, this warmth that came with it? The emerald shards…floating in endless green…fireflies of light everywhere…

…!

Lifestream!

All of the memories were once again back in their proper places and the rushing thoughts that trailed them incited such fear in him as he noticed the absence of her. The widened state of his brilliant eyes and the frantic searching that rapidly possessed him sent his Wutaiian tenders into a fit of trying to calm him down.

The one to his immediate right, the one that'd been trying to wake him, he thought, placed his hands cautiously on him in an effort to make Cloud focus on his words. "You are safe," he said in heavily accented Midgardian. "You need fear nothing, most honored being," the man said, quickly removing hands and eyes from him as he bowed.

"Where-," Cloud's voice broke on him, and he took a moment to fix that, "is she?" The attempt to clear his throat and coax his voice into working order failed miserably and his desperate question only came out as a disdainfully choked whisper. But looking at the man's face, he'd obviously been able to tell what he'd asked.

The attendant nodded respectfully and spoke from his bowed position, "We were instructed to bring you to the palace after your awakening to have all your questions answered." Looking up to Cloud's face briefly, the man quickly shunted his eyes back to the floor as he continued. "We were told you would have many, most honored one."

Cloud looked the man in front of him over more closely, taking in his dress, speech patterns, suffixes, addressments, and mannerisms. They were all very similar to a certain Eastern culture, and he unknowingly voiced his concluding thought aloud, albeit, still very brokenly, "Wutai."

The man before him looked up with a pleasant startled bearing and returned to an even deeper bow, pride coloring his answer, "Yes, my lord."

Things were slowly coming together as to his location, but everything else remained frustratingly blank. "Yuffie," the fragmented thought and command broke through as Cloud looked the man in his fleeting gaze, beseeching him to understand. Strangely enough, the slew of emotions that cycled through the other's face in such a short time set Cloud on edge, though he didn't and couldn't know why.

The man bowed even deeper, flattening against the floor with profound adorance tinted with many emotions, sadness and disbelief, of all things, making their impressions upon Cloud. But before Cloud could dwell even semi-deeply on it in his confused state, the attendant spoke once more. "Please, my lord," he paused to glance up at Cloud. "I was instructed to bring you to the palace. Empress Kisaragi has personally deigned to audience with your lordship for the purpose of answering all questions you were to have."

Cloud nodded, dropping it for now. The man was either unwilling or unable to answer anything he might think of to ask and he was much too exhausted to fight him. Kisaragi… At least they knew who he meant by Yuffie. He smiled to himself a bit. So she had ascended the throne. This should be interesting, at the very least, but he was glad that something was familiar. And as the attendant rose and led him with a small entourage out of the cave and towards the palace, he began to realize that everything was very different. And that thought did not sit well with him at all.

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/June Mermaid – Xenogears CREID (1-07)/

That was not Yuffie, the thought seized him. She looked very similar to the sprite-like girl, surely, but that was all. Anger swelled within Cloud at the instant realization as to the non identity of the woman seated on the throne some distance away. "Who the hell are you? Where's Yuffie?" he spoke with quiet deadly anger, body at the ready for an ambush at thinking he'd been misled. The seated woman shifted from her slightly condescending, regal posture and stood, sending her attendants off to the sides further away, obviously some secret gesture hidden by her movements having dismissed them, and she continued down the golden stairs towards him, stopping several paces away.

Surely, it was for the intimidation factor expected of nobles. Either she didn't believe in this god nonsense or she was doing it merely for the attendants behind him. Nevertheless, she was treating him as her equal, and he felt that he should be somewhat thankful for that. Though, he supposed if she did subscribe to his supposed divinity, then she was behaving a bit on the arrogant side to think herself equal to him. Or was it him for thinking that just now…?

Glancing back at them, Cloud saw that they had stopped close to the door and were on the ground in an extreme bow, much like the one bestowed him back at the cave. Lingering on them a moment, he drew back to face the Empress, he assumed, or her double. "They said I was to be taken to Empress Kisaragi…" he said coldly, stabbing her with an icy glare. "I'm still waiting."

"I am she," she said, her voice quiet yet firm and laden with command as she lifted her head once in a short sharp motion. The reason for such an act was soon made apparent by the silent shuffling of his escorts as they backed out the door. After they were gone, she assumed a much more domestic posture, and the motherly gaze she fixed him with brought unease to his heart. "But I am afraid the empress you were expecting no longer rules this land," she continued with a small sad smile. "As you so affectionately call her, 'Yuffie's' reign ended well over four hundred years ago," she revealed gently, watching Cloud closely.

His thoughts fled, taking his breath and vision with it. How could this be real? That meant that those 'dreams' of his friends weren't really dreams at all. They had been saying goodbye before rejoining with the Lifestream, before entering its flow to once again await rebirth as new beings. He was alone again, truly, this time. There would be no 'finding' his friends again; there were none to be found. He felt as if he was going to drown. But before he could lose himself to his despair and break down as he wanted to, a delicate hand appeared before him with paper outstretched. Cloud looked up brokenly to her, reading in her eyes that she wanted him to take it. He moved sluggishly to take it, being weeping with his misfortune.

He sulkily opened the red envelope and removed the delicately folded paper inside, their beautiful properties going unappreciated in his emotional state. 'A letter,' he realized. And what more, addressed to him. Slightly curious as to what it was about, he shot a quick look to the Empress before turning away slightly to read it.

I've instructed them to give this to you when you awoke. But hopefully you'll

awaken within my lifetime. I pray that you will, so that I can see you again… and to explain

with more clarity what happened after you…left. But if not, then I'll write everything down

here, in this letter, that you would want to know. I think I know you well enough for that, at

least.

He could hear her humor in that last sentence, and he paused to remember it before continuing.

I'll start with the most important thing, since she was always forefront in your

mind. I'm sorry that there's no gentle way to put it, but Aeris was reabsorbed into the

Lifestream soon after you were.

Cloud's hand involuntarily crushed the letter when he jerked his head to the sky, trying to keep the tears from falling But as always, he was too slow and a small number escaped. He breathed deeply and didn't even bother to dry them before continuing.

Only three days or so had passed. It… had been just as big a shock as yours was,

and we weren't sure how to deal with it at first. At the time it was happening, she must have

known, because she said to tell you if you came back that she—

Cloud broke off, skipping ahead. He didn't want to know anymore, didn't want to put himself through more than was necessary. What was the point if he couldn't even respond to whatever it was she wanted him to know? The rest of the letter was thankfully devoid of any more mention of her, but it did contain what was cursory information, at that time, on the rest of the former party members. The only one that hadn't surprised him at the outcome of his life was Nanaki's. He had, as expected by pretty much everyone and to Yuffie, as well, tended Cosmo Canyon and was busy with the instruction of its inhabitants and scholars in the ways of the Planet.

Fleetingly, he wondered if Nanaki might still be there, remembering Bugenhagen's comment about the extended lifespan of Red's species. His hand closed around the letter, heartache and despair filling him yet again. What was left for him now? He had no where left to return to, no one that would take him in. Certainly no one here, and so, he turned towards the other occupant, but to do what he didn't know. Thankfully, she took that decision off his hands.

"I cannot answer any questions you may still have," she said, too diplomatically for Cloud's taste. Obviously she didn't want to deal with him anymore.

Cloud looked briefly to the crushed paper in his gloved hands, thinking about….everything, but the question he asked her was surprisingly spur of the moment. "How did you know this letter was meant for me? I could just be some random guy that's been mistaken," he reflected as he looked her pointedly in the eye.

The small condescending half-smile that colored her painted face said as clearly as her words that she wouldn't be taken in by his bait. "Her description was very accurate," she answered vaguely. And as the hint of confusion on Cloud's face manifested, the half-smile turned into a genuine one. "Eyes of the sky; hair, the halo of the sun…" she trailed off and had to half-turn away at the noticeable blush on his face, she covering her mouth with her fan to prevent her expression from being known, and to hopefully hide any sounds that might escape. "Quite the poet, wasn't she?" the Empress asked rhetorically around her fan, trying hard to keep all signs of mirth from her voice, but knowing some still escaped.

Cloud nodded as he likewise faced away, cheeks still colored that telltale hue, remaining quiet. After he was sure of his composure, he spoke softly, "I should go."

Empress Kisaragi nodded formally in acknowledgement. "If you are hungry, we will be more than honored to provide you with nourishment and housing should you require it." That motherly smile was on her face again.

Still refusing to meet her eyes after that last incident, Cloud responded just as quietly. "No, I don't want to be more a bother than I already have."

"It's the least we can do for someone who the greatest Empress Wutai has ever known spoke so highly of," she said with a teasing smile, "and a national hero, if not deity." The last part couldn't be completed with out a small laugh tacked on. And while she hadn't meant it to be offending, it still ticked Cloud off.

"Don't tell me you subscribe to that supreme god bullshit, too," he bit out rather harshly. Realizing what he'd said in front of the Empress, he rubbed at his neck sheepishly before murmuring an indistinguishable 'sorry'.

"No," her gentle voice broke in. "But I cannot see you through her eyes." Looking briefly to the ground, the Empress began to move about, randomly visiting this koi pond or that. "I do not know you as she did and I can never expect nor hope to. So whatever she saw in you to make her think that is lost to us all, unfortunately. I can certainly see where she would have been intrigued with the eyes, and I'm sure your fighting prowess…" Her hand grazed along a bamboo frond as she slowly walked the path's and pond's edge, gathering her next thought. "But you must be something special," she wondered even softer than usual for her, "because she talked about you until the end. So it is said, so it is recorded." And here she gave a pleasant smile as she turned to face him. "It is also documented that you were to be referred to Cosmo Canyon. There was hope that you would at least find something there. A place to stay, at least," she said looking down briefly. "But as our resident god, you're more than welcome to stay here, of course, for as long as you like. Or to come and go as you please," she cordially phrased. "As if we could go against the will of a god," she laughed lightly.

Cloud jerked back to face her, her light hearted joke all but ignored as he focused on her previous words. "Cosmo Canyon?" he asked, staring off into space in thought, then looking back into her eyes at his next thought. "Is something waiting there for me? Red is still alive?"

Shaking her head lightly, she responded, "I do not know. You would have to travel there yourself in order to find out. I was only doing what was instructed for the current empress at the time of your revival."

She didn't have to say it, but he could hear the 'if you revived' that was left unspoken and nodded in acknowledgement at the mutual thought. "I have to go. I have to see what's there." The restrained excitement was vibrant in his tone. He was on a mission, now, and he turned sharply to exit and head for the Canyon, his fingertips just making contact with the screen before she stopped him.

"Wait! We can provide transportation at least," she offered worriedly.

"No, thanks," he said with a knowing little smile that he flashed her over his shoulder. Flexing his wings and shaking the cape from them, he gave her a fleeting 'v' and proceeded out the doorway.

The Empress stumbled backwards a few steps and put an elegant hand to her chest in stunned and breathless surprise. 'He has wings…!' came the frantic thought. And as she watched him leave the room and likely her life, she realized for the first time what the legendary 'Yuffie' Kisaragi saw. She hadn't been a believer before, but she was now.

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/If You Still Believe – Legend Of Dragoon OST/

Nanaki loved the feeling of running uninhibited through the world and being close to the beautiful scenery that forever surrounded him. But as he approached closer to their special destination with the pups trailing him, this particular outing had become an especially enjoyable experience. They were almost there, and soon the lesson would begin. A smile spread across his face, lending a viciously feral appearance to his features and he quickened his pace, excited to show his children history in person. He anxiously and nimbly leapt up the structures, making his way to the outcrop that would allow for a magnificent view of Midgar in all its glory, but slid to an abrupt stop at the sight of a figure already there. There was something about this person he recognized, but it couldn't be. This smell, the qualities of the hair blowing in the light wind… "Cloud?" his gravelly voice released in a quiet disbelieving breath.

The figure slowly turned, his head scouting the situation before the rest of his body followed. Waiting until he was fully facing Red and his newly arrived and settling charges, he let his features lighten into an almost-smile, "Yo."

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Nanaki had been the last friend, and the last one Cloud had actually cried at in his passing. So unlike Vincent's, he was sorry to remember. Vincent's had been merely duty and obligation obtained through understanding. When their paths had finally crossed, it had not been under happy circumstances in the slightest. Not even on civil grounds, really.

There had been rumors of towns being terrorized by some unknown entity, which in itself was strange because of the nonexistent monsters. Cloud had been asked to go investigate and resolve it by the people of Cosmo Canyon, his acquired home between wanderings and resident peaceful force in the world, and had obliged. He had come upon Vincent, and the bitter irony at the understanding of the situation brought forth pity the likes of which he couldn't ever remember holding for anything. But Cloud did what was asked of him, by both the Canyon and Vincent's eyes, and had released him from the madness that was Chaos.

Now all ties to his long past were finally severed in the death of Nanaki. The pups he'd left behind were still somewhat young, and although they had a pack with which to stay, their mother and elders had agreed that the youngest travel with Cloud because of his great apathy and eagerness to learn, as would become the custom. And he had taken the young one everywhere with him, on all his journeys; showed him the world and told him of how it used to be in days long passed. And most enjoyed by the young pup, of traveling with his father, the discussions they had, and how Midgar hadn't always been green. Cloud had come to cherish him, as he would all his charges, but he could never replace Red. Instead, he had become a new confident in his own right, and his death had hurt as much as Red's.

He would come to find that those of Nanaki's tribe and species would be the most painful to part with. They had such long life spans and, therefore, more time for him to bond with them. But because of that, he always felt most at ease with them, and Cosmo Canyon as well, because of their understanding of beings living for such an extended period that his own un-aging was never questioned. He had become as legendary as the Canyon and as synonymous with both it and its beasts; and he was never seen without them, without at least one by his side.

Even now as the companion from the fourth generation of Nanaki's tribe lay beside him, gazing at the bluest sky yet, he couldn't help but remember everything. He couldn't ever really forget. The sky, the lands, the air and waters…all perfect, just like she had wanted and would have loved. How he wanted to show her this. How he wanted to see her, feel her, hear her again, and how the world reminded him of her at every turn.

A slight thump against his boot from the tail of a half-dozing fire beast on his right redirected his thoughts to their origin. Yes, the sky was so blue, and so pure, as she had been, and he would wait to walk with her through the fields himself, by the hand. He closed his eyes and smiled at the pleasant thought.

Yes, he would like that.

And he would wait, no matter how long it took, 'cause he had all the time in the world.

Didn't he.

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Well, thank God that's over. I thought it would never end. -.- The next fic is…not coming along, lol. It's taking a while and I've not been able to work on it with this one floating in my head. And now with school back in session, I'll be slowed down even more. Hopefully, though, it'll come out faster than I think it will, but in all honesty, that's not likely. I'm aiming for something a little shorter than this, but that probably won't happen either. / Well, those that stuck through 'til the end: hope you enjoyed it. And once again mucho praises to Clorith for the proofing/beta testing. And as always with my fic(s), future revisions apply. )

Until next time, people.