The door to Seventh Heaven burst open with crash and Tifa jumped, looking up from where she had been cleaning the top of the bench to see Cloud rushing over to her with an over-joyed smile on his face. She hadn't seen him looking so happy in such a long time that it took her a moment to react.

"Cloud?" She dropped the rag she had been using and moved to walk around the bench, watching curiously as he gripped the edge of the bench and continued smiling at her, the excitement practically pouring out of him.

"I did it. I did it, Tifa!" Cloud said as she approached him. His happiness was contagious and she found herself smiling back at him.

"Did what?" she asked with a light laugh.

Instead of speaking to answer her, Cloud let go of the bench and then reached his right arm around to his left, gripping the cloth that hung there and yanking it hard. A ripping sound informed them of the severed connection and then Tifa found herself staring at his bare arm and wondering what the significance of it was.

"Cloud...?" she asked softly.

"It's gone! My geostigma!" Cloud said to her, dropping the torn sleeve and gripping her shoulders excitedly. "I found a cure; where's Denzel?"

Tifa stared at him with wide eyes for a moment, his words slowly sinking in and beginning to make sense to her. "A... a cure? Are you sure?"

"Well you don't see anything here, do you?" Cloud asked, moving his head to indicate his arm.

"But how?" Tifa asked, a smile now on her lips. Cloud let go of her shoulders and she grabbed his hand, dragging him towards the back where the stairs led up to the children's rooms.

"There's no time to explain," Cloud said as they almost ran to find the kids. "But I promise once I get back with Denzel I'll tell you all about it."

"Shouldn't we be running around telling others as well?" Tifa asked as they stopped in front of Denzel's bedroom door. "Imagine the hope it would give them!"

"Not yet, Tifa," Cloud said quietly. "There's only so much of the cure at the moment and to declare it to everyone would only upset them again when not everyone can be healed. But once we've got Denzel fixed up and I've explained everything to you, I'm going to help them in trying to make more."

Tifa considered it and then nodded. "Alright."

Cloud then turned and knocked on the door, to which it opened almost immediately and Denzel's head poked out.

"What is it?" he asked.

"You have to come with me right now!" Cloud said, not being able to keep the grin off his face.

"What's happened?" Denzel asked, opening his door wider and frowning. Marlene appeared from her own room and wandered over to also find out what everyone was talking about so excitedly.

"I'm going to cure you, Denzel." Cloud said quietly. The brown-haired boy stared up at him with wide, shocked eyes before letting out a choked laugh and then catching himself again.

"You're- you're not joking around?" he asked, his expression showing that if this was all just a joke it would shatter his mind.

"I wouldn't joke about this!" Cloud said firmly, reaching down and grabbing the boys arm before leading him back over to the stairs.

"Really?" Marlene squealed as she ran after them. "Denzel's gonna be fixed?"

"Yes, but you have to stay here with Tifa for now. I'm going to take Denzel on my bike so that we get there faster." Cloud instructed, glancing over his shoulder at Tifa for a moment as he began crossing the bar on his way to the front door.

"This- this is for real!" Denzel laughed, running alongside Cloud and still holding his hand.

"Yes Denzel," Cloud said with a smile, looking down at the boy as he pushed the door open and stepped out. "Yes it is."