Author's Note: Normally, I'd leave a list of reviewers to thank, but honest to Gaia, somehow I always manage to leave someone off and thereby hurt someone's feelings. So this time I'm determined on replying personally. It takes more time but I prefer it anyway. Getting to talk to readers is the fun part of posting on ffnet.

AND this is the longest chapter I've written so far in exchange for how long it took to update. I am going to do my best to update faster and I'm thinking I'm going to try to put out the next chapter in a couple of weeks or so. If you knew how much time I put into writing, all of you would probably laugh.

"There is a smile of love,
And there is a smile of deceit,
And there is a smile of smiles
In which these two smiles meet.

- -William Blake

18 Months Earlier

Cloud sat crouched on the small rise and stared out over the carpet of green that covered the landscape of Rocket Town. It was the beginning of spring and the leaves were new, the grass fresh and soft beneath his heavy boots. The hardwood trees canvassing the countryside were covered in moss even as small foliage began to make its appearance among the skeletal branches. Patterned among them, unforgotten even after the heavy winter's passing, were tall and short pines, their needles strong and resilient to the changing of the seasons.

None of that mattered to Cloud, however. It had been barely six months since Nibelheim had been destroyed and in that span of time his life had been utterly transformed. The irony of it nearly killed him. Here was the life he had dreamt of for as long as he could remember; new places, new people, the excitement of training to be more than just some backwoods country boy.

He remembered not long ago sitting on the window seat of his room, staring out over the mountains of Nibelheim. He remembered the longing for freedom, for excitement, for anything to happen to break him away from the pointless drifting that his everyday brought.

And here he was. He had gotten his wish.

He threw the stick he had been dragging through the dirt and stood up. It was quiet here in this little forested section behind the inn where they were staying, but in the distance he could hear the farmers' carts making their way through the small marketplace, could hear the calls of vendors and the clucking of chickens.

He didn't know why they were here. Vincent was close-mouthed about the whole thing but it wasn't as if Cloud questioned him much. Most of their conversations were brief and pertained only to his training. On some level, however, he was aware that Vincent had his own agenda

Cloud didn't care. He didn't care about Vincent, what he thought, who he really was and what his plans were. Cloud only had one goal now and every time he remembered it a hot ball of rage would burn so brightly inside of him that it scalded him, ate the skin from his bones until everything else was seared away and he was left empty and black—and waiting.

Sephiroth. Nothing else mattered. Nothing.

"Cloud?"

The tentative voice came from behind him and he reluctantly turned to face the speaker. He had known she was there but he'd been hoping she would see that he just wanted to be left alone. He was entirely selfish but he couldn't bring himself to care.

Sephiroth.

Tifa was staring at him with a pleading expression. Always pleading, always concerned, always hopeful. Gaia, she made him feel inadequate. In that respect nothing had changed. She was still the mayor's daughter and he was still a nobody. She wouldn't be here with him if Nibelheim still existed.

Even now, both of them having lost and lived, she was the same essential Tifa. She was slightly tougher now, she had to be, but her nature was fundamentally unchanged.

He was not. Nothing about him felt the same.

But she didn't want that. She wanted him to be the same, to smile shyly at her, to reassure her that they could find a way to make things right. He was something for her to hold on to, to grasp and keep in the absence of everything she had lost.

So he would try—try for her even as he knew he would fail.

His smile felt brittle. "What's up?"

She smiled back but the worry didn't leave her eyes. "What are you doing? You've been out here for hours."

He shook his head and returned his gaze to the landscape of green. Green was everywhere, on practically every surface he looked—lichen and leaves, grass, fronds and needles. He missed the winter. Even as he thought so his focus drifted to the distant mountains, a shadow of black shapes rising above the horizon.

"Where's Vincent?" He didn't care but he knew that Tifa would expect him to ask.

"I don't know. He said he had something to take care of."

Cloud didn't respond. He was already at the limit of his polite repertoire.

"Cloud, what are we doing here?"

She came to stand slightly behind him. He felt the air stir around him at her movement, felt the current disturb the fine hairs at the base of his neck. Vincent had been training him to take notice of such things, to always be aware, to see with more than just his eyes. So he was aware of her moving hand even before she placed it on his shoulder. He tried not to tense at the contact.

He shut his eyes as her fingers dug slightly into his tunic at the base of his shoulder blade. "I don't know. Vincent hasn't told me anything."

"What do you mean he hasn't told you anything? But you're the only one he talks to. I can barely get a word out of him."

Her words came out angry. But underneath the unconcealed ire was petulance and beneath that, stark and real, was her loneliness. She had no one, no one to talk to, to comfort her. Cloud was unable to and Vincent—whatever haunted him kept him locked wholly inside himself.

Tifa was alone. If only Cloud could care.

He stirred slightly and turned so that his face was in profile to her. It was the most he could manage at that moment. Aware for the first time of her forced isolation, Cloud felt heavier than ever. Why couldn't he be what she needed? Instead, he felt that deep yawning blackness, that sensation of waiting growing inside of him.

"Cloud, why are we here? Especially with Shinra here. They say that rocket is due to launch any day now. There are Shinra guards and scientists everywhere. This is just foolish."

He saw her bite her lip out of the corner of his eye and knew it to be a nervous habit that she gave in to when she felt distressed. He took a deep breath and turned to face her. He felt detached. Numb.

"Shinra's not looking for us. We're dead, Tifa, remember? No one knows we exist." Ghosts. That was what he felt like. They were spirits, restless with no home, invisible and hopelessly bound. "I'm sure there's a reason, Tifa. Vincent will tell us when he's ready."

"How can you be so calm about this? We haven't done anything these past few months but travel and wait, wait and travel. Vincent doesn't tell us where we're going, what we're doing. And you—what are you training for? Do you even know?"

"I know." He could feel his pulse speed up at the thought, could hear his heart beating in his ears. Green eyes flashed in his mind. Green, always green.

He knew what he was training for. Vincent did too, but they both knew it wasn't enough. Vincent could teach him to fire a gun, to pick locks, to smile, to lie without any tells, to adapt, to steal, to evade and escape. It still wouldn't be enough. He didn't need to know how to be a Turk; he needed to know how to bring Sephiroth to his knees. To tell him why—why Nibelheim, why his home, why him?

Why am I still alive? Why didn't he just kill me?

Cloud's thoughts were interrupted as the barrel of a gun was pressed suddenly to his temple.

"You're dead," Vincent said, his voice harsh and deep and quiet even in the stillness of the forest. "Do I need to take you back to the beginning, Cloud? First rule?"

"Always be alert. Never drop your guard."

"Don't underestimate me." Tifa murmured and Cloud turned his head enough to see her hand suspended behind Vincent's neck in a lethal position.

Vincent ignored her. "Fourth rule?"

Cloud answered automatically. "Never count on someone being there to save you. You can only truly trust yourself."

Cloud heard Tifa's breath catch in her throat, felt rather than saw her drop her poised arm from behind Vincent's neck. He didn't need to see her to know her eyes would be full of hurt, to know that he had just driven a spike into her already shattered heart.

Vincent turned to face her. His voice was without inflection as he spoke. "This isn't a game, Miss Lockhart. This isn't a martial arts match for which there is an end. There is no sensei who will monitor you, tell you when the match is over, who will patch up your hurts and pat you on the head when you've done something right. This is not life. This is survival. And at the end, if you are lucky, you are alive." He turned his head then and spoke to Cloud. "There is only survival or death."

He left then, his scarlet cape flapping ever so slightly in the light breeze as he strode toward the inn.

Tifa and Cloud were silent for long moments after he left.

"He's wrong," Tifa finally said.

The sadness had left her and her expression reflected new determination that blazed like a fire. It was so bright that her amber eyes had turned gold with it. "You're not alone. I will always be here for you. Always. And at the end of this, when this is through, we will have a life. I promise you, Cloud. We will."

Cloud could see the fire of her belief, knew that if he'd been anyone else the heat of it would have brought warmth to his heart. But there was no heart to warm. There was only that yawning blackness, that waiting. And green. Always green.

Present Day

Reeve Tuesti stared out of the window of his office. He could see his reflection there, faint as it was, and realized that he looked tired. He studied himself—the angular face softened slightly by his neatly trimmed goatee, the long thin nose and mouth, the fierce brow and black piercing eyes underscored by dark shadows wrought from sleepless nights. He shrugged and sighed before turning away then walked back to his desk, sat down, and waited.

The sky was pink now with gold just beginning to edge the horizon. Sunrise was his favorite time of day and he always made it a point to view it, whether it was from his office or at home. Today it was his office because he had too much work to do for it to be otherwise. Events were beginning to occur at a faster pace and it was up to him to make sure that they didn't spiral out of control.

Fifteen minutes later the sun rose far enough for its entirety to become visible—

And Rufus Shinra walked into his office.

The President's son and heir was beautiful. There was no other word that could be used to describe him. Pretty didn't do him justice, while the word handsome lacked power although perhaps stunning would do as well. His face seemed to have been sculpted by an artisan's hand, perfect as it was in its symmetry. The long tail of his ash blond hair was tied neatly back in a queue and his deep-set blue eyes glimmered with intelligence and a jaded sophistication that came from years spent in the public eye.

Resplendent in a white suit, the President's son wore it with more flair and innate style than his father ever could. Then again perhaps that was why he chose to dress that way. Undermining the President through passive-aggressive upstaging was something Rufus Shinra was more than capable of.

"You know, it would be a far better idea if you were to join me in my office. I'm more watched than you," Rufus said as he walked over to the small bar and poured himself some coffee.

Reeve rested his chin upon his folded hands as he stared at Rufus's back dispassionately. "Exactly. Your office is bugged."

Rufus finished stirring his coffee, his frown noticeable as he came to sit across from Reeve. "What do you mean? The Turks sweep my office once a day."

Reeve's smile was wry. "Who do you think put them there?" Rufus opened his mouth to protest but Reeve interrupted him before he could speak. "Despite what you think, your father is still President. The Turks follow his directives, not yours."

"And your office isn't bugged?" Rufus finally said, looking around before glancing back with a raised brow at Reeve.

"Why would it be? The Urban Development Department doesn't have nearly the visible power that the other departments have. I'm sure you've noticed the other department heads sneers whenever I'm mentioned."

"We both know that you've deliberately cultivated that impression."

"Sometimes it's better to fly under the radar than over it," Reeve murmured.

Rufus smirked. "Was that a deliberate poke at me?"

"Merely an observation."

Rufus leaned back further in his chair and waved his hand dismissively. "As much as I enjoy your somewhat understated wit, I'd rather discuss why I'm here."

"By all means." Reeve studied Rufus for a moment before he continued. Despite the fact that they were purportedly on the same side, it all came down to how much he trusted him. No further than I can throw him, Reeve thought. Maybe less. "AVALANCHE has begun the second stage of the plan."

Rufus raised an eyebrow. "They're moving rather fast, aren't they?"

"Sephiroth is smarter than you give him credit for. I already made it clear to you that he'd be a problem."

"Yes, so I've heard. Tell me; is Sephiroth really as obsessed with catching your Shinra Thief as rumor has it?"

Reeve hesitated. Everything could go up in flames if he didn't keep the young Shinra in check. It was too late in the game for him to lose it now. "Perhaps. The point is that with the General stalking the thief's every move and with the level of security now present in the city, AVALANCHE had been forced to move ahead of schedule."

"Not a problem. As I see it, when it occurs is not so important as how. My father may not negotiate with terrorists, but I am not my father."

"If you were, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

Rufus's smile was radiant and lacked the cynical edge Reeve usually saw. "Exactly."

"You're not concerned for the President at all? That perhaps events may not go as planned and he might be hurt?" Reeve asked curiously.

He knew that the President and his son didn't see always see eye-to-eye and that their relationship was often as competitive as it was antagonistic, but underlying it Reeve had always sensed that President Rupert Shinra took great pride in his son. He wondered though, staring into Rufus's eyes, whether or not the feeling was reciprocated.

"No, I'm not," Rufus replied after a moment of thought. "My father, despite his recent poor choices, has always managed to come out on top. He's like a cat: nine lives minus the one he lost during his last bout with liver cancer, and even that he somehow managed to beat. I'm confident that being kidnapped by AVALANCHE will barely raise his blood pressure. If we let him, my father will be in power for the next fifty years. With every year, the Company will erode that much more."

"I'm not as concerned for the Company as I am the Planet. Our mako production has increased exponentially over the last few years. With that, there have been a larger number of earthquakes, floods, pollution and a tremendous rise in the monster population."

"You would know more about that than I."

"Yes, I do. The President continues to ignore the problem, not to mention the state the Lower Plate is in. He takes no notice of my warnings."

Rufus smiled. "Despite different goals, our agenda is the same. My father can't be allowed to hold power any longer."

He stood from the chair, adjusting his cuffs and smoothing his suit jacket before making his way to the door. He then turned with his hand on the doorknob, a slightly amused smile on his face as he spoke.

"In the meantime, make sure your little thief isn't caught. It would be quite inconvenient for us if he were." With a last wave over his shoulder Rufus was gone, the door clicking audibly behind him.

Reeve sat back in his chair, swiveling it so that he faced the window. The sun was visible now, small though it was, and the sky had turned from pink to tentative blue.

Cloud Strife. Over the last eight months he had become quite fond of him. He and the others who made up AVALANCHE. Disorganized, messy, emotional wrecks, and passionate zealots they may have been, but they were real. His time as a Shinra executive had made him appreciate the value of that all the more.

He didn't know how he was going to shelter them from the probable backlash the next phase of his plan would bring, but he would try. He only hoped it would be enough.

Cloud's time was running short, he could feel it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday they would figure it out, they would discover who he was and where he was from and he needed to have all of his ducks-in-a-row before that happened.

This was going to be his last chance to sneak out for a while. His entrance exam for SOLDIER was scheduled for the next day and once he was a cadet there would be no way he could manage it. It was hard enough as an MP. As a cadet it would be next to impossible.

Letting Tifa know of his plans to join SOLDIER had been harder than he had anticipated and as he had expected she hadn't taken it very well. She hadn't yelled, hadn't even really raised her voice, but the disappointment and worry in her eyes had said it all.

Cloud knew that she thought this merely another way for him to risk himself, that it was simply another channel by which to achieve his own self-destruction. He could no longer argue with her, especially in light of how close he had come to getting caught by Sephiroth.

Tifa was also aware that SOLDIER had been his once longed-for dream and she was afraid that he was trying to have his cake and eat it too. To his dismay, he couldn't say that she was completely wrong. Their already strained relationship was being tested at every turn and although he knew that she loved him (or that she thought she did), he was afraid that any ability he had to feel that emotion had been burned away along with Nibelheim.

But he didn't want to think about that. Now, he was going to see another girl, not one he loved or shared a haunted past with, simply someone who's presence gave him some much desired peace.

The thief stared down the darkened tunnel of the narrow street that ran between the adjoining buildings into the glimmer of Migar's lights. The old church was a ramshackle, sprawling building with weathered board walls and a wood shingle roof. It looked for all the world as if it could've been someone's barn except for the steeple and broken stained glass.

He made his way cautiously to the back of the building, pausing watchfully as he began to climb the side wall. His task was made easier by the pitted adobe and it wasn't long before he was seated on top of the church. He crouched low, aware not for the first time that the Turks were watching her. He was therefore twice as vigilant as he made his way to the very notable hole in the dilapidated roof and slipped into the rafters.

When he looked down he saw that she was kneeling in her usual place. Yellow and white flowers formed a profusion of color around her and just the sight of her caused the tightness that had been squeezing his chest to relax.

He took the metal end of his grappling hook and draped it over the nearest rafter before sliding down the rope. His descent was silent, more out of habit than any desire to creep up on her. Even so, she knew he was there. This was confirmed moments later when Cloud's feet finally touched the floor, and though she did not turn around, her tone was laced with humor when she spoke.

"Hello, Cloud."

"Hello, Aerith." Cloud removed his thief mask and shoved it into his pant pocket, running a hand briefly and self-consciously through his yellow spikes before coming to stand next to her. "How are your flowers selling?"

Aerith laughed from her crouched position, smoothing her pale blue skirt with hands lightly crusted in soil. "Not as well as they were before you came along. Too many soldiers on the streets are looking for you." Her eyes glinted with laughter but her voice was serious.

Cloud's brow furrowed in thought. "Is it really that bad?" he asked, suddenly feeling guilty about the idea that his forays as the thief were cutting into her profits. Aerith was poorer than he was and that was saying quite a lot. Every gil that he had stolen from Shinra had gone back into AVALANCHE's till.

She shook her head and rose, lightly brushing away a curl from her face as she turned to smile at him. "No, it's not that bad, I was only teasing. It's just the opposite, really. Since you started your Robin Hood routine," she winked and Cloud ducked his head, a reluctant smile curving his lips before she continued, "I've had much more business; soldiers wanting to buy flowers for their ladyloves. I've even been asked out on a few dates," she said, and a tiny mark appeared in her cheek as her smile widened.

"They asked you out on dates even though they were buying flowers for their girlfriends? They sound like slimeballs to me," Cloud said with a scowl and Aerith giggled behind her hand.

"That's what my SOLDIER said."

"Well, he's right." He knew that Aerith had been dating a SOLDIER for quite a while, although she rarely mentioned him to Cloud. He thought that had more to do with the fact that Aerith was a private person than out of any desire to keep quiet about their relationship.

Her smile faded slightly and her radiant green eyes grew concerned. "Cloud, is everything okay? I couldn't help but notice that there are even more troopers around than usual. Did something happen?"

Cloud studied the floor, noticing that the boards were rotting away in places although they were swept clean. Aerith kept the church as immaculate as possible. "No more than usual. I just slipped their net again." She didn't say anything and her smile was patient and understanding as she waited for him to continue. "I wanted to come say good-bye. I won't be around much anymore."

Her brow creased in thought. "Are you giving up on being a thief?"

"No, that never crossed my mind. But I have some things I need to take care of. It's not forever, just for a little while."

Cloud had met Aerith on one of his less successful raids. He had been trying to sneak out of the barracks, avoiding patrolling MPs and SOLDIERs coming in from a night of partying and had somehow gotten turned around, become lost, and run straight into a group of troopers coming off their shift. They had chased him through Sector Zero and bullets had flown in all directions. Someone had thrown a very strong fire spell at him, causing him to crash through the floor beneath him. He had hit the ground beneath him so hard that he'd blacked out and when he'd finally woken, Aerith had been crouched over him. Light had flooded over him from a hole in the roof directly above him and her first words to him had been, "That's the second time that's happened."

Since then he had come to see her whenever he had time in between ventures. She knew who he was but something about her kind demeanor had Cloud instinctively knowing that she would never tell anyone. Nor did she judge him for his chosen occupation.

Besides, she had trusted him with something equally valuable, equally dangerous.

"Cloud," she hesitated before continuing, a slight frown on her mouth as she looked at him. "Is it true that you work with AVALANCHE?"

He tensed, unsure how she had come by that information. He wouldn't have been surprised if some of the higher-level Shinra SOLDIERs knew about it, but he didn't think that was common rumor yet. Damn, they really were running out of time.

"Aerith, before I answer that, will you tell me one thing?" She didn't hesitate but nodded encouragingly.

"How did you come by that information? Did a trooper tell you?" If an MP had told her, then AVALANCHE was in far more trouble than they thought. The more people within Shinra who knew about his connection with AVALANCHE, the more likely it was that their whole operation could go down in flames.

"Um, my SOLDIER told me. Does that make a difference?" she asked, her brow furrowed.

"What rank is your SOLDIER?" he asked.

"He's a First Class. SOLDIER Zack Fair," she said quietly, and her eyes softened as she spoke the name.

Cloud felt himself go pale. Zack was her boyfriend!

"Cloud? What is it? What's the matter?" She came over and placed her hand on his shoulder but Cloud barely registered it. His mind was going in ten different directions at once.

"You haven't mentioned me to Zack at all, right?"

Aerith scowled as she placed both hands on her hips. "Of course I haven't. Why would I ever do such a thing?"

Because he's your boyfriend, Cloud said silently to himself. But he knew that Aerith was telling the truth. If Zack had known he wouldn't have been able to hide it from Cloud. His SOLDIER friend wasn't capable of that kind of subterfuge. Unlike Cloud.

He ignored the pang of guilt that was becoming familiar to him now and shifted restlessly.

"Zack and I…" Cloud stopped and then he noticed Aerith's smile. "You know, don't you? You know that I've met Zack. That we're friends."

She sighed once, staring down at her flowers pensively before she answered. "Yes. Zack has spoken of you more than a time or two."

"How long?"

"Since you took off your mask for me a month ago." Cloud's mouth hung open and she smiled again. "It was your hair. Zack mentioned that you look kind of like a chocobo. I doubt two people in the whole world have that particular hairstyle."

"You should've told me," Cloud said, but even now he was unable to be angry with her. There was something about her that calmed him, put a damper on his rage.

She had been wary of him upon their first meeting. It was the slums, after all. And after a lifetime of living there Aerith had learned caution. He had needed her to trust him and when he'd finally revealed himself to her she had smiled.

He hadn't known why at the time. Now he did.

Cloud walked away, seating himself on a nearby pew and Aerith came to sit beside him.

"Cloud?"

He shook his head and sighed but a small smile tilted up his mouth. "It's okay, I'm not mad. If I can keep secrets, why can't you? You're a lot more devious than I thought, though," he said teasingly.

Her laughter sounded like bells. "Well, I did grow up in the slums."

"You read my mind." She giggled as he shook his head in wry amusement. "So now what?"

Aerith shrugged. "Nothing's really changed since I don't have any intention of telling Zack." She paused to look at him meaningfully. "You can tell him when you're ready."

Cloud swallowed, wanting to argue but knowing she was right. Someday, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not even a month from now, he would have to tell Zack. Their friendship had become too important for him to do otherwise.

"One more secret," she said softly, her spring eyes glinting with barely concealed sadness. Cloud was compelled to reach out and squeeze her hand. He already knew what she was thinking.

"I guess I don't really understand," he confessed. "Why can't you just tell him that you're an Ancient? I'm pretty sure Zack wouldn't care, and it isn't as if it's a bad thing."

"Half-Ancient," Aerith corrected and Cloud rolled his eyes, causing her to smile. "And no, it's not a bad thing. It's just not safe right now. It's better for Zack not to know. "

Cloud lifted his brow at her. "Plausible deniability?" When she tilted her head in question he answered without her even having to ask. "If Shinra finds out he can say with complete honesty that he didn't know you were an Ancient."

Aerith shook her head but her smile was sad again. "Like you, one day I'll have to tell him. But not yet. Not now." Her gaze was far away, as if looking into a future that only she could see.

"Why did you ask me about AVALANCHE?"

She turned back to him and hesitated before speaking. "The group you're with…they want to save the Planet?"

Cloud furrowed his brow before he nodded. "Yes. That's a big part of our purpose. Why?"

She was silent for a long moment. "The Planet is in a lot of trouble. And something…is going to happen unless you do something about it."

"You mean unless AVALANCHE does something?"

She shook her head. "No. I meant you. Unless you do something, the Planet will do something to rectify the situation. And it'll be bad, Cloud. Really, really bad." Her final words were little more than a whisper.

Cloud stared at her in confusion. "I don't understand. Why does it have to be me? How can I stop it?" Cloud couldn't help but look at her a little skeptically. But really, the whole idea was unbelievable.

Aerith shook her head. "Surely you've noticed that things aren't right the way they are now."

Cloud had heard stories and had seen enough to know that she was right. Before his hometown had burned down, peddlers from other villages had brought word of monsters in places they had never before been seen. A stream near the town had become so polluted that it had been acidic, deadly enough to kill little Alrek, the school teacher's youngest son. Nibelheim had been forced to drain it. When they had done so, they'd discovered that all the fish were dead. In addition, some of the livestock had become diseased and mutated—chickens with two heads, cows that constantly produced stillborn calves, milk that came out of the udder already spoiled.

"But why me?" he asked again. "I'm no one. I'm nothing special. If the world needs saving, why not Zack or…I don't know. It doesn't make any sense." He didn't even try to hide from her how frustrated he felt.

"I'm sorry, Cloud, I know this is hard to hear. You're the key somehow and the only thing I really know is that it's all connected to what happened to you." When he scowled at her in question she sighed. "Nibelheim. It has something to do with what happened there. You have to find out the truth."

"What do you know about Nibelheim," he demanded. If she could tell him what had happened then…

Aerith shook her head. "I really don't know anything more than that." Her forehead wrinkled and her mouth turned down in sympathy. "I wish I could help you find what you're looking for."

Cloud felt his stomach lurch as he contemplated her words. He hadn't told Aerith anything about his past. The fact that she knew about it scared him enough but now it had become somehow imperative that he discover the truth. On top of that, he was in even more of a time crunch.

Cloud grit his teeth, clenching his jaw so tightly that it hurt. More questions and no answers. Frustration and helplessness built inside of his until all he wanted to do was scream.

Aerith placed her palm on Cloud's cheek, and he felt his fury disappear as suddenly as it had come. Even so, he could feel the rage waiting in the shadows, biding its time until it could fill him once more. "It will be alright, Cloud. I know you'll figure it out somehow. I wasn't sure how to tell you before but now—if you you're really not going to be around much—I just had to. I know what it's like not to have any time."

Cloud's smile was wry. "You have more secrets than Cid has dirty jokes. I assume your knowledge has something to do with you being an Ancient?"

Aerith nodded her head. "Sometimes I can talk to the lifestream, but it's not a static thing. It's more like whispers and I can only catch every other word. I would tell you more if I could but I believe that sometimes things happen the way they do for a reason."

Cloud wasn't so sure that he agreed. No one could convince him that the destruction of his home had somehow been destined to happen. It made him angry to think it could be justified by some cosmic bullshit.

"How long do I have?" he asked, scared in that moment to hear the answer.

"Not long," she answered softly and he nodded, somehow not surprised. He was discouraged by the vagueness of her answers but he knew that it wasn't her fault, that she would help him more if she could.

AVALANCHE's goal was to take down Shinra in order to save the Planet but his objective had always been different. Truthfully, he'd never really cared about the Planet and had viewed that part of his job as a means to an end. As long as Sephiroth worked for Shinra, however, AVALANCHE's purpose and his own had coincided nicely. Now it seemed that things were no longer that simple.

But he trusted Aerith. More than that, he believed she was telling the truth.

Cloud Strife, World Savior. It would've been funny if it weren't so tragic.

Two weeks later, Cloud gasped as his arms began to quiver under Zack's heavy blows. The humiliating thing about it was that Zack had chosen to use a training sword rather than the buster sword he always carried. Yet Cloud could barely lift his arms to defend himself. He had been out of training too long. Although he had become the Shinra Thief and as such had made constant use of Vincent's training, there had been little need to use sword fighting in that particular occupation.

Kukashi, master of the sword, his former sensei, would be ashamed of him. He could just see the disappointed tilt of his narrow eyes, could feel his invisible presence standing there watching his pupil get pummeled into the ground. It didn't matter that Zack was a 1st Class SOLDIER. There was no excuse, even though he would like to claim that he was doing it on purpose.

He grimaced as their swords made contact again, could feel salty drops of sweat trickle down his face until they found his eyes, causing them to sting sharply.

"Keep your sword up, Cloud. Never let down your guard." Zack hadn't yet broken a sweat, his breathing was even, his face only slightly flushed.

For a moment Cloud was unnerved by how closely Zack's words echoed Vincent's but he was jolted heavily back into the present as Zack's sword once more made contact with his. He studied Zack's stance, saw the easy way he held the sword, the almost casual grace with which he moved.

Yes, Zack was very talented. A prodigy, undoubtedly. Even with all of Cloud's training he was no match for Zack, who practiced religiously every day, and more than that, had seen combat. His friend had lived and worked in situations where his life depended upon his skill with a blade. It made a definite difference.

On the other hand, Zack was lazy and cocky and much too sure that a cadet-in-training could never beat him. Cloud saw the way he continuously dropped his right shoulder before he struck, a revealed weakness that on the battlefield could get him killed. Cloud was fairly certain though that Zack would never do that out on the field. He underestimated him.

When Zack struck out again, Cloud dodged to the side, pivoted lightly on his right foot and simultaneously brought up his own sword, swiping it in a quick easy gesture at Zack's left side and hitting his rib with a hard jab before coming back into his guard position.

Zack grunted and brought himself back to his ready stance. His eyes were wide. "Shiva, Cloud, where'd you learn that?"

Cloud could feel himself blushing, realizing that he'd made a massive error in judgment. Once again, pride had reared its monstrous head. He had been envisioning Kukashi and Vincent, and of course, Sephiroth—always Sephiroth—standing there watching Zack make mincemeat out of him. And then of course Zack had left an opening and he'd taken it because…well, because it was there and he hated to lose. Damn.

"Cloud? Where did you learn the Braver? I mean, some of the 2nds can do that and all of the 1sts but I've never seen a cadet pull off something like that. At least, not without tripping over their own feet in the process."

Cloud's ears were on fire with his blush and any moment he expected steam to issue from them in chagrined displeasure of his stupidity. "Is that what it's called? I didn't know. I've just been…I've been watching some of the 1st Class SOLDIERs training. Um, and I've been practicing. You know, they have those wooden short swords and sometimes Lieutenant Sayers lets the cadets practice with them during free time."

Cloud wasn't lying. It was true that the Lieutenant did allow the cadets to practice and Cloud had been making use of the opportunity. It wasn't true, however, that he'd been watching the 1sts practice. There was too much risk that Sephiroth would show up.

He still had a long way to go before he could take someone like Zack on for real. Intense though Cloud's training had been for the nine months he had spent with his Wutaian sword master, it still wasn't enough. As for being able to face Sephiroth—

He shivered a little as the sweat began to cool on his body and Zack tilted his head in contemplation of Cloud's answer.

"Alright then."

Zack still looked a little perplexed but it was clear that he had chosen to shelve the issue.

For now.

The words rang ominously in Cloud's mind. He'd been feeling apprehensive since he'd begun his training as a cadet two weeks ago, although as Zack had predicted Cloud had passed the entrance exam with flying colors. Still, this was his first time sword training one-on-one with Zack and already he was giving away more than he should. He didn't want to appear incompetent but it was stupid, stupid, stupid, for him to pull off a maneuver that only very seasoned swordsmen could do. It had taken almost a year for Cloud to manage it, and as Zack had said, not trip over his own feet.

He had used every excuse he could think of to get out of training with Zack but none of them had made a dent in his hardheaded determination to make Cloud into a SOLDIER. He ignored all of Cloud's contentions, showing up at odd times during cadet training, pulling him aside to teach him the finer points of materia fusion and which accessories would enhance his speed or magic.

He wasn't the only cadet with a SOLDIER mentor. He had originally tried to use that as another of his arguments against Zack training him but his friend had scoffed and flippantly pointed out five other cadets who were currently being sponsored by SOLDIERs. It wasn't officially sanctioned by Shinra, as each cadet was supposed to have equal opportunity to enter into the hallowed ranks of SOLDIER, but still it happened. It was a sad fact that most of those who were chosen for mentorship made it in, and those who weren't chosen…well, it was hit or miss.

It made for a lot of resentment and unconcealed envy, however. More so in Cloud's case. No other cadet had the Lieutenant General, second only to the Director of SOLDIER, as a private tutor. But that argument hadn't worked either. Moreover, just the fact that Zack was looking out for him kept the would-be bullies at bay. None of the cadets were willing to piss off the Lieutenant General and risk being kicked out of the program.

"Okay, Cloud. That's it for today."

He collapsed dramatically onto the training mat, winning a grin and a short laugh from Zack. He allowed himself a small smile even though his portrayed exhaustion was deliberate. After all, Zack would expect it. A large part of him hated to put on that kind of show but watching his friend's amusement made it worth it. The worst part of training with Zack was the pretense; pretending bewilderment where there was knowledge, feigning confusion when his friend pointed out something he already knew. He never had a problem lying to anyone else. Only Zack.

Zack held out a hand to help him up and Cloud intentionally gave a loud groan as he was pulled to his feet, winning another chuckle from his friend and Cloud couldn't help but laugh himself.

Sudden loud clapping from the direction of the door broke the moment and Cloud turned to see an unfamiliar man, clad in the uniform of a SOLDIER 2nd approaching them.

"Nice job, cadet. Very nice. That last move you made was impressive."

Zack's eyes lit up. "Kunsel, my man. When'd you get back?"

The newly named Kunsel patted Zack on the shoulder but the Lieutenant General would accept nothing less than a full hug. Kunsel accepted this in the resigned manner of one who was used to Zack's overly friendly mannerisms.

Zack turned to Cloud then, his hand still on Kunsel's shoulder. "Hey, Cloud. This is Captain Kunsel. He's our right hand man, the eyes and ears of SOLDIER."

Kunsel smiled and stared down at Cloud intently. Too intently to Cloud's mind. He couldn't help tensing as the other's perusal of him continued.

"So you're the little cadet that Zack's been raving about," Kunsel said genially.

"I guess I am." Cloud allowed a shy smile to fix itself on his face. It felt unnatural but for better or worse it was his best weapon. No small amount of people had underestimated him because of it.

"Hmm. Pretty impressive showing. If you guys had been out in the field, Zack here would've been dead. You hit him right between the ribs, right? Thrust upward and you would've had his heart."

Cloud already knew that but he placed a deliberate frown on his face. "Uh, yeah. Well, I saw one of the 1sts practicing it a week ago and I've been working on it ever since. I usually fall over when I try it. I guess I just got lucky."

"Yes." Kunsel had once more begun an intent examination of Cloud and he had to deliberately relax to keep from tensing. He bowed his head in a bashful manner but inwardly he was cursing himself to Hel. Kunsel was so perceptive he could've been a Turk.

"Yup, my little Spike has some good moves. His defense is also pretty good. It won't be too long until he's beating me into the training room floor." Zack looked simultaneously proud and perplexed, as if he was still considering how Cloud had pulled off that last maneuver.

He shook his head. "I can't ever see that happening."

It was true because Cloud had no intention of letting Zack ever get a whiff of his actual skill. One of the best things he had going for him in Shinra was the element of surprise. When he finally got into SOLDIER it was going to be by the skin of his teeth. It was the safest thing for him because the last thing he needed was any more attention.

Zack wrapped an arm around Cloud's neck and pulled him into a headlock. "Yeah, my little chocobo, you still got a way to go."

Cloud struggled out of it until Zack finally let him go and he smiled up at him as soon as he was free. "We'll see."

"We certainly will," Kunsel interjected softly. He was smiling but it didn't reach his eyes and Cloud forced himself to meet his gaze, to smile back at him with all of the guile he could muster. "Well, I gotta get going. I haven't been to see the boss-man yet and he'll be expecting an update."

"You're going to see Seph?" Zack asked and Cloud bent over to pick up his sword, feigning disinterest as Kunsel replied.

"Yeah, I had to go out to Rocket Town for an intelligence op."

"Rocket Town? Really? I haven't been there since…" Zack was silent as if contemplating a memory but then he shook his head and smiled. "Tell Seph we're going out to dinner tonight. And tell him I won't accept any excuses. His paperwork will still be there in the morning."

Kunsel snorted. "You tell him that. You, he'll just skewer with a look. Me, he'll roast on a spit and set out for supper."

"Nah, Seph likes tender meat. You're too tough and gamey for him."

"Maybe your little cadet, then." Kunsel glanced down at Cloud who had been pretending to fiddle with his sword. He could feel the other man's stare but this time he deliberately ignored it.

Zack smiled and shook his head at Kunsel's quip but his amused expression looked forced. He glanced over at Cloud who was now staring down at the training room floor and for the first time the meaning behind Kunsel's words hit Cloud. He felt the sudden rush of blood to his face and swallowed hard as his stomach fluttered. Kunsel had just been kidding, right?

"I'd better get this guy back to the barracks. Lieutenant Sayers will have my balls if all of his chicks aren't in the nest by their bedtime," Zack finally said, that same forced smile still fixed to his face.

Kunsel laughed and headed to the door. "Good luck," he said, and with one last glance at Cloud he left, the door sliding shut behind him.

There was silence for a moment afterward and Cloud couldn't identify why he felt awkward suddenly.

"Zack?"

The Lt. General turned to stare at Cloud before he shook himself and gestured to the door with a sigh. "I better get you back or the Lieutenant really will have my head."

"Could've sworn you said he was going to have a more delicate portion of your anatomy," Cloud said wryly, trying to interject some humor into the creeping tension.

Zack chuckled and reached out to shake Cloud by the neck. "Yeah, those too."

Sephiroth was tired. The amount of sleep he'd received in the last three days could be counted in minutes rather than hours. He rubbed at his eyes and leaned back in his chair, trying to keep his mind blank.

Nibelheim.

Why was the memory of that nightmarish day coming back to haunt him now? It had happened more than two years ago, after all. By now he should have been capable of burying it in the black pit that was his psyche, along with all the rest of the terrible memories that served no purpose to dwell upon. Regardless, that day had been playing through his mind for the last two weeks—both waking and sleeping—like a broken record stuck on a particular song that he detested.

He sighed and opened his eyes, somehow unsurprised to find Kunsel watching him from the door. The SOLDIER 2nd was frowning at him but came to attention the moment he realized that Sephiroth had noted his presence.

"Sir," Kunsel said.

Amazing how one word could be laced with such concern. Sephiroth suddenly felt disgusted with himself and resolved to get some much needed sleep when he returned home, even if he had to knock himself out in order to get it.

He straightened in his chair and gestured to the one across from him.

"Sit."

Kunsel approached the desk with all of the wariness of a mouse approaching a cranky, hungry cat.

"Look that bad, do I?"

Kunsel took a seat and leaned back, giving Sephiroth a quick inspection before responding. "The question's rhetorical, right? Because you really don't want me to answer that if it isn't. Has Zack seen you?"

"Of course, so don't start. I've had an earful from him already."

"Good."

Sephiroth lifted his brow. "You've been hanging around Zack too long. You're getting cheeky."

"Always was. I was just too terrified to say anything."

Sephiroth shook his head and sighed. "Enough. Tell me what you found."

"You know that I went to Rocket Town with the intention of killing two birds with one stone? I referenced the names on the suspect list against former residents in and around the last five years. The thief has an accent, you said, similar to that of those who live in that area. Unfortunately that lead turned up zilch."

"I understand. It was a long shot, anyway. You said two birds?"

Kunsel smiled. "Yes. I found something else. You remember that rocket? The one that was supposed to take off a year and a half ago but turned out to be a real bust?"

"Yes, I remember. It was a public relations nightmare when it happened. Shinra had been hoping to garnish some positive media attention for the Company."

"Yeah, ended up looking like a bunch of buffoons, instead. Well, you said that the thief the night you met him was rescued by an airship, correct?"

Sephiroth nodded and sat forward in his chair. "Yes."

"Well, the way you described the ship, the engines, the basic design…You said the thief's rescue transport resembled President Shinra's flagship. Well, I did a little research and discovered that Shinra's airship was originally designed by the aeronautical engineer that was responsible for the rocket—the same one that was supposed to be launched in Rocket Town. The airship was confiscated after the rocket failed to launch, kept as a penalty for the engineer's failure to produce results."

"You're saying that the engineer may have designed the thief's ship as well?"

"More than that. The engineer was notoriously adamant that no one flew his airship but him. Put up a huge stink when Shinra took his ship. I very much doubt that he'd just let the Shinra Thief and his AVALANCHE cronies come in and use another of his designs without him flying it himself."

Sephiroth's eyes glowed green with satisfaction. The news had wiped away the last vestiges of sleep and for the first time in a while he felt wide awake.

"The engineer works with AVALANCHE," Sephiroth mused aloud.

"It makes sense. The engineer was pissed when Shinra took his ship. More than that, they pulled all of his funding and scrapped the space program altogether."

"What is this pilot's name?"

"Cid Highwind. The ship was named after him."

"Where is he now?"

Kunsel shook his head. "That's the question, isn't it? There hasn't been any sign of him since."

"Hmmm. Another question would be where he'd received the funding to make another ship. The Shinra Thief has managed to steal a considerable amount of gil but not enough to pay for that kind of enterprise."

Kunsel's eyes widened. "Friends in high places. You think maybe someone—maybe even someone in Shinra—helped AVALANCHE and this Cid Highwind to make another ship?"

Sephiroth shook his head. "We don't have enough evidence yet to support that kind of hypothesis, but that's why I need you. We have more questions than answers. We need to start putting these loose puzzle pieces together. Find out where that pilot is; see if you can trace his whereabouts. Investigate where he could've gone to get the materials for the ship. The parts needed to make that kind of vessel should be traceable."

"Yes, sir." Kunsel looked excited. His hand was tapping restlessly on his thigh and he was chewing his lip in thought. He hesitated, as if he wanted to mention something else, but then just shook his head. "By the way, Zack said something about getting dinner when I ran into him earlier. He said he wouldn't take any excuses."

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes but Kunsel held up his hands in a don't-blame-me gesture. "Hey, don't kill the messenger."

The General sighed, rising and grabbing his coat from where it was draped across the back of his chair. "Fine."

Kunsel muttered something beneath his breath, the words Zack and idiot the only words Sephiroth could make out. He couldn't help but smile. Yes, dinner suddenly sounded like a fine idea.

Author's Note: Just in case anyone was wondering, I am not a Tifa hater. Despite the fact that she may have been less than wonderful as a fifteen year old girl, she still grew into a pretty great person. I have never understood the lack of empathy for her character that some people display. I wish more people could remember some of the thoughtless things they did when they were young. I know that I, for one, was less than a saint. Puberty is a hard time for everyone and a little understanding is not a bad thing.