Author's Notes: When it comes to Final Fantasy VII fanfictions, I find time travel fics to be the best. You can't help but explore the 'what if's, and after reading through quite a number of them, I knew I would one day just write my own. It's a well-explored subgenre, admittedly sometimes almost repetitive, but I enjoy them all the same. In any case, I hope you'll enjoy this, even if it may seem similar to others – I've been working on plot and exploring possibilities for a while, and I had to try this. Lend me your support! In any case, this takes place just after Advent Children, so it's AU to Dirge of Cerberus. Not that it matters – the most part of the fic will take place in Crisis Core. I'll try and stay true to the canon, including the On The Way to a Smile stories.

In any case, there will be no pairings in this fic. This story leans more towards exploring possibilities and plot theories in the overall Compillation. So as far as pairings go, there will be the canon Zack/Aerith but little more. Enjoy!

EDIT: To those with problems viewing the second chapter, try: http:/ / www. fanfiction. net/s /7778652 /2/

PHOENIX FLAME

CHAPTER 1

The sound of flesh ripping, followed by an almost inaudible sound of a sword's composition as it arced through the air, ended the loud shrieking of monsters as Cloud landed on his feet, his right knee bent forwards upon impact on the ground. Bright blue mako eyes watched as the monsters fell, landing on the ground with last groans. Almost instantly, the process of conversion back into the Lifestream began, but it was evident that it would take time for the monsters to decompose here. The process of returning back to Lifestream just took that much longer in Midgar than it did on the outskirts of the city. Straightening, Cloud scanned the area, but there were no other creatures in sight. He swung First Tsurugi in the air and placed it back in its harness on his back. Geostigma had driven away most creatures with additional sixth senses from populated areas, but once that had been cured, Midgar was once again infested with monsters. Not that Cloud was complaining. The monsters in Midgar were no Nibelhiem dragons, and he had regularly patrolled the area enough to rid of what was needed, if he was needed.

In this case, the monsters just happened to be in his path as he was making his way to Sector 5, once again on a small journey to Aerith's church.

It was still early, though it was hard to tell under Midgar's plate. Cloud had quietly left Seventh Heaven after making sure that Tifa, Denzel and Marlene were sound asleep. He only had one parcel to deliver in Kalm and decided to enjoy the company of Aerith's flowers before taking Fenrir out to complete his job for the day. Recently, especially since Geostigma, he had been spending more time in Aerith's church, albeit in small intervals to keep Tifa from worrying about his absence too much. Besides, he had promised Marlene that he would return the favour on how they had always rescued him from himself, and he was determined to keep that promise. It was just that from time to time, he longed the comfort of the fallen Ancient.

Gravel crunched under his heavy boots as he made his way through the roads towards the still-standing church. After Meteor, and after Geostigma, Midgar still had a lot that they needed to do, and though Rufus ShinRa seemed to finally be working towards the goal of the good of mankind, the slums of Midgar were sadly still one of those places that had not received attention yet. For the most part, the heaviest damage and wreckage had been cleared, but the roads still consisted of small hills of rock and debris.

Cloud pushed the door of the church open, allowing his sharp eyes to travel to the end of the aisle. There, the clear pool shimmered under the light from the hole where he had fallen through so many years ago. The flowers still bloomed, but their ground was now shared with the water. Closing the church door behind him, Cloud walked forwards, the air still and quiet save for the sound of his footsteps against the wooden floor. He reached the pool and gazed at the Buster Sword which was located there, his blue eyes softening slightly at the sight of it. Crouching down to one knee, Cloud took off the glove from his right hand and examined the soil, finding its dampness perfect as ever. He examined the flowers mechanically, seeking comfort from the yellow petals. Instantly, he felt the large weight on his shoulders lift, as if the flowers themselves could manage to solve his inner problems.

Moving to the pool, Cloud scooped the water with his hands, one gloved and the other not. He gazed at the clear water, almost seeing Aerith and Zack's reflection in it, as he often did. Tentatively, as if the water itself would disappear from his very eyes, Cloud brought his hands closer to his lips and drank, feeling the coolness washing over his body, soothing his throat. Then, he scattered a few droplets onto the flowers though the morning dew could still be seen on the edge of the leaves.

Closing his eyes, Cloud inhaled deeply, allowing past memories to wash over him. It was still patchy as ever, perhaps a result of the JENOVA cells reacting in his body, but over time, Cloud began to remember much more. The more time he spent in the church, the more he drank from the pure water before him, the more he seemed to remember. Most were suppressed memories from the four years he had lost with Zack in Hojo's lab, which he had forgotten (or allowed himself to forget) completely. There were older memories that were beginning to resurface from his trooper days. The missions he had entered with Zack, the people he once knew... There was Sephiroth in those memories, of course, but there were other elite SOLDIERs as well. SOLDIERs whose names Cloud could not remember, but whose figures were becoming clearer with each visit, like a silhouette that was beginning to show its true features with the rising sun.

He remembered the torture, the pain, the agony... He remembered the experimentation and mako tanks, the injections and the abuse... He remembered Zack staying by his side, talking, talking, talking... How he had always found himself annoyed with how his friend could always talk so much, yet over time, it became something he appreciated. He couldn't remember much of what Zack had told him, apart from the fact that he did talk. Anything to keep Cloud from drifting away, anything to keep them from breaking down. Thinking back, Cloud was amazed he hadn't died... or hadn't been consumed by mako poisoning earlier than he did. He could remember sharing a lot as well, at first... telling Zack about his childhood, about Nibelheim, about his dreams and desire to become a SOLDIER...

So many lost memories, and he was only beginning to recover them now. Small snatches, small recollections here and there, but it was better than the patchy memory that he had before this.

Cloud's eyes trailed to the Buster Sword once again and he kept his blue irises on it.

Remorse. That was what Aerith saw and felt as she watched Cloud, from nowhere and from everywhere. She could see the want in those eyes as it gazed at the Buster Sword, how he had wanted to change the past and turn back time, to re-do many things that he wanted to do. It was painful for her to watch, though she knew that something was changing. The Planet had been trying to communicate something to her, and she had been listening, though it had not been enough. Not just yet.

The Lifestream was deteriorating. JENOVA and Sephiroth still walked among the souls of the Lifestream as separate entities, not mixing with them as the Lifestream, just like Aerith. It took a great deal of will and preservation to keep oneself from being washed over and merge with the tide of the Lifestream, and knowing the strength of both Sephiroth and the Calamity from the Skies, Aerith was not surprised. It brought a small chill in her heart as she felt the tension in the Planet. They were still recovering from the Geostigma, but as long as Cloud remained alive and kept his memories of Sephiroth, then the man had the ability to return. He had used Cloud as an anchor, and Aerith wanted to save Cloud more than anything else. She would never hand Cloud over to fall as Sephiroth had, though the fate of the man in the black cape was saddening. It seemed as though Sephiroth himself never knew what came over him.

"Yeah, you got that right," a figure morphed in front of her, the voice all-too-familiar. The problem with the Lifestream was that Aerith could not think without allowing her thoughts to be 'voiced' to those around her. She watched as Zack take his figure amidst the other souls, her lips pulling up into a small smile. Zack was another entity who refused to rest in the Lifestream. He watched over Cloud almost as possessively as she did. "The guy didn't know what got into him."

Aerith turned her gaze back to Cloud. "He wants to change the past."

"And I'd say let him change it. There's something wrong, isn't there? With the planet and all?" Zack asked, crossing his arms with an arched eyebrow.

Aerith was startled, but she did not deny it.

Something pulsed around her... something separate from the Lifestream. The Planet. Aerith dropped down to her knees and pressed her ear against the ground, her eyes on the pretty white and green mist swirling around them. "The Planet... it's trying to tell me something..." she said quietly, closing her eyes.

They have not yet won the battle, the war of the Cetra against the Calamity of the Skies. JENOVA was still among them, and the Planet needed to take action. Only now, it was too late, for the cells had scattered around the Planet. But there was one hope... Aerith felt her heart clench as she thought of what she would ask of Cloud this time. Could she do it? Would he welcome it? But how would she be able to help him?

A turn of events... reversing the present, going back into the past. Sending Cloud back at a time where he wanted to change... but reversing time itself would not be enough. Doing that would make him forget... No, they had to send Cloud's present self into the past, but would she do that to him..?

Cloud would cease to exist in the world if he was sent back to the past. He would be one without family... And she would cease to remember him. Was she willing to do that? To forget him, when he would not be able to forget her? It was cruel.

Aerith choked and sat up, shaking her head furiously. Cloud had hurt too much, had fought too hard... how could she ever do something like that to him? But the Planet was already planning, the previous Cetra already merging their powers together. A hand rested on her shoulder and she turned, coming face-to-face with Zack, his eyes filled with concern. Sorrow washed over her instantly. She had stopped waiting for him, had not known that he had died until she met him in the Lifestream even though she had felt it... And he never deserved that. They all never deserved what they got. Cloud, Zack, Sephiroth... Angeal and Genesis... her comrades; Tifa, Barret, Red XIII, Yuffie, Vincent, Cid, Cait Sith... All pulled and controlled by the tide of events that had spiralled out of control, purely because the hero the Planet was trying to shape at the time had failed.

Yes... Minerva had chosen her hero back then. A hero named Genesis Rhapsodos, who had been overcome by his deterioration and JENOVA. Minerva had saved him afterwards, curing him of his degradation, but by that time, it was already too late. Even now, it was too late. Aerith could hear it now, the Planet voicing their desire... to send back two heroes into the past. Genesis and Cloud, the hero of the past and the hero of the present.

The hand around her shoulder tightened slightly, making her look up. Zack's eyes were calm. Clearly, he had read every one of her thoughts as they crossed her mind. "He'll be alright, Aerith. I'll look out for him."

"You won't remember him as you do now," Aerith protested. No. Anything but give Cloud more pain. Anything but that.

Zack shook his head. "Trust me," he smirked. And once again, Aerith could not help but do so.

She heaved a deep breath, coming to her feet. In front of her, her staff materialised and she took it in her hands, breathing deeply as she listened to the cries of the Planet. She locked her eyes on Cloud, on those blue irises that spoke of nothing but regret and desire to change things for the better. The Planet wanted her to send two people back to the past... Genesis Rhapsodos and Cloud Strife. A change was needed, and only one who provided Sephiroth as an anchor could do it. Sephiroth would follow. And if Sephiroth would follow, JENOVA would follow. And thus, their chance of saving the Planet would arrive. But Aerith could not follow the command of the Planet completely... She must send another into the past. And she must be able to assist Cloud where she could. She closed her eyes, and as the spell began, she could feel Zack resting his hand against hers, lending her his undeniable faith and power.

Underground, resting and unknowing, a pair of eyes snapped open after being asleep for so long. There was a brief smile, a small look of recognition, as a man in a long red overcoat wielded his sword... his time to repay Minerva had come.

Cloud was first aware of the change in atmosphere when the clear water from the pool began to shimmer and tremble. He stood, his hand immediately moving to the hilt of First Tsurugi, but the air was quiet, devoid of any movement that might signal trouble. Troubled, Cloud crouched near the pool, watching. He blinked, and a small cry of surprise escaped his lips when he discovered that the pool's water was being drained away. Squinting, he saw that it was actually crystallising, forming something at the very bottom. The crystals rose into the air, directly level with his eyes, as it took the shape of a clear glass orb. The last drops of the water merged together with the orb and it finally stilled, hovering in the air. Cloud eyed it suspiciously, but he reached forward nonetheless, grasping it with his right hand. The orb felt cool against his skin, and he could just feel the power emanating from it. Materia, Cloud thought, surprised.

Let's go, Cloud.

The shock from hearing Aerith's voice was lost as the cries of the planet seemed to split his head open. He didn't even have the time to react to the pain – water burst out from the pool, enveloping him, and he was sucked into darkness.

The first thought that came to Cloud's mind was how bright the stars were tonight. He gazed at the sky above him, blinking several times before slowly sitting up. It was nighttime. And he was... He looked around, trying to register the area around him. He was lying on top of grass, thankfully, and the area around him was vast a field of nothingness. He could see the rocky hills far in front of him, towering above, but apart from that, there were no tell-tale signs to indicate where he was. Confusion overcame his mind and once again, he felt the frustration that came with helplessness. He seemed to have always lived his life in confusion. He checked his body first, moving his arms and legs, but there seemed to be no physical damage. He felt groggy, as if he had been swimming across a continent to get where he was.

That brought up the second question. How had he ended up where he was?

It seemed as though the possibility of a monster could be ruled out. Cloud had no injuries, and First Tsurugi was still safely strapped to his back, resting in its harness.

Wait.

He had been in Aerith's church.

Memories flooded through his mind now as he remembered. He had been tending to Aerith's flowers, taking comfort from the pool... before it suddenly crystallized.

Cloud sprang up, examining himself. A sudden feeling of panic settled in his chest, though he couldn't decipher why. He remembered hearing Aerith's voice when he had grasped the clear materia, unlike any other materia he had seen before this, and ah! – there it was. Cloud crouched forward and took the materia in his hands, feeling the smoothness of it against his skin again. He breathed a sigh of relief and proceeded to examine everything else. He had with him a few potions and ethers, and enough gil to last him for two weeks. He carried materia, resting safely with First Tsurugi and his armlet. Bahamut. Chocobo Lure. Barrier. Heal. Cure. Time. Ultima. Lightning. All mastered. He had with him his PHS, which was had no calls or messages... that was strange. Cloud thumbed the PHS, wondering if it was best to call Seventh Heaven. He wondered if Tifa would give him a scolding. We'll find out, he thought, scrolling down the numbers and dialling the bar. The call disconnected, and a message reached him telling him that the number was unregistered.

He frowned. This didn't seem good.

Cloud looked around again. He crouched low, feeling the grass with his fingers, breathing in the scent of the wind. He had travelled the Planet long enough to know most of the area, and he took a wild guess that he was in the grasslands area, a two-week journey by foot to reach Midgar. But he knew two places he could go to that was perhaps the nearest from where he was – Kalm, or the Old Man's House that was located behind the hills. Cloud made the decision easily – he was further from the hills. He would go to Kalm.

Walking gave him time to think, but he activated the Chocobo Lure just in case if there were any nearby that he could ride. He tried to remember what had happened, but no matter how much he did, he came up with no explanation to why he was where he was.

Why had Aerith been there with him? What was this strange materia he had with him? How in Gaia had he managed to get here from the Midgar slums?

Cloud rubbed his forehead, shaking his thoughts away from his mind. He gazed at his right hand, ungloved. He had taken it off at the church earlier to tend to the flowers... Well, at least he knew that the event in the church wasn't a figment of his imagination. It was rather reassuring, knowing that. Sometimes, he had very little trust to the things that went on in his mind, and for good reason. This, at least, he could accept. He couldn't picture himself ever venturing outside Edge with only one gloved hand, after all. Besides, he had the strange materia with him. That was proof enough.

Taking it out, Cloud examined it closely, turning it in his hands. Usually, materia would take years to crystallize from the Lifestream. He knew instantly that this one was different. It had no colour of the usual materia, though the size and shape was the same as a regular one. Cloud took out his Chocobo Lure, comparing them both. The new materia looked smoother, clear as cystal which could disappear from his sight in mere moments. But it was no larger or smaller than the Chocobo Lure. Weighed exactly the same.

He frowned.

Weighing the materia in his hand, Cloud focused on the magic within. He could feel it, faint flickers of the magic from the Lifestream, but he could not decipher what magic it was. It felt strangely like... yes. Strangely like the Black Materia. A hidden magic, but this one was faint and nearly non-existent while the Black Materia emanated power.

Strange.

Very strange indeed.

The sound of approaching footsteps made Cloud turn, but he was not alarmed. His face broke into a small smile as he spotted the Chocobo standing ten feet from where he was, the head tilted slightly with a "Wark?" as it looked at him. Well, at least this would make his journey a little easier. Cloud walked briskly towards the Chocobo, showing no signs of fear, and at the same time, no signs of power either. Chocobos were intelligent, obeying their riders if their riders abide by their rules. It was a general compromise that Cloud had learned over the years, and he would treat a Chocobo with the same equality as he would with any human.

This one was clearly a wild one. Its fur was ungroomed, the feathers coarse and dirty, but not extremely so. It stood its ground, eyes on the man with the large sword. Cloud held a hand up and after a while, satisfied with what it sensed, the Chocobo stepped forward, allowing Cloud to stroke its neck. "Well, there's a place I need to get to. Think you can give me a ride? I don't have any greens though..." Cloud said quietly, his right hand moving to rub its beak.

The Chocobo gave an affirmative "Wark!"

It had been a while since he'd ridden a bare-backed Chocobo. Admittedly, it wasn't the best way to ride one, but Cloud was a skilled enough jockey to know how to handle a chocobo properly, bare-backed as it was. He hoisted himself up, marvelled yet again at how much weight the Chocobo could carry on its back. First Tsurugi wasn't exactly the lightest of swords, after all. The Chocobo shifted slightly, testing the ground and the weight, and gave another "Wark!" which made Cloud smile.

"Come on, then."

They rode through the night, moving through the hills in no time. Kalm was located past a line of hills, and Cloud knew that the easiest way to climb the hills was if the Chocobo had received its magic, giving it a light green tinge of colour to the golden feathers. But this one was clearly a young one, still untrained for hills and mountains. Cloud stirred it easily, going through paths that a yellow chocobo could go through with ease, keeping it away from the more challenging terrains. It wasn't long before Kalm came into sight, well after sunrise though just before sunhigh. As soon as the small village came into view, Cloud dismounted the Chocobo and stopped the magic from the Chocobo Lure. He knew better than to push a young one to its limits without proper training, and dismounting too close to the village could frighten it.

He reached forward, patting the Chocobo gratefully. "Thank you," he said softly.

"Wark!"

Cloud watched as the Chocobo, now freed from the magic, turned and ran. The sun was just beginning to rise above his head – that Chocobo was a fast one. He could probably race it with ease if he had decided to keep it. Unfortunately, most of his riding days with Chocobo ended with the arrival of Fenrir. Cloud discovered his need of a non-living vehicle after discovering that his delivery business took him to large areas around the Planet, and most Chocobos would tire after such long, repetitive journeys.

Well, at least in Kalm, he should be able to contact Tifa. He had tried his PHS several times earlier, but to no avail. Either Edge was facing problems with its communications tower, or his PHS had died on him. He didn't deem the situation to be grave enough to contact his other friends, though. They would probably laugh at the idea of Cloud being in the middle of nowhere, with no idea to how he had gotten into such a place.

On foot now, Cloud set towards the village, though the nearer he got, the more peculiar it seemed. He was sure he had recognised the terrains earlier. The long grass and flowers that was a trademark of the grasslands area had made him certain that he was where he was – on the south-east continent. Yet, finally coming to the village, something struck him as being particularly odd. It wasn't Kalm as how he remembered it, yet he was sure it was Kalm. A part of him was almost certain of it. Only that...

Yes. That was it. This was Kalm before Meteor hit. This was Kalm where he had often turned to after exiting Midgar, embarking on his quest to search for Sephiroth.

A feeling of unease settled through him as his mind slowly worked the pieces together. No. No, it couldn't be. Impossible.

Clearly, someone was playing jokes on him. Under different circumstances, Cloud would have thought that he was under a Confuse spell... yet Ribbon was tied to his arm, and he doubted that such a rarity given by the Planet would stop working without indication.

Entering the village, Cloud stopped in his tracks as his eyes locked on a group of children playing outside. The children stopped, their eyes wide as they stared at him. Probably the sword... Most likely it's the sword... Cloud thought, but he knew it wasn't that. Men with swords were no rare sight, especially not since Geostigma left and the monsters came prowling freely again.

"Akio! Miho! Get inside the house, now!" A woman wearing a faded brown dress with a cream apron suddenly came into view, ushering the children away. She had her eyes on Cloud, and there were... fear in those eyes. Fear, judgement. When was the last time Cloud had seen such an expression on a stranger like that?

"You're SOLDIER. Please, my children and I have done nothing here. This town has done nothing here!"

That floored him. "I'm not with ShinRa," Cloud answered automatically.

The look of fear turned skeptical. Again, an expression Cloud knew only too well. He was overwhelmed with a sense of déjà vu. "Your eyes... it has that gleam..."

"I'm not SOLDIER," Cloud stressed, feeling the small pang in his heart as he admitted the truth for the umpteenth time. Every time he did so, it felt as if reality was mocking him.

The woman seemed unable to give a response after that. She contemplated her words and finally narrowed his eyes. "Well... What business do you have in Kalm? Any way I can help?"

It was obvious she wanted him out of the little town as soon as possible.

Yet, her inquiry confirmed the question that had lingered in Cloud's mind. This was indeed Kalm. He feared the next question that she would answer. "Do you have the paper for today?" he asked slowly. He nearly kicked himself then – it would be less suspicious if he had entered the town and just purchased one, but then again, the full realisation of what he had gotten himself into hadn't hit him until just now.

The woman paused for a moment, finally nodding. "I'll go and get it," she said, disappearing into her house.

Impossible. Simply impossible. Cloud refused to think... but at the same time, he could do nothing but think. 'Let's go, Cloud'... Aerith. Had she known? Had she sent him here? Was the Planet in danger again? Cloud breathed slowly, trying to calm himself. This couldn't be happening. He prayed for the woman to return and prove him wrong. What would he do if it had turned out to be correct? He could laugh if he was wrong. Perhaps he had finally lost his mind after all. JENOVA would be pleased.

"Here," the woman's voice broke through his thoughts. Cloud muttered an unintelligible thanks, taking the paper into his hands. The front headlines, 'WUTAI WAR CONTINUES' met his eyes and his knees nearly buckled under him. If the title hadn't been enough, the date clearly was. May, 0000. Oh, Gaia!

He was in the past.

Everyone was still alive.

...Everyone was still alive.

Cloud remembered then, how he had turned over the possibilities in his head in the church just a day before. How he had seen the Buster Sword and wished that he could have changed the past. How he could have saved Zack and Aerith...

He stopped.

He could save Zack and Aerith.