~Cloud's POV~

The words seem to fly off my tongue like I've said them a million times. Knowing the strangers probably don't care about my soldier past or Zack, I just tell the tale from Midgar on. Lightning is sharpening a deadly looking sword, but I can tell she's listening guy the way she frowns deeply when I speak of Aeris's death. Dajh and Marlene sit a few yards away, playing. Hope watches me with great interest while I talk. He reminds me so much of Denzel. Vanille listens next Yuffie, Fang hanging around in different places. That big guy Snow looks lost in thought, but he reacts the same as Lightning when Aeris's death takes place. Maybe even worse. He simply stands up, mutters something about a walk, and wanders away. I wonder...

"So that guy Sephiroth.." Vanille speaks up when I finish. "Fang, doesn't he sound kinda like Barthandelus?"

"More like Barthandelus and that Rufus guy mixed," the tall woman scoffs, crossing her arms.

"Barthandelus?" Yuffie just has to ask, so we spend another hour listening to their story and holy crap. They've been through so much. Fal'cei, l'cei, and Cei'th. All new concepts to us. In fact, the only thing in common seems to be chocobos. Vanille plops down beside Vincent and smiles up at him.

"So if you're not a vampire, why do you look like it?"

"I slept for a long time too," he says slowly, looking off into the distance. "Only, it was in a coffin for thirty years." Wow. Vince never tells strangers about this stuff.

"A coffin?!" Vanille looks bewildered.

"That's right!" Cid chuckles. "Scared me to death when I saw some dude poppin out of a coffin in a frikin creepy basement."

"Wow!" Vanille says, attitude upbeat and excited. I have a feeling she and Yuffie will be good friends. Then again, Vanille looks like the type to be friends with anyone. "So are you undead or something?" One corner of Vincent's mouth quirks up the slightest bit.

"I guess you could say that."

"You know Vincent," she stands, brushing off her legs. "I think we could be good friends."

"Yeah?" He looks up at her from his position on the ground. He's so different around kids, it's not even funny. I think we've all realized it too, even though Vanille doesn't look much younger than Tifa. He's always been gentler, more at ease around them. Trying not to let them be scared of him because of the dark vibe he gives off.

"Yeah!" Then she runs off toward Fang. The red tinges in the taller girl's brown hair stand out against the green behind her. She looks at us suspiciously with a piercing gaze that would make Rufus proud. Tifa looks way out at the tall form of Snow and sighs.

"Do you think he would mind if I gave him some company?"

"If he did he wouldn't show it," Lightning says in a flat voice. I can tell she and Fang don't trust us completely, which is understandable. I don't fully trust them either. "But I wouldn't ask too many questions. We've both had a rough couple of days."

"I won't," she nods, looking at me. "I know how that goes."

"I'm not that bad," I roll my eyes and she wanders off toward the man that's a practical wall. I know I a lot of walls... Rude is a wall, Snow is a wall, Barret's a wall, love is a wall... Yup. Anytime I think I'm getting somewhere when I'm dating someone, it just hits that wall and dies.

"Look! I brought down some materia!" Yuffie cheers, showing her arm.load of glowing crystal orbs. Lighting looks up, blinking at the materia.

"What is that?"

"It's how we use magic, cuz we don't have any l'cei or fal'cei crap going on on Gaia."

"Gaia.."

"The name of the planet, silly," she giggles and drops the materia onto the ground, holding up a green one. "Now look into the crystal and tell me what you see."

"Well isn't this deja vu?" Fang laughs and sits beside her.

"I see a flame?"

"Yeah!" Yuffie says excitedly. "Now look. You gotta channel your energy into the materia and... Whoosh!" She holds out her hand and a weak fire spell comes forth.

"Well that was..."

"Small? I know. I don't plan on burning the whole valley down," the ninja grins. "I can show you Ice 3, though!"

"Is that like blizaga?" Vanille asks.

"Probably," I nod.

"Cool!" Hope grins, surprising me since he hasn't spoken in awhile. "Can I try?"

"Uh..." Yuffie looks him over.

"Don't worry, he's one of the best magic users I know," Lightining reassures her.

"Just don't freeze the whole world over," Yuffie shrugs. He nods and eagerly takes the orb into his gloved hand. Then he faces away from us and takes a deep breath, holding out one hand and...

"Holy cow!" Yuffie's jaw drops. "That was some damage right there! Dude, you have to teach me how to do that!"

"Uh, thanks," he scratches the back of his neck and blushes, tossing the materia back at her.

"That might've taken down half of a behemoth's life right there," I complement. He grins at me and sits where Tifa used to be. Vincent looks over at him wearily and stands.

"Cid will probably want to be going before dark."

"We should camp out here with these guys," Cait bounces. "Get to em better. Sounds like they'll be here awhile."

"Awhile as in forever," Lightning grumbles.

"I wouldn't say that," Fang stands and stretches. "We're not on Pulse anymore. No fal'cei means here we weren't ever l'cei, which means we don't have eternal life, Light."

"Good," the rose haired woman stands, glaring at me. "Because I wouldn't want to be stuck here forever with these people." Then she swings her blade into the holder strapped onto the back of her legs and storms away. Haha, get it? Lightning storms?

"Er, sorry about her," Hope mutters. "She gets like that."

"It's alright," I shrug. "I used to be just like her."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You don't trust anyone, you don't learn to care. And if you don't care, it doesn't hurt as much if they leave." I look toward Tifa and Snow, the big man accepting the hug she practically forces him into. That's Tifa for you.

"That's what she was trying to teach me to be like when all that l'cei stuff started," he says, watching her go. "But when she realized what she was turning me into, she put a stop to it. Now instead of building a cement cell around her heart, she pretends not to care. You guys are really nice, I think that's why she's pushing you all out. She doesn't want to get you hurt."

"Hmph," Vincent scoffs. "I know how that feels."

"We all do," the boy looks at the ground. Makes you wonder what they all went through behind the scenes, huh?

"Hey, if things are different here," Vanille starts. "Do you think maybe we could have our magic back?"

"That was supported by the fal'cei," Hope shakes his head.

"I know, but still..."

"It won't work."

"Prove it," she demands. He shrugs and stands.

"Alexander!" Nothing. I raise an eyebrow. Alexander as in the summon? "See Vanille? Absolutely..." A loud crash erupts from nowhere and he falls backward.

"I told you!" Vanille squeals.

"What? How?" Hope looks up at the gentle giant.

"Don't know," Fang cocks her head to the side. "But it'll come in handy. Can't wait until we'll need Bahamut again. He's a real sweetheart."

"Bahamut?" I frown, picking through the red materia on the ground. "I have three of those."

"Three what?" She looks at me.

"Bahamut summons. Bahamut, Neo Bahamut, and Bahamut ZERO."

"Well aren't you fancy," she smirks, settling again beside Vincent. He looks very uncomfortable with her beside him, and shifts awkwardly.

"I don't know about you," I stand. "But I'm hungry. Mind if I borrow you?" I ask Hope. So much like Denzel. He shakes his head and hops to his feet.

"Ooo! I wanna go!" Vanille stands quickly and nearly stumbles onto her face doing so. I raise an eyebrow at Fang. She raises an eyebrow back.

"You get her killed and I go through with my previous threat." I nod and look out around us. Barret, Cid, and Nanaki retired to the Highwind long ago. Sazh, Marlene, and Dajh are still together a little says off. Tifa and Snow are still talking. Lighting is sitting in a tree, right where we need to go. I sigh and lead the younger people toward the woods they came out of.

"But Cloud, we didn't see anything back here besides trees," Vanille frowns.

"You have to know when and how to catch dinner back here," I send her smile and pull my sword off my back. Lightning looks at us skeptically as we pass her and I decide to try my luck at getting her down.

"Hey Lightning," I call up. "We're going hunting, wanna come?"

"I'm fine."

"You sure? I'm sure we might need your help. Especially since there are those terrible frogs back there." The corners of her mouth twitch just the tiniest bit.

"You're afraid of frogs?"

"I have my reasons," I shrug with a slight smirk. "Besides, my sword's too big to hit them."

"Pathetic," she grumbles, swinging down. "Fine. I'll come."

"Don't get left behind, Light!" Hope calls back, running after Vanille and I into the woods. Maybe we can help these strange people settle down here. After all, it does sound like there is no home left for them. We'll be there new home. Besides, I can't help but want to know Lightning better.