~Cloud's POV~

Vanille shrieks as Hope spits a mouthful of watermelon seeds at her, making me and Snow laugh. It's been a couple of hours since the girls returned from the Seventh Heaven, and Sazh thought it would be nice to have a picnic of sorts for dinner. And I thought he and Cid would've gotten along...

"Hope! I will get you for that!" She whines, chasing the mischievous teen. Sazh chuckles and sits down beside me.

"So how's life, boys?"

"I should be asking you that," I grin at him. "My planet didn't just explode."

"True," he nods. "I'm doin fine, and Dajh doesn't mind. I think Fang might miss the wild though."

"You know, she seems a little... attached to Vincent," I smirk, bringing up this morning. "And who would've thought that he has a wanderlust like no one else I know?"

"She's avoiding him now," Snow laughs at Fang, who carefully walks in a full half circle just to avoid running into her dark housemate.

"Looks like Light's being solitary again," Sazh nods toward the woman standing off by herself near the edge of a short ledge. Heh, that rhymed. You're an idiot, Cloud. I don't disagree, head voice.

"Is she always like that?" I cock my head to the side as I take the nice sight in.

"She always found a way to keep her distance wherever we went," the dark man shrugs. "Just the way she is, I guess. Even on the train ride that started it all, she was standoffish."

"I would be too," I tease, nudging him with my shoulder. "You're pretty scary."

"Terrifying," Snow chips in sarcastically.

"Great to know," Sazh rolls his eyes.

I laugh to myself and stand. A short distance off, Vanille and Tifa and are chatting, Hope and Yuffie trying out their magic skills. Dajh naps on the blanket to my right, Fang lying on her back while she watches the clouds. Vincent sits in the shade even farther off, but I can see his crimson eyes glowing as he stares at the brunette, lost in thought. I smirk and head toward him.

"Hey Vince," I plop down about a foot away. I know he likes space.

"Hello Cloud," he responds politely. "How are you doing?"

"I'm great, thanks. You?"

"... Alright, I suppose," he says after a few moments. Leave it to him to make it gloomy.

"What's up?"

"I believe it is the sky," the corners of his mouth quirk into a tiny smirk.

"Look at you being a smart alec," I grin. "No really, what's wrong? You looked like you were thinking pretty hard about something."

"It is nothing for you to worry about," he shakes his head, dark bangs falling in front of his pale face. "Chaos is only disturbing me with his thoughts."

"Oh."

"..."

I look over at Fang again with a hidden smile. Chaos must be bugging him about her.

"Did you ever really piece together what happened this morning?"

"I was hoping you would not bring that up," he huffs. "But I have not even tried to figure it out."

"She seemed a little confused."

"Or delusional." I burst out laughing at his addition to the conversation and ignore Snow's confused stare. I can see Vincent's own amusement sparkling in his eyes as he looks at her again. Fang frowns at us and then glares at the sky again. She probably knows we're talking about her.

"Well, if she does go crazy, at least we know that you smell good," I laugh, standing.

"I'm afraid you're wrong, Cloud," he shakes his head, hiding his smile behind his ridiculously long hair. "I believe I smell amazing."

I end up laughing all the way to Lightning. Sounds like a song... Don't even start, Cloud. I suppress a chuckle at my thoughts and wander up behind Light until I'm at her side gazing at the view she's staring out into. The ocean laps at the shore in the distance, no longer gray or dead. No pollution or mako drain into it now. A little to the right rest the ruins of Midgar. Once a great city, now just rubble on the ground. Like one great big monument. At least Reeve's trying to rebuild it all.

"Hey," I say finally. Lightning doesn't respond, only keeps looking out at the horizon. "Uh, you like the view?" I continue awkwardly.

"It's... Nice," she mumbles.

"Yeah." She sighs and sits down on the grass, hugging her knees to her chest. With nothing else to do, I simply sit too, Snow probably snickering at my apparent discomfort. Something about this girl is extremely... Threatening? No... It's something else, I just can't put my finger on it.

"She would love this." She says suddenly, a gust of wind blowing her hair into her face.

"Who?" I furrow my eyebrows.

"My sister."

"Did she wind up here too!?" My eyes widen. If we forgot anyone back there...

"No," she waves my off with a slightly sad laugh. "She died in a car accident. Only six hours before Pulse blew too... That just seems too... Coincidental for me."

"How?" I frown. How are car accidents and worlds exploding connected?

of don't know. It just doesn't seem right, that's all. Why did we end up here instead of blowing up like everyone else? There were plenty of other accomplished l'cei on Pulse."

"Because you saved the planet maybe?"

"No," she shakes her head. "There's some one messing with us. I... I don't know who it is, but I just have this overwhelming feeling that it is." I hear her sniff and frown. Lightning didn't strike me as someone that cries at all. "And it's that stupid hope that maybe I'll just wake up and be at home, Serah will be there with Snow and it will all be normal again." I miss home too. Shoving my thoughts down, I sigh.

"Sometimes, I wish I had never met Zack." She doesn't say anything, so I press on. "If I hadn't have met him in SOLDIER, I wouldn't have to care that I let he or his girlfriend die. I wouldn't have to worry about forgiveness or all that crap. I'd be free." The sun slides down under the horizon before she speaks again.

"Serah," she looks up at the sky. "Sometimes I wonder if she's a star or something, watching what I'm doing and screaming 'No stop, you idiot!' at the top of her lungs," she laughs to herself. I smile at her lifted attitude and glance back toward the group. They look ready to go home.

"Hey Light?" I look back at the woman beside me. "I think everyone wants to go home."

"Then go home," she says, suddenly irritated.

"I didn't say I. I just meant them," I smirk, nodding toward them. She looks back and scowls.

"Go home!"

"Yay!" Snow cheers. Vincent stands from Hus shady spot, looking at me for a moment before taking long, fluid strides toward Fang, who's still laying on the ground. He sticks out his unarmored hand as an offering to help her up. Don't think we didn't just see you blush, Fang. She easily pulls herself up and sulks away to the group, leaving the poor guy behind. He raises his dark eyebrows at me and I over exaggerate a shrug.

"So," I turn to Light once they're gone. "What did you want to do since you don't want to go back to Tifa's?"

"Go for a walk maybe? Explore? I hate not knowing exactly where I am all the time."

"Okay," I laugh. We walk back to the city and wander through the empty streets, occasionally talking about our surroundings. Eventually, we end up in Aeris's church in the ruins of Sector Five. Just two months ago, this place was full of my materia and gauze from my Geostigma. A splotchy scar on my arm is all that remains in memory of the disease. Lightning looks up at the ceiling, the hole in the top revealing the stars.

"Is this the place that all the kids were cured?"

"Yeah," I nod, walking toward the pool in the center of the room. "That's the Lifestream. Aeris and Zack live there now."

"Sephiroth too?" She asks skeptically. I shrug.

"I like to believe he's in Hell." She laughs and shakes her head, smoothly stepping over the warm greenish liquid. I watch as she hesitantly brushes her fingers over their surface, jerking back suddenly when the water begins to glow.

"It's fine," I step up beside her. "It always does that when someone doesn't have the Lifestream flowing through them."

"People on your planet don't all have it?" She cocks her head to the side.

"Not all of us were injected," I shake my head with a sad smile. "Though those who didn't evacuate soon enough before meteor were exposed just enough to have it inside. Most of the people with mako got Geostigma."

"Is that what this is from?" She brushes her fingers over my upper arm. I nod and look back at the pool. Sitting on the old wooden planks, I reach down and dip my hand in. Always so warm.

"See? No reaction. I've got mako running through my veins."

"Hmm. So what's it doing to me?" She frowns as it glows on her fingers again.

"Analyzing you. I know, it sounds crazy, right? Well, remember how I told you guys about Jenova?" She nods. "The planet now decides if it should destroy alien things or not." Light instantly yanks her hand out, making me laugh. "Don't worry, it can read you intentions. They know you come in peace."

"They?" She raises an eyebrow. She must think I'm insane.

"The Ancients."

"Oh. Like Aeris?"

"Yeah. She was the last." I blink and look down at the Lifestream, smiling suddenly to myself. I wonder... "You know, sometimes I could call Aeris and Zack in here for just a little bit."

"Really?" Now she's that I'm crazy.

"Yeah. Hang on, I'll see if they're still awake."

I slide into the water with all of my clothes still on, the weight of the fabric nonexistent. Lightning's eyes widen and she grabs my arm quickly.

"Are you insane?"

"Hang on, I'll be back in just a moment," I give her a cheeky grin before sucking in a breath and sinking under. Forcing my eyes open, I look around the greenish haze.

Nothing... Zack! Aeris! I've got a friend here!

Eventually, my lungs burn so badly that I emerge from the water, gasping for air as I push my dripping hair from my face. Lightning squeals in surprise and jumps back, landing on her butt. I laugh at her as she scowls.

"You scared me! I thought you weren't coming back up!"

"How longer was I down?" I blink up at her.

"Like ten minutes!"

"A record!" I whoop.

"A record?! You scared me to death!"

"Light, mako enhancements, remember?" I remind her with a smirk.

"Oh whatever!" She snaps at me, mad that I made her show emotion. I laugh again and shake my head. Suddenly, I feel a sharp tug on my boot, and I grip to the floor boards to stay up, earning me a splinter.

"Ah!" I yell, loosing my grip and getting yanked under. My eyes fly open and I ready my hands for a fight...

"Zack?!" I forget that I'm underwater and clap a hand over my mouth. My friend smirks and stands up on the pool floor as if it's normal ground.

"Hey Chocohead. Aeris is coming in a couple of minutes. Got us out of bed for this you know, so this girl outta be special!" I roll my eyes, which I just know are like light bulbs by now, and move to go back up. I need air, Zack. I'm not dead.

"How about you give her a good scare?" He pulls me down again, resting a hand on my shoulder. My long instantly feel refilled and I nod with a slight smirk. He chuckles and blows a bunch air bubbles up to the surface before mock saluting me and going limp, ghostly body floating up. Even in death, they haunt me. Moments later, I hear a muffled scream. She won't be able to tell the difference between us in the dark for a few moments.

"Cloud?!" I'm starting to feel bad..

"Well aren't you the devil?" I hear a cheerful voice beside me. I whip around as well as I can in water, spotting the brunette beauty I once loved behind me. I shrug with a smirk, looking back up at Zack. He winks at us as a hand tugs him out. Aeris rolls her sea green eyes and frowns at me playfully.

"You are a terrible person Cloud." Her small hand grips my wrist as she drags me up, her friendly nature leading her to make me apologize. We break the surface and I spit a fountain of sweet Lifestream liquid from my mouth. Lightning jumps and turns wildly toward us, a grinning Zack standing to her right as she points her gun at him. I burst out laughing and Aeris glares at me, shoving me slightly.

"I'm sorry about the boys," she sighs, climbing out. "They're real pains sometimes."

"Cloud!" Light shrieks angrily, holstering her weapon and yanking me out, dripping wet. I shake the water from my hair and grin down at her. She shakes her head and roughly pulls me into a hug, holding me tight around the waist with her head resting under my chin. I blush and look over at Zack. He beams cheekily and I scoff, hugging her back. Then she reels back and punches me straight in the nose. I stumble back while Aeris gasps and Zack bursts into hysterical laughter.

"You jerk! You made me worry! I told you not to do that again!"

"It was Zack's..!" I start, but she shakes her head.

"Don't... Don't do that! I thought you were dead."

"Hi! I'm Zack, Cloud's friend!" Zack sticks his hand out.

"... Aren't you both dead?"

"Yeah," the two say simultaneously.

"Fair enough," she shrugs, shaking his hand.

"How long do we have this time?" I ask Aeris, trying to stanch the blood flow from my nose.

"Well since you two cut it in half with your pranking," she scowls with her hands on her hips. "We only have ten more minutes. I'm too tired to keep up this energy stuff."

"Wow Aeris," Zack laughs. "You didn't tell me it was that time of the month again."

"Zack!" She shrieks. He just chuckles and shakes his head, looking back at Light.

"So you're Lightning? Nice to know you're here with my Chocohead."

"Huh?" Lightning looks at me and I groan.

"Don't listen to him. He's annoying."

"And your best friend!"

"Nah, I preferred Sephy over you.."

"Now that's just downright mean," he pouts, crossing his arms.

"Don't waste out time any longer," Aeris interrupts. "Now Lightning, what's your favorite color?"

~|~|~|~|~

"Sorry about your nose," Light apologizes after my ghost friends disappear.

"It's alright," I wave her off. "Mako really helps."

"Are you sure?" She frowns, leaning forward to get a better look.

"It's just a bloody nose, Light," I wave her hands away.

"But it's still bleeding!"

"It'll slow. You just hit hard."

"Let me heal it," she demands. I roll my eyes with an exasperated groan.

"Fine. But I don't get why you're do persistent."

She doesn't reply, only gathers up the magic into her hand and sends it my way. I can feel the sweet relief of a cure spell work its way through me and my nose moving back to it's normal position. Good. I wouldn't be amazingly hot if I had a broken nose! Gosh, Cloud. So vain. I was born beautiful, what can I say? That you sound like Reno? OH SHUT UP!

"Snow is probably wondering where I am," I sigh after the spell fades. "I'll walk with you back to Tifa's."

"I can go by my.."

"There are tons of creeps out here at night, mostly drunk ones. Let me go with you," I stand. She nods reluctantly and follows me down the sidewalk. Edge isn't too far from here, and my condo is just a block away from the bar. A convenient place if I can't drive, if you catch my drift.

"Goodnight Cloud," Light says stiffly, opening the bar door.

"Night. See you later." She mutters something and shuts the door loudly. What did I do? Shrugging, I continue home. Light will be Light, and not even I can change that.

FINALLY ONE