Summary: Where Cloud is Jenova and wakes up thousands of years later in the middle of everything.

Warning: very minor Vincent/Cloud

Beta'd by Pure Red Crane

Time wasn't an important concept to Cloud.

He had been alive for such a long time, longer than most beings and sometimes even planets themselves. He had even outlived certain parts of the Galaxy that had existed as long as he had. The only thing that kept him going, that kept him alive, was that he had a job to complete, one that had been ingrained deeply into the dark recesses of his mind since the start of his existence, when he first became aware of himself.

At that time, and even until now, there was no name for his kind, no details regarding him. And so, he decided to call himself Cloud Strife, a strange name, but he felt it fitted perfectly into his bizarre existence, despite not knowing exactly what he is. He based the naming structure after coming across a settlement of people he came across thousands of years ago and he had kept it ever since.

It's his name and his name only.

Now, Cloud didn't like, no, despised his purpose, which demanded him to destroy planets and parts of the galaxy. He wanted none of that. What he wanted was to live in peace with everyone and maybe settle down somewhere to start his own little family like others out there. Still, Cloud made due with what had been dealt. So, despite hating his purpose for being, it also gave him a reason to continue living and one needed something like that in this infinite universe.

And sometimes, there were loopholes he could slip through, that he could crack wide open, and he took advantage of each and every one of them. It made his commitment to his task appear amiable.

Regardless, after being alive for so long and moving from world to world, Cloud was tired. He wanted to rest. He wanted a planet he could call his home, even if it was just for a little while. He wanted something that would remain around for a few eons, where he could close his eyes and sleep.

And yet, that never happened, and if it did, it never lasted long enough.

Cloud simply had horrible luck. He soared throughout space, searching for a new place to settle, before realizing that planet was already on its downhill path of self-destruction. Cloud could actually see and feel the planet's misery, its despair, its weakening gasps of life. And so, he did the dying planet a favor and finished it off, propelling it into an eternal slumber, a quick death to end its agonizing torment. It was one of the many loopholes Cloud could use, take advantage of. If he had to do many atrocious things, he might as well make it painless for those that needed it the most. Sometimes, he could leave the planet well enough alone after wiping out its corruptive inhabitants, burning the rot that had been draining its energy. In the wake of the death and destruction Cloud left behind, new life would form under the ashes. It was a second chance for these fortunate planets, not that they could ever comprehend that.

Of course, eventually, Cloud gained a name for his misdeeds.

The Calamity.

He didn't mean to, but it couldn't be helped. Once more, Cloud simply dealt with his cards at hand and moved on.

One day, after a long period of travel, he nestled on a planet named Gaia. It had purely been accident to cause a crater on its surface when he crashed. Really. He hadn't thought the propel from the last one would still be strong enough to cause this much damage after being in space for fifty years. In any case, he apologized and walked forward, settling onto this kind planet.

The residential Cetra were compassionate, a little too nauseating at times with the amount of benevolence they spewed, but Cloud always made due. He was the outsider after all, the visitor here. He kept mostly to himself, blending with the vast population, changing his appearance to assimilate with everyone else, and eventually left to be on his own amongst the world. It was fine though. He co-existed with the Cetra and the humans peacefully for many years, never really interacting with either race until one day, a Cetra fell in love with him. Cloud didn't mind, allowing the feelings to fester strong and firm. He may not return such sensations to the other, at least not that deeply, but he understood them. In return, as his show of adoration, he passed his gift to this Cetra.

However, Cloud hadn't realized until it was too late just how much power could corrupt, how much love could change someone. The now-gifted Cetra turned on him and his own people, terrorizing the planet for minor misdeeds until the land was damaged and bleeding. This Cetra spread his influence, using Cloud's abilities to infect other people, turning family and friends viciously against each other. People were dying left and right, the humans hiding as they had no abilities to protect themselves from the clash of powers the Cetra bore.

Cloud could sense the planet weeping at the excruciating deaths and knew it was indirectly his fault. He had accidently started it and so, he needed to end it. Pulling away from his peaceful lifestyle, he stormed out to hunt and cut down the Cetra that had started it all. He ignored the desperate screams of betrayal, of love and worship, the horror-filled splatters of blood, and persisted on to kill those that had been touched by the Cetra's madness. Cloud would take care of the problem himself. He was the only one that could. The Cetra he had indirectly created had produced such harm: birthing monsters, diseases, and destruction in his path. By the end, Cloud was grieving with the rest of humanity and sacrificed himself to take the blame for everything.

The grieving surviving Cetra despised him, the planet cursed him, but despite all the power it and the Cetra had, they couldn't defeat Cloud. He was significantly older, far too powerful, and more knowledgeable in various magical arts. Their attacks meant nothing to him, the spells they threw dissipating into smoke. It was...disappointing. They were insufficiently weak, all bark and no bite. Still, Cloud never truly fought back and yet, the damage he accumulated wasn't enough to do any true harm, even when he took on a weaker monstrous female form to give the Cetra something they could physically hate.

Instead, with a few carefully placed words he whispered amongst the frustrated population, he allowed himself to be sealed away at the crater area he had arrived at long ago.

And so he slept.

And slept.

And slept some more.

Cloud loved it, sleeping the years away. He didn't have to do anything. He didn't have to do his job, and in a way, he was getting the rest he could never have. It was peaceful.

He slept for hundreds of years, letting the world change and pass on by.

Until one day, he woke up.

Cloud didn't understand what happened.

One moment, he was drifting in the peaceful darkness of his mind and the next, he was being jolted awake into full consciousness. It took him moments to focus his mind on his current surroundings, his mind still lulled by slumber, unconsciously breaking apart the spell he had been placed under, and managed to organize his jumbled thoughts into one. He blinked his eyes, observing his strange environment and the glowing brightness that shouldn't be blinding him.

Hadn't he been in a dark cave? Sealed away from the rest of humanity?

This didn't look anything like that.

So then, where was he?

Shifting a little within the tube-like container, struggling against the machines connected to his flesh, he stared. What happened? How had he gotten here? A brief flash of memories flickered through his mind, remembering a planet from long ago that had been medically advanced, where he had seen tubes of a similar manner. There on that planet, in contrast, had been growing things they weren't supposed to. Had he been turned into some kind of experiment during his sleep? Probably not a good thing considering his very nature. Cloud didn't want to spread the destruction and madness once more, even if unintentional.

Drawing a tiny bit of power, Cloud shattered the glass and hovered in the center of his cell, his disfigured feet never touching the cold ground. The metal tubes and various other attachments dislodged themselves, torn out, with his transformed body already replacing the missing portions of his body. With a little more strength, he floated out, landing just before a statue-like creation of what appeared to be an angel.

"How...distasteful." His voice croaked from the lack of usage. Or was it 'her', considering he still wore his previous female form, nude of all clothing, taken from a previous monster that had destroyed a planet long ago.

Shuttering at the ineptness of his body, Cloud transformed back into his more human-like form, the one he preferred whenever he integrated with civilization. It was small, but convenient, despite the teasing he used to receive from the Cetra about his spiky blond hair being fashioned like a chocobo's butt. Cloud summoned some clothing, plain black pants and a blue shirt, and peered behind him at the broken glass and leaking mako, already able to tell it was part of the Lifestream. The tell-tale glow of green below the platform he was standing on made him sigh.

Were the humans harvesting the planet's blood for themselves? For power? Narrowing his eyes slightly at the sight, he shook his head.

It wasn't his problem.

If the humans wanted to kill themselves, they were more than welcomed to.

He could hear the faint whispering of Gaia, her screams, her demands, in the background, but ignored it in favor of finding out just how long he had been out. It must have been an extensive amount of time considering human technology had grown this far. Still, to be pumping the very life force of their world, humans have grown stupid over the eons or, perhaps, arrogant.

As for Gaia, the planet had never forgiven him for what had conspired centuries ago and it knew he was awake now. Obviously, Cloud had no intentions of harming it, but he doubted his explanations would ever break through the planet's stubbornness.

Focusing back on his present situation, Cloud ripped the statue aside, letting it tumble to the layers of metal and mako underneath, ignoring the clatter it made in return. He was wobbly as he took his first step forward, having grown lax in its lack of usage, and carefully made his way down the narrow walkway. He sensed no living life within the area, not even monsters. The only thing Cloud could pick up was some creatures, barely human with...some of his DNA mixed in. They weren't alive, but they weren't dead either. Cloud forced his way through the exit door, ripping it open, and carefully observed his surroundings once more.

Pods belonging to those mentioned creatures he sensed were lined up in rows. The alien glanced briefly at a few as he went down, sneering at the distasteful images he was met with. How irritating. Humans had taken advantage of his slumbering state, using pieces of his body for experiments.

Long ago, someone had attempted that on another world before it self-destructed, his cells running amok amongst the population. The mixture of his cells would work for a little while, giving the person increased strength and abilities. It would appear like some sort of miracle. But, without his allowance, his play in imparting his gift, the body would slowly rot: mentally, physically, or both. It was just a matter of time. There was nothing to stabilize the person that had stolen something that didn't belong to them and they would eventually die a gruesome death.

Of course, not before the person went absolutely raving mad.

By the looks of these not-humans, they were already suffering some of the end stages of mutations his lack of acceptance caused. Huffing, he continued on until he made it outside, the cold bitter air filling his lungs for the first time since awakening. It was no longer stuffy, like the ventilation in the facility hadn't been touched in years.

Cloud spun around to face the building, the reactor (not that he knew exactly what it was called), and raised his right arm. He wasn't going to allow humans to continue such methods with his cells nor leave anything behind for someone else to find. He had no intention of amplifying his purpose, not when the humans were already doing it for him.

Drawing up some power, he altered the reality surrounding the building and set it ablaze, scorching the metal with a high-density temperature until it was nothing more than a puddle of rust and silver. He would leave nothing behind, nothing. He didn't want to be blamed again for something he couldn't help. Within seconds, the reactor was gone, leaving behind an empty space, ensuring Cloud that it was absolutely gone.

As the blond turned, he gazed out beyond the apparent mountain range he found himself in. The icy coldness didn't bother him, finding it refreshing, and the dancing snow was beautiful as the wind twirled the flakes in circles as it fell to earth. Taking a few moments to observe the winter wonderland, he stretched a little more, settling into his old body, before pondering over what to do next. He didn't want anyone to know he existed, but at the same time, he needed to gather some knowledge about this new world he had reluctantly woken up in. He fully intended to blend into the public once more, disappearing into the course of history.

But what to do?

His knowledge on many subjects was vast considering his length of lifespan, but he certainly had no clue on what was considered modern now.

Cloud huffed and attentively made his way down the icy pathway to the village he sensed at the base of the mountain.

He needed information.

And that mansion just before that village seemed like the best place to start.

Years later...

Tseng sometimes had to hate his job as a Turk. There were days he enjoyed the work he had been given and then there were those that all he wanted to do was fake his own death to call a quits. Still, he had a current mission to complete and one he needed to finish.

It had been seven years since the destruction of the Nibelheim reactor, completely obliterated beyond recognition. The only information they had was a grainy video recording that caught some of the destruction before the camera had melted from the blast, enough to see a blond figure slipping away. It had been interesting, to say the least, tracking this said individual down.

It didn't help there had been a couple more occurrences of strangeness following the blond's sudden appearance: like Professor Hojo's assassination, displacements of certain people, and the slow deconditioning of the top SOLDIERs.

"Ah, Tseng, I see you're back again."

The Second-in-Command Turk nearly cursed, jumping at the sudden voice behind him. Cautiously spinning around, he faced said blond figure, whose spiky hair looked far too bizarre to be called natural. Surrounding them was a chocobo farm, the yellow creatures running wildly within a massive enclosed area, chirping contentedly as they playfully toyed with each other. Tseng caught glimpses of some blacks, browns, and other varieties mixed in, flickering in and out of the mass of yellow. In the distance, just a couple feet away, there was a barn, large enough to fit about twelve to twenty stalls, a home for the giant birds.

The house Tseng had been hoping to round and eventually sneak into had obviously been cut short when the blond resident had decided to appear behind him. Like always, Tseng never managed to get very far with this special case. Bright blue eyes continued to stare, observing him carefully despite the man's smaller nature. They didn't glow like a SOLDIER's, but there was an intensity that couldn't be ignored, one that spoke of experience and command.

Tseng eventually gave in, knowing he couldn't quite hide or sneak around this subject. "Hello, Cloud. How's business?"

The man shrugged, lips tightly bound together as a thin line. He didn't seem offended by the Turk's abrupt appearance, almost like he had predicted it instead. "Same as usual, though I've picked up some interest from the Golden Saucer for their races. Apparently, two of my birds that participated won."

Tseng already knew about that, but gave a small smile in return. "Congratulations, I'm impressed. It'll definitely help your business once word gets around. Racers like to make sure their birds are properly taken care of outside of races and others like to purchase well-groomed birds."

"That's true. Thanks." Cloud glanced around, peering at the two birds that were attempting to sneak up behind Tseng. It was obvious what they wanted, Tseng's ponytail appealing to the chocobos' endless curiosity. It didn't help that their master was standing before the Turk. Cloud smiled, "Why don't you come in? I can make you some tea."

Tseng sighed, reaching up to rub in-between his eyes. He was just supposed to check up on the subject, to make sure Cloud was exactly where he was supposed to be. It was harder to place a Turk out here, considering how far the man lived from the populace. Still, Cloud was much like Aerith, the last remaining Cetra, as the blond had his own strange charm that just drew people in. It made Tseng want to protect this otherworldly being, despite knowing the man didn't need any such 'protecting', especially considering Cloud's hidden nature and abilities. Still, it was always hard to say 'no' to him. "Yes, that would be wonderful."

Cloud nodded, taking the lead as he opened the front door to his home. He went straight to the kitchen, getting everything set up, knowing Tseng would want to hang back, taking little notes along the way.

The Turk could see that certain things had been moved since his last visit and little additions had been included as well. He knew for a fact that there was one other person living in the Strife household, but Tseng had yet to find any information regarding the man (it had to be a man from the clothes that were sometimes left about close to the bedrooms). This individual was too crafty, reminding Tseng of Cloud himself or... Tseng shook his head. He didn't want to think too deeply on this subject, not when the blond was standing before him.

As Cloud got to work in the kitchen, Tseng took his regular seat at the table. Relaxing and knowing he was safe in the blond's presence as long as he didn't do anything to upset the other. Tseng decided to make small talk to keep the both of them from falling into silence. "Still, no plans on leaving your little farm?"

"Nope. I actually love it out here. Nice and peaceful. Going into town can be a pain, but there's some nice people there I don't mind talking to." Cloud allowed the hot water to heat up on the stove, bringing out some snacks he stored inside his cabinets. Placing the plate between the two of them, Cloud took his seat. "I really enjoy taking care of the chocobos. It's quite fun and it helps that they're absolutely adorable."

Tseng knew that. There have been a couple times he came during the early morning and monitored the rancher going about his regular routine with the birds. "Have you, by any chance, been listening to the on goings regarding Midgar?"

Cloud shook his head. "No, not really. Not interested either. Though, I have been picking up some whenever I go into town. Still, you people can do whatever you'd like, just as long as you leave me alone." It was the blunt truth, Cloud really wasn't interested and he had no intention of getting involved with Midgar's corrupted politics, especially ShinRa's. In turn, he got closer under the Turks' watchful eyes. He had been there once, curious about the new world he had woken up to, and had explored the slums and upper plates. However, as nice and gaudy as it was, he wanted out. He could sense the rotting amongst the area, life nearly dead and nonexistent. Cloud may be destructive by nature, but he had his limits. "And being there once is enough for me. It's far too crowded for my tastes."

Tseng nodded, taking a small nibble of the offered cookies. "I see." He eyed the blond once more before turning away. Getting information out of the other had always been difficult, but it was also a well-known fact that Cloud was behind on times too. "Well, perhaps next time, you should let me know. I know some of the better sites to visit, less crowds. Midgar does have its charm in its own special way, much like your birds."

Cloud couldn't help but smirk, chuckling in amusement. "Perhaps one day...when you're not trying to capture me." Shaking his head, he got up to grab the hot water, placing a tea bag inside the pot. He let it soak for a few minutes before pouring into two separate cups. "Well, anyway, why are asking me about Midgar? Did something happen? I know you wouldn't mention anything unless something did."

"In a way..." Tseng took a small sip of his tea before gently blowing on the still scorching liquid. As he did so, Cloud raised an eyebrow up curiously.

If Tseng was mentioning something to him then it probably had to do with the three subject matters: himself, the half-Ancient that dwelled in Midgar, or... Cloud smirked, that last one sounded correct. The latest news in Kalm had been scorching wildly, more so than usual. It would have been nearly impossible to not have picked it up. "Ah, must be about one of the SOLDIERs then, most likely the ones that contain more of my cells."

Tseng had to mentally pat himself on the back at keeping himself from flinching at the blunt truth. He should have known the alien sitting before him would figure it out. It wasn't that difficult or surprising. Word travels fast, even into the rural parts of the world. "Yes, Jenova cells. Your cells." He ignored the way Cloud grinned, pleased that he had been correct.

Still, the mentioning of that name, the name Hojo and that other scientist had called him, had Cloud huffing. "It's Cloud, not Jenova. That's the name you humans gave me when I was sealed away, and for good reasons too. That is not what I call myself." Jenova... Sounded like it belonged to a Goddess or something and he was neither of such. "You humans really don't know when to leave things damn well alone too. Because anyone that has my cells, if I don't place any commands, they'll fulfill their intended tasks to destroy the planet. That's how the Cetra ended up going nearly extinct the first time around." Not really to that last part, since the Cetra's love had been his downfall, but Cloud didn't want to give the Turk any advantages. It was a useful threat in the long run too.

"I am aware." The Turk knew talking with a highly-intelligent being with various unknown and known abilities wasn't wise. Just listing the known took up three sheets of printed paper and he recognized that Cloud was simply scrapping the bare minimum of his abilities, not including the endless quantity of knowledge he contained. "But you're correct. One of the SOLDIERs containing your cells went AWOL. He appears to be...degradating."

Cloud shrugged. "Expected. I never allowed the transfer, so it was bound to happen. The rest will follow sooner or later. I'm amazed it lasted this long, to be honest. Hojo may have been crazy, but he was a smart crazy. He probably found some combination to slow the process." The alien took another sip of his tea, letting those words settle in Tseng's mind. "Plus, did you really expect your little experiments wanting to remain around the ones that created them? Even I wouldn't dare. If anything, I'd burn ShinRa and all its people down to the ground until they're nothing more than mere ashes."

That...didn't sound good considering the ones that had Cloud's cells were considered the strongest in ShinRa's military, the strongest men in the world. Having them go mad would...indeed destroy everything. Exactly what Cloud's purpose on this planet meant. Tseng silently snorted at the threat the blond had made. The alien was the one most likely to go through with it too, not that it was surprising. Many hated ShinRa and Cloud had every reason to do so. Still, despite the intimidation, the blond remained isolated from the rest of the world, keeping to himself.

Still, trying to force Cloud to compile, to get him to return to Midgar, had been a disaster, a complete annihilation of an entire platoon and four Turks. Eight SOLDIERs had been included, hardly standing a chance considering Cloud had easily taken control of what meager cells they contained, before everyone had evaporated into the wind. Hiding the destruction and bodies that hadn't faded away had been difficult on the Turks' end, placing them in Wutai to cover the losses. It had been a major defeat and one that told the entirety of those that knew about Cloud's existence, he was not one to come quietly.

Instead, Tseng had been asked to survey the man, to study him much like with Aerith. He never got far before Cloud felt his presence and came looking for him, too familiar with him over the years. It was something that Tseng used to his advantage, being one of the very few Turks (there were only two others) that wouldn't get attacked for stepping into the compound.

"If I asked, could you not let them die?" Tseng questioned, already knowing the answer. At the raise of Cloud's eyebrow, he got it. "So, is there nothing we can do to save their lives? To keep them from going mad?"

"Nothing. Once started, there isn't much to reverse it. Only someone of my power level can do something at this point. The planet could, but it hates me and anything related to me." Cloud grudgingly shook his head. He knew that every life, in a way, was precious, but after living for so long and jumping from planet to planet, he just...stopped caring. People would always die and be reborn. It was an endless cycle. There just wasn't anything to care about any longer.

Tseng sighed, "I see..." He downed the rest of his tea, letting the cup click against the wooden table. "Well, thank you for your hospitality and time." He stood up, straightening his uniform, and took one last look of the surroundings. He could still make out that there were other items that didn't belong to the blond, but he wasn't going to bring it up, not now. Tseng knew when he had overstayed his welcome. "I believe I'll be going now."

Cloud tilted his head, still taking his time with his own drink. "So soon? Well, alright then." He stood, leaving his tea behind as he showed Tseng out the front door. He didn't trust the Turk to not attempt sneaking about his place like the last couple of times, but Cloud didn't hold it against the man. Tseng was just doing his job and from his observations over years of interactions, the man was an overly cautious person. As they reached the door, Cloud held it open to watch the Wutaian step out into his front yard. "I'll see you later, Tseng. Come back soon, and next time, stay over for dinner, okay?" Because it was obvious they would eventually bump into one another sooner or later down the path, and though Cloud would never admit it, he had come to care for this quiet human. Tseng was a silent presence, hovering at the edges, and was smart enough to know when he had pushed too far. All of which, Cloud considered to be good qualities.

"If you change your mind..." Tseng began, onyx eyes flashing a sense of emotion before it was gone. "If you do, please let me know."

Cloud knew Tseng's personal cell phone number and the Turks themselves had every intention of keeping Cloud's identity a secret. They didn't want anyone else coming after him (not that it would work), or least of all, convince him to help their enemies. Their little tug-a-war had been going on for seven years, three of which Cloud spent in serious hiding before finally relenting to this chocobo farm.

As the blond fleetingly watched Tseng make his track through his massive plot land to the Turk's parked car, Cloud closed the front door with a sharp click. He could sense the man leaving, wandering further away. There was another presence Cloud picked up at the same time, edging around the perimeters of the field before gliding towards the center where the main house was located. This presence was most likely making sure Tseng was actually leaving and not hovering close by to observe throughout the night.

Cloud smiled. It had been about two weeks since his apparent roommate had decided to visit and just in time too. Shifting back to the kitchen, he picked up Tseng's empty cup and gave it a quick rinse in the sink. He pondered over making another cup for his next visitor when the person called out from behind.

"So he came back."

The blond didn't flinch or jump at the sudden voice, simply shrugging his shoulders. He had already known his roommate had slipped in through the unlocked windows in the back rooms. "As usual. He's one of the very few that isn't afraid of getting too close to me, knows when to step back. That and he's keeping my existence and location a secret from the rest of the world, though I'm sure it's to keep me in his good graces." Glancing towards his right, at the second entrance of the kitchen, Cloud smiled. As he scooted back, he decided to make that extra cup of tea. "I actually quite like him."

"I see." The visitor appeared from the darkness of the hallway, taking Tseng's spot at the table. His long red cloak fluttered behind him, metal boots clicking against the tiled surface of the floor, and the light from the ceiling reflected off the golden-colored gauntlet on his left hand. Bright red eyes bore into Cloud, surrounded by pale white features and long black hair. The deep crimson color stood out, drawing those that looked at him right into his gaze. "I suspect he was here to talk about the missing First Class SOLDIER, Genesis. Probably wanted to know if you're willing to save him and the other SOLDIERs that have fallen victim to Hojo's and Hollander's science."

Cloud shook his head, carrying the cup to the kitchen table. "It's none of my business. I didn't condone those experiments and I don't want to play any part in it."

The red-eyed man stared, his gaze never wavering. "Yes, but it's your cells that were used, Cloud."

The blond sighed, unwilling to grasp his nearly forgotten drink due to the heaviness of this sudden conversation. His blue eyes trailed over the other's pale features, huffing in annoyance. "Vincent..."

The dark-clad male took a slow sip of his offered drink, using his normal right hand, before continuing. "They didn't know what had happened to them. It was done when they were babies, decided before they were even born. They didn't have a say on the matter and now they're finding out the truth. They are innocent."

Cloud sighed, leaning back against his seat. "You're guilting me into helping, aren't you?"

Vincent raised a somewhat hidden eyebrow underneath his headband and long black bangs. A hint of a smile appeared on his lips. "Is it working?"

"Maybe, but I'm not about to simply leave my home to search for someone that doesn't want to be found." Cloud retaliated, folding his arms against his chest. "If this SOLDIER wants to be saved, I'll save him. I'll even fix what has been done to him." The blond hummed to himself for a moment as if considering something else on his mind. "Might have to take it away though since I don't really want people wandering about with my gift."

Vincent continued to stare, unbothered by Cloud's wandering thoughts. "But you imparted it with me..." His sharp red eyes gazed at his companion once more as if daring him to negate that very fact. Cloud simply snorted, not denying that little tidbit. "I have some of your cells within me, given by Hojo and some more by you later on, enough that you could rework my entire condition, to give me the ability to control my demons."

"Chaos was a little trickier considering his connection to the planet. Anything related to this world thinks of me as a monster that needs to be destroyed, but he's also more reasonable than the others. He's quite pleasant to talk to sometimes."

This time, Vincent rolled his eyes. He had heard the various conversations between the two, considering Chaos would sometimes use his own body to speak through and it was strange, so very strange to not be in control of what is his. Other times, he could hear their thoughts flipping back and forth due to the gift Cloud gave him. Still, Vincent was grateful to his newfound companion for piecing him together after accidently stirring him awake from his slumber all those years ago. Cloud had fixed many things and in turn, gave Vincent the time and abilities needed to extract his vengeance on Professor Hojo.

Still, the half-dead immortal had a conversation to keep up. "If I were to let it slip to the Firsts about your location..."

Cloud grumbled, already knowing where this was going. "Then I guess I'll have no choice but to help them."

"Good." With that, Vincent finished the rest of his tea, already assembling plans for the future. He now had a job to complete and people to track down. He already had a few ideas about the locations of these SOLDIERs, following his own separate sources instead of ShinRa's, and the demons within were more than willing to lend a hand. Cloud's cells/gift had helped stabilize the creatures dwelling in his body, making them more controllable and dependable to his personality and desires. The only side effect was that the cells made him want to please Cloud, not that Vincent minded in the least.

However, considering how late it was and that he had just arrived back home after traveling half the continent, Vincent would take this momentary chance to rest. He couldn't quite make his next run on little to no energy. His red eyes glanced up towards the other curiously, questioning what the man wanted to do next. It was a little early to be getting dinner, which left him with some free time, and tonight he wanted something...a little more.

Sighing at those wandering crimson eyes, Cloud stood up, slipping towards the living room, able to pick out the sounds of his chocobos squawking in the distance. They were safe and sound, no threats of monsters in the area. For now, he would just watch some television with Vincent (who was trailing behind) to pass the time, maybe catch up on some shows they have fallen behind in, though he doubted that would truly happen from the mental sensations Vincent was throwing his way. He could practically feel those red eyes drifting over his body.

That and Cloud doubted he would be getting any silence or alone time once one of the SOLDIERs arrived and Vincent knew that.

Oh, well. Neither of their lives was ever normal in the first place.

Not sure on continuing this but I might. It was just really a little plot idea I wanted to share.

I had originally planned this to be a harem type with everyone falling in love with Cloud with Vincent being the obvious first one.