It's a curious thing, Mako poisoning. It can take away so much, but reward you with ignorance to what's happened in the past. It kills the pain. One by one, the chains linking memories to memories, faces to relationships, feelings to experiences, are chipped away. It isn't like you don't have them, but you just can't put them together anymore. Even recent experiences are a bit fuzzy if you don't try to remember more than others. It slowly melts away who you are, and let's a new you slip into play. It's a get out of jail free card, but it still comes with its own price.

Not many people think about what happened to the infamous Cloud Strife, the one who saved Migdar and the planet. He just left and never came back, even though he had promised. He vanished into thin air. Nobody saw him, nobody heard him, and nobody seemed to talk about him ever again. Tifa only wished she could've met him again in a better condition. Anything would be better than this...

Harmonixer Harmony

Part VIII

Cloud blinked, "I'm sorry... Do I know you?" He said softly.

Tifa seemed in shock at his response, not even a glint of remembrance. She stood still for a moment, placing her hand on her chest, "... It's me... Tifa."

He stared blankly, "... I'll tell my uncle you're here." He turned away and walked out of sight. Tifa's eyes stayed open wide, she had never seen Cloud so... Empty towards her.

Cid leaned over, raising an eyebrow, "What's up with Cloud?"

"Uncle, there's a lady name Tifa here to see you... I think." Cloud leaned in through the open door. Reno looked up at him. Cloud seemed slightly bothered, as if he was trying desperately to remember something. Reno could tell there was something wrong, if he couldn't remember Tifa, what could he?

"That's one of my friends." Reno told Roger, hoping he'd allow them in. He closed the journal and put the book on the table by him, sitting up att the way and beginning to get off.

Roger stood up and nodded, "Alright, thank you, Cloud. Bring them in." Cloud nodded back and walked away.

"He doesn't even remember her..." Reno said quietly to himself.

"If she is your friend, follow me." Roger walked over to the door, "You can walk now, can't you?"

"Oh! Uhh..." Reno looked himself over, he seemed to have healed all the way, "Yeah, I'm pretty sure I can."

Cloud led them into the living room, holding his arm out in friendly invitation, "Please, have a seat." He smiled.

Cid sneered, "Hey, bud, is there something wrong with your head? You don't remember us?" Tifa touched his arm to stop him as she sat. Reeve nervously sat down next to Rude and Elena, while Rufus chose to stand.

Cloud blinked, "Ah... Sorry, I really don't." He shrugged, "Should... I?" He looked at each one of them.

Cid opened his mouth to speak, but simply let out a sigh. He didn't know what to say. It wasn't like Cloud couldn't have easily recognized them, it was just like he had never met them, "You've all come so quickly." Roger said as he walked by Cloud and into the room, crossing his arms behind his back, "... Do you know my nephew?" He asked Cid.

Reeve jumped up and covered his mouth, "Oh my god!" he squealed as Elena yanked him back into his seat.

"Shut up, you twitchy freak!" She hissed.

Roger gave an unimpressed stare to the both of them, "I'll pretend I didn't hear that." He held up his cane, "But if I were one or two centuries older, I'd whap you two til you were black and blue for acting like that!" he growled before seeing Tifa. His eyes grew with realization, then closed as he made a gentle nod, "Ah, yes. It's you. I never thought you would actually come here."

Reno walked in and stood next to Cloud, "So, do you mind explaining this to us, pops?" He tilted his head hand and put one hand on his hip.

Roger was silent as thought, then he nodded, "Cloud, would you... excuse us?"

Cloud blinked, "But, Uncle-..." he sighed when he looked at his uncle's serious face, "Alright." he stuck his hands in his pockets and slumped, "We need groceries anyway. I'll be at the store..." He left the room, grabbing his large, knit, shoulder bag and closing the door behind him. Roger looked back up and walked over to the window, looking out to see where he was headed. He saw him pull his rusted mountain bike out from under the deck and begin to ride back down the street.

"Cloud and I have been together for so long." He said quietly, his old voice giving a slight rasp, "He's become so important." He turned to them, "It was complete chance that I ran upon him. I was on a trip to Jonan, trying to gather raw materia for my studies. I had only heard of Cloud from the other people in Costa De Sol. I had never actually met him. When I was close to the center of materia growth, the perfect spot for harvesting, I ran across a small cluster of monsterous birds. When I scared them away, I saw him..."

"Shoo! Shoo!!" Roger swung his arms about, scaring the cluster of birds away. He stopped, his jaw dropping a bit when he saw what they had been trying to get at.

"I had no idea who he was. His eyes were glowing so much from the Mako he had been infused with. I could only suppose it he was afflicted with Mako poisoning."

"Oh!" Roger leaned down, "Hey, are you alright there?" The man said nothing, his eyes were aimlessly staring at the ground, "C-.. Can you speak?" Roger tilted his head a bit, "... Sir?" the man's mouth fell open a bit, like he had just lost a bit more strength. Roger blinked and slowly approached, holding his arm out, "Can you move?"

"He was so weak when I first found him. He barely moved, he barely spoke. All I heard from him for the first week was grunts and sighs. I had only found out his name was Cloud from an old SOLDIER id card he had in his pocket. It was like he wasn't even there anymore. But still, I took care of him, treated his wounds, fed him, and gave him water." Roger turned, "Then one day, it all changed so suddenly. He was suddenly awake and alert."

Roger dropped the bowl of water with a damp cloth he held. The man looked over at him, his face blank, but awake. Roger gulped, "Where...?" his soft voice said quietly.

Roger nervously looked around the room, "Cloud?"

He sat up straight, "Yeah...?"

"He didn't know anything. Not even where he had come from. His mind had for some reason told him I was his uncle, and that's the way it stayed." Roger sat down on his chair in the corner of the room.

Tifa looked down, "This doesn't make sense. How did you know who I was, then?"

"Because I found this in his pocket along with the card." Roger got up again and walked over to his desk. Pulling open the old drawer, he retrieved a folded, old, slightly torn photo. He walked over and handed it to her. She quietly unfolded it, recognizing it right away. It was that old photo of her, Sephiroth, and Zack, back when everything was still in order. She bit her lip, "I showed him that picture, but he didn't remember any of them, even you." Roger looked down sadly, "I had hoped one day he might remember, even just a little bit, but whatever he get back is lost when he remembers something else." Tifa handed him the photo.

"I understand. So he doesn't remember anything?" She sorrowfully closed her eyes.

"No, he remembers aspects, but he can't put them together at all." Roger walked across the room, "You can tell him if you want, or you could try and remind him who he is. Hopefully that will bring any of him back to you."

Tifa nodded thoughtfully, still looking down at the photo, "We'll see."

Cid shook his head and flicked his cigarette butt into the ash tray on the table next to him, "So where's Vincent, then?"

"Your friend in in the spare room just down the hall. He's still badly injured, but should heal soon." Roger sat down, "You can see him if you'd like."

Hojo bent over and looked at the blood left on the deck, "They're not here, sir." Tseng walked up slowly, "It seems as if they survived the crash."

Hojo stood straight, "So it seems as though they have... This blood belongs to the holy one." He looked over, "Do you know what happens when our flesh touches this blood?" Tseng gave a reluctant shake of his head, "Then I'll show you." He looked around before grabbing a small gremlin from his side, "This gremlin has been a wonderful companion of mine, but I'm afraid this is the price that must be payed for this lesson." He held it's arm out straight, lowering it down near the blood. The gremlin began to panic, trying to squeeze free of its master's hold. It's hand touched the blood, immediately beginning to burn. It squealed out in pain as the burn crept up it arm and began to devour its flesh. Hojo dropped it to the ground, letting it dissolve into a mass of dark blood and goo. he lifted his head, "This... is why we must find and destroy the holy one. He had the blood that can kill us all!" He stomped his foot and walked up to Tseng, leaning forward and staring into his eyes, "I hope this lesson has enlightened you to our... priorities."

Tseng gave a nervous nod as he leaned back and away from Hojo, "Y-Yes, sir..."

"Good." Hojo turned away from Tseng, "Find the godslayer and the holy one. Kill them both before they can stop our plans." Hojo ordered, not even turning before walking away from Tseng.

Tseng lowered his head, "Yes, sir."

Vincent's sleeping face didn't look all that different from a corpse. His pale skin and dark circles, however, seemed slightly softened in the warm light coming in through the window. Cid sat down, leaning over to get a better look at him. He seemed more relaxed and sweeter than usual. Tifa walked as far as the door before stopping. She could see the serious look on Cid's face. It was only to be expected. They had traveled most of the world together, they must be close. She quietly backed out of the door way.

Cloud calmly got off his bike, a paper bag filled with groceries in hand. He looked back up to the house while he walked up the stairs, "..." He thought slowly as he reached for the door, "Why do I... feel so... helpless all the sudden?" he sighed as he opened the door. He heard a thump and looked down, "Ugh... Dropped a can." He bent over picking it up. He half way lifted his head. A shadow of a figure came up behind him. He stood up and sighed, "What? More people I should know? What is it this time?" He said as he turned around, his eyes closed in frustration. Upon opening his eyes he quickly realized this was no one he knew. The bag of groceries fell to the ground, all of its contents spilling onto the ground.

Well, well, well. Things are starting to heat up with all these new characters coming back into the picture, eh? Keep reading and reviewing, because you know how much it means to me! 0w0