Warning!

If you haven't already, go back to read chapter ten. It was incomplete when I first posted it, but now it's done. This a whole different, brand-new, shiny chapter. I know, two updates in a month? Crazy, right? Even I can't really believe it...

Needless to say, I'm trying to do as much as I can while the inspiration is strong. And oh boy, is it strong right now. I don't think I've been watching, reading, or listening to anything that isn't FF7 related recently (actually, no, that's a lie. I've been listening to some Nathan Sharp music and watching a few cat videos too). Which, good for writing, I guess, but it makes going to work and doing homework an absolute pain.

Still worth it.

There will be quite a few time skips in this chapter as Arc 1 comes to an end. I thought it would take at least one more chapter, but I've actually managed to put in most of what I wanted already so all that's left is to wrap things up. I'll also be writing a response to a couple of guest reviews I've received at the end. I don't usually do that, but since there's no way to respond to guests through PMs...Well, feel free to skip over them at any rate. I'll put it at the very end, after the closing author's notes. Guests- and you know who you are -if you can, sign in when you review if you ask a question, or drop the question in my Tumblr account. Thanks.

Oh. One last thing.

Back when I first began this story, there wasn't really a lot of information about the world itself (you can imagine the sheer frustration I felt at that, I'm sure), so I ended up making some of it up. Since the release of the remake, there is a lot more that has been made available as the world of FF7 has been fleshed out. There are a few things that I wrote that have since been confirmed, and some that have been made obsolete. As a result, I have edited and adjusted the things I can accordingly. One of the things that I will be going back to change are a few ages, but I'm also putting it all here so that you know where we stand in case you don't want to go reread the older stuff. So, as of the beginning of this chapter:

Year: [ μ ] - εуλ 1998

Date: October 13th

Ages/Birthdays:

President Shinra: 58, 1940

Palmer: 55, 1943

Hojo: 53, 1945

Heidegger: 49, 1949

Vincent: 48 (physically 34), 10/13/50 (Has there been a Remake Ultimania age declared for him? I haven't seen one and he does not look like he got shot in his thirties)

Matt: 34, 3/19/64 (I have to admit I also wasn't thinking much about ages when I started this...)

Cole: 33, ?/?/65

Skye: 31, 6/24/67 (...but luckily, it still kind of works with these two?)

Scarlett: 31, 1967

Reeve: 26, 7/2/72 (Nice, got the year right. Still no official date for him though, so we're going with mine for now)

Barrett: 24, 12/15/72 (And his official b-day makes him younger than Horizons!Reeve. Lmao. Not changing it, though)

Cid: 23, 2/22/75 (A bit younger than I expected, but that seems to be the case all around for the most part, and it still works in the context of the story)

Tseng: 21 , ?/?/77 (Way back in chapter 2, I said he'd be the same age as the three Firsts. I wasn't going to change it, but thanks to new information from the FF7R Ultimania...How is he 30?! How?! He never flippin' ages!)

Rufus: 21, ?/?/77 (At first I was a bit annoyed that he was stated to be 25 during the events of FF7, but that has now been retconned by the Remake Ultimania, so I'm good)

Rude: 21, ?/?/77 (Rude's age has been revealed as well, but I still want an actual date. Also, that means he's crushing on a girl ten years his junior...Castalia sure would sympathize with that sort of age gap)

Reno: 19 ?/?/79 (Wasn't expecting Reno to be older than the Firsts, to be honest)

Angeal: 18, ?/?/80 (When I come up with a good birthday, I want him to be the oldest)

Genesis: 18, ?/?/80 (The middle child)

Sephiroth: 18, ?/?/80 (He will be the youngest of the trio)

(These guys just want the ships to happen, I swear. I originally had them as five years older than Cassie, but official lore has placed them- or Sephiroth, at least -at two)

Biggs: 16, ? (This...fits perfectly. Thank you for validating my estimated age for him, Ultimania. *cackles gleefully*)

Ryuu (Lu Ten): 16, 12/18/80 (at least this birthday is behaving and not messing with me. I'm ignoring the fact that, as an OC of sorts, I had to come up with it...)

Castalia: 16, 10/12/82 (October 12th is actually my birthday. I couldn't resist once I knew Vincent's)

Red XIII: 48, ? (apparently he'd only be around 15-16 in human years, so he goes here)

Elena: 16, ?/?/82 (She and Reno were the only ones I'd planned on being Cassie's age, but since Reno has been revealed to be older, it's just Elena now)

Zack: 14, (I haven't come up with a good birthday for him yet, but the birth year is 1984)

Jessie: 14, ? (Huh...I thought she was Cloud's age)

Aerith: 13, 2/7/85

Cloud: 12, 8/11/86 (I really liked the idea of it being on the 19th instead, but August 11th is the official date now, so...)

Tifa: 11, 5/3/87 (I was pretty close since I had her born in '89, but she's just a bit older than what I had)

Wedge: 11 (Aw, he's so young :D)

Yuffie: 5, 11/20/91

And finally, Cirrus/Rinan: Almost 4 months, 7/28/98

Now that I've done the math, I've realized I slipped a bit in previous chapters. In my mind, it was the year 1997, but their ages were more consistent with the year 1998. Whoops. Well, it's not too big of a slip, so going back to fix it won't affect the story all that much. However, with these new ages, Sephiroth, Genesis and Angeal would be twelve when they go to Wutai. I debated quite a bit as to whether or not I should move the war further down the timeline because of this, but ultimately decided not to. It figures that if anyone would have child soldiers, it would be ShinRa, doesn't it. Hojo and Hollander probably had a say in it too, wanting some combat data or something. For obvious reasons though, even ShinRa knows that it wouldn't be good to reveal the ages of their new, shining stars just yet, so they are keeping it under wraps.

Any birthday with a (?) is one that I haven't come up with an exact date for yet. Suggestions?

Also, yes, I am aware of the age that Zack actually went to Midgar, so me saying it's fourteen is not a mistake. That's just Cassie basing her timeline on the age Cloud is said to have left Nibelheim (which, to be fair, is an easy mistake to make with no way to fact check). I've actually added a little scene at the end of chapter 10 that shows this.

If there's one thing that kind of bothers me though, it's that these new dates make Angeal's mentorship of Zack kind of strange. I thought the age gap between them was bigger than four years- he looks like he's a lot older, at any rate, but maybe that's the mako. It's weird, but whatever, I guess. I'll make it work.

I have made a fun little poll that should up on my profile sometime soon. Feel free to take a look. Anyway, that's about all I have to say for now. Please read on. I really, really hope you enjoy this chapter.

After all, the moment a lot of you have been waiting for is finally here...

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Chapter 11

"Cloud, what were you thinking?! You could have gotten seriously hurt!"

If the situation hadn't been so serious, I would have laughed at the strange expression on Cloud's face- guilt mixed with frustration and a hint of stubborn rebelliousness. If there was any indication that he was on the transition into teenagerdom, this was probably it. As it was, however, I was too busy treating the cut on his arm to feel up to teasing him about it.

The day had started out well enough. I'd woken up, spent the morning with Ma, Da, Cloud, and the twins before heading to the shop for a few hours, had lunch at home, and then started making my way to ShinRa manor. It was as I'd been traveling the familiar path that the wolf had attacked, and the situation quickly deteriorated when Cloud had jumped in front of me.

"...You always disappear," he muttered, looking away from me. "I was worried."

Just like that, any anger I had vanished. Ugh, why couldn't I stay mad at this kid? I had even found myself more amused than anything at the glares he would send the village boys when they got too close. If they were wary now, I could only imagine how they would react to an overprotective adult Cloud.

No, no, mind on the moment. I couldn't get distracted right now.

"Cloud..." I sighed. "I can take care of myself, you know. Master Zangan's been teaching me since I was eight, and we both know I can take on something a lot worse than a wolf with my materia."

"I know that. It's just..."

"You don't want me to get hurt."

"No."

"How do you think I feel then? My heart just about stopped when that wolf grazed you."

"Sorry..."

"...Come on, let's go home. Maybe if we ask nicely, Cole will give you a materia bangle of your own. That way, when you do something like this again- and don't even try to deny it -I won't worry so much."

His head snapped up. "Can't I go where you're going?"

I hesitated, memories of the last time Cloud ventured into the mansion coming to the forefront of my mind. While it was much safer than before, I still wasn't comfortable with the idea. "...What makes you think I'm going anywhere?

He glared. It was actually a pretty impressive one too. "Just because I skip class doesn't mean I'm stupid."

"That's not what I-..." I sighed and shook my head. "You know what, I'm not going anywhere near that topic. You and Ma go at it enough as it is. And speaking of Ma, I'll keep this from her on one condition."

"What?"

"You don't tell anyone about where I'm taking you."

To be honest, I actually didn't want Cloud to meet Vincent. It made me feel like there was no other choice than to let him go to ShinRa. The place where, if Vincent and I didn't manage to change anything, would only bring him pain and suffering...

I thought back to that day all those years ago, and the question I'd asked myself while I'd been at Cloud's bedside after he'd fallen off the water tower.

Only now, I knew my answer.

Despite that, I kept walking toward the manor. As much as I didn't want to, the odds were that Cloud would need Vincent's help one day; and I would sooner hand myself over to ShinRa with a full disclosure of who I was before not making sure my little brother had every single advantage he could get.

I just hoped it was the right decision to bring them together now.

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'She can't possibly be taking me where I think she is...'

Cloud followed behind Castalia with a slowly deepening frown, which turned to a burst of anger when they turned onto a familiar path. It was only because of the fact that this was the closest he'd been to the mansion since coming back that he managed to keep himself from yelling at her.

'What in the world is she thinking?! She could get seriously hurt! There are things a lot worse than Nibel Wolves in there!'

He paused, and with a chill he realized that she probably already knew that- that she had been going inside the mansion for who knew how long and no one ever realized it.

'I don't care what I promised, as soon as we get home, I'm telling Ma.'

No doubt Castalia would be furious, and it would only be that much harder to sneak away himself, but if it meant keeping her safe...

Almost as if she'd read his mind, she started talking. "I mean it, Cloud. Not one word to anyone, okay? I'm trusting you to keep this a secret."

"Okay." 'Sorry, Castalia, but you're in way over your head.'

He could worry about that later, though. Right now, he had to concentrate on what he would do once they were inside. He was in a much better place physically than he'd been before, but had no delusions of strength. While he had the knowledge, this body was still too weak to go up against some of the monsters that inhabited the abandoned building. If they weren't careful, they would easily get overpowered- it was amazing that Castalia hadn't yet. In the end, she really was their best fighter right now, and he hated it.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when they finally reached the door. Then, to his confusion, Castalia knocked.

'Why would she do that? There's no one in there. Well, no one who could come to the door, anyway.'

The knocking continued, and it was only after the first few taps that Cloud noticed a sort of pattern to it. Now he was even more confused, not to mention worried. Knocking would alert all the monsters to their presence.

Before he could pull her hand away, she stopped, and after a tense moment of silence, Cloud heard the lock click and saw the knob turn. He tensed, ready to fight- he had no past knowledge to fall back on here, and it was more than a little unsettling. As far as he knew, there was no one living in the mansion at this point in time before. What had he done to change that?

Of course, all thoughts came to a screeching halt at the sight of familiar red eyes, dark hair, and tattered cloak.

"Vincent?!"

He felt like putting his foot in his mouth for stupidity alone when both Vincent and Castalia turned to look at him in surprise. Luckily, he was spared an explanation when Castalia grinned.

"Hey! You remembered!"

He knew his face still conveyed his own surprise, but he couldn't quite change it back. "Re-remembered?"

The grin fell, and she sighed. "Hmm, guess it was just the name and face. Still, it's kind of impressive for how young you were."

"Castalia," Vincent greeted with a nod, bringing their attention back to him. The gunman gave him a brief glance before turning his gaze to her with a raised brow.

Castalia laughed sheepishly. "Sorry, Vincent. Cloud followed me today. Then he got hurt and I couldn't just leave him..."

To his ever-growing shock, he saw Vincent's eyes soften at the statement. It wasn't something that anyone who didn't know him would notice, but it was there. Just what was going on here? How long had Castalia been meeting up with Vincent to garner those sorts of reactions- and how in the world had they even met in the first place?

Wait, Castalia had said something about him remembering...

Had his younger self actually met Vincent before today?

"Has he promised to keep our meetings secret?"

"I made him promise before I brought him," Castalia assured him before grinning. "Don't worry, you can trust Cloud."

While he was a bit touched at the amount of trust Castalia had for him, and amused at the irony of it all, he was mostly frustrated at being so completely out of the loop.

'This is going to complicate things...'

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Cloud still seemed kind of out of it as I led him inside, which was kind of worrying. Was he remembering what had happened the last time he'd been here?

"Cloud?" I asked after guiding him to the couch and sitting him down. "...You okay, Chicky?"

That seemed to be enough to shake him out of it, although he did send a quick, panicked glance towards Vincent.

"Castalia," he protested quietly, his cheeks a bit pink. "Don't call me that!"

I paused, a bit taken aback at his sudden rejection of the pet name.

When I thought about it, it made sense. Cloud was getting older, and I couldn't expect him to always like cutesy names like the one I'd been calling him. It was just that...well, he'd never actually been embarrassed or complained about it before now, even when in the presence of the other boys in town, so I hadn't been expecting it.

It kind of hurt too, but I did my best to hide that as I stepped back.

"...Okay, then."

I should have known Vincent would notice, though.

A reassuring hand settled on my shoulder, the silent comfort it provided welcome and familiar. Tilting my head back, I sent Vincent a quick smile of thanks before looking back at Cloud.

Who was looking more than a little lost at the two of us.

"Oh...Sorry. I bet you're confused right now, huh? This is Vincent. He's a friend of mine who lives here in the manor, and I've been visiting him ever since he saved us."

"Saved?"

"Yeah. It looks like you don't remember too much about that day, but all you need to know is that we were both here when we were younger, and he helped us out."

"How?"

All I could remember was the sheer terror I felt, and the pounding of my feet and heart as we ran. I was no match for them, Cloud was no match for them, and I had no clue if or when help was going to arrive...

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "It-...It was bad enough that it's probably for the best that you don't remember, Cloud."

"But-"

Both of us looked over at the door just in time to see something ram into it from the other side. By the third one, Cloud had added constant screams to his crying, tightening his hold so much that I knew I wouldn't be able to find Vincent in time.

"Just leave it alone, okay? If you remember anything else, I promise I'll tell you, but...I'm not going to go into detail right now."

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Cloud resisted the urge to sigh in frustration. While he understood what Castalia was trying to do, that didn't mean he was happy about it. Trying to push the subject would probably do more harm than good right now, however, so he reluctantly agreed.

"Thanks, Cloud...Oh! Before I forget! Happy birthday, Vin!" Castalia switched topics with a wide grin as she spun to face Vincent. "I brought you something!"

She reached over to grab the plain box he'd seen her carrying and eagerly handed it over. Vincent, to his growing astonishment, looked a bit taken aback but ultimately accepted the package with a small smile.

This wasn't the Vincent he'd known.

Although he had become more sociable with time, the Vincent of his past had always retained a sort of distance with the group. He didn't think that Vincent hated interacting with others, but more that he was just a reserved person by nature, much like himself. That's why he'd always given the older man space, and tended not to search him out unless it was important or if they were planning a get-together.

In fact, if it weren't for the phone that he'd finally gotten during that whole mess with Kadaj, most of them probably wouldn't have heard from him for months at a time. He was pretty sure that the only ones who could have claimed to have any sort of regular contact were Reeve and Yuffie, but that was only after the Deepground incident. He could hardly imagine that same man celebrating his birthday in any form, much less willingly spending years in this place just to keep a girl company. Though, he did have a soft spot for children...

"These are still in the experimental stages," Castalia was saying as Vincent rolled something around in the palm of his hand. "But I figure if anyone could give them a proper test run, it's you. Just, uh, let me know about any problems that crop up, okay?"

"I'm sure they'll work fine. Thank you, Castalia."

There was that smile again. While he was glad that Vincent had managed to find some happiness of his own, seeing him like this was...jarring.

He also wasn't sure how to proceed from here.

All of his plans had taken into account a still sleeping Vincent. A Vincent who was still caught up in guilt and regrets, who was slow to trust and even slower to open up, and who would stubbornly refuse to leave his self-imposed imprisonment without some serious convincing- which would have probably ended up being his knowledge of the future. Once he'd gotten Vincent to hear him out, they could begin to plan the best way to deal with what was coming. He knew that Vincent enough to know that he would help, even if it were reluctantly at first.

This Vincent was an unknown.

He could still see the stoic, reserved man he had known, but...there was something else now. He was more talkative, for one thing. In the few minutes he'd been watching them, Vincent had been quietly conversing with Castalia. He was also more expressive, showing an active attentiveness to her responses and curiosity towards the next thing she brought out of the box (and were those bullets? Where did she get those? Cole couldn't have given them to her). Lastly...he was more relaxed. The Vincent of old had never looked so at ease. The closest he had ever come was when they were all together, and even then it seemed like he was always alert- always waiting for something to happen. That he seemed so comfortable now said a lot for how much he didn't know about this new Vincent.

As if to prove this point even further, the man in question walked over to a small bookshelf (had that been there the last time?), picked up a small box...

...and handed it to Castalia.

She brightened. "No way, you got me something too? I guess great minds think alike!"

His eyes lightened with amusement, but he said nothing as she opened it up. When she did, her own widened in surprise.

"This is..."

"I picked it up not too long ago while getting rid of some monsters," he explained. "It should prove useful."

"I've only ever heard about these," she said with a sort of quiet awe. "Vincent, are you sure-?"

"It's yours," he said, his tone making it clear he wouldn't accept a refusal.

She must have known that too since she gave no further protest. Instead, she looked up at him in gratitude. "Thanks."

"Happy birthday, Castalia."

"Well, technically, my birthday was yesterday," she said with a playful laugh. "But today's fine too."

She turned back around with a wide smile, and he finally got a clear look at what it was that she'd been given.

"Look, Cloud! Isn't it awesome?"

A protect ring.

"The cost of crafting accessories with preset spells is expensive- more than Cole can afford even with the extra funding he gets from the war -so a ring like this is super special!"

It was more than that, he thought as she happily explained what the ring did while slipping it onto her middle finger. It also spoke of a certain level of care on Vincent's part. With how close they seemed to be (which was very close, what with how his old friend didn't look uncomfortable with the sudden hug Castalia gave him), he doubted that Vincent was unaware of what had happened to her a few months back. By giving her that, he was trying to keep her safe.

When he left the manor with Castalia a few hours later, it was with heavy thoughts.

"Make sure you don't try to visit him on your own, okay? Vincent's done a good job at getting rid of the monsters in and around the manor, but a few things creep back once in a while."

He...honestly didn't know how to proceed from here. It was clear that Vincent and Castalia were close, but...was it close enough that Vincent would reveal anything he told him- or worse, try to include her in any plans? If it had been the old Vincent, the answer would have been no.

"Vincent's great with a gun, you know! Maybe the next time you come with me, you'll be able to see how good he is."

...but there was no telling with this one.

It looked like the gunman wanted to protect her, but it also looked like he had no reservations about bringing her into situations where she would be able to see him in action. He just didn't know enough about him or the relationship he had with Castalia to be sure.

As much as he didn't like it, the best thing to do right now was wait.

He would keep accompanying Castalia to the manor and observe them. Depending on what he figured out, he would make the decision on whether or not to tell Vincent. It would be more than a little disappointing if he couldn't, but he would work through it if that ended up being the case. After all, it was one thing to bring an experienced fighter with a grudge against ShinRa into a situation that could end with a life or death battle, but it was a completely different one to bring his sister into that nightmare.

He would sooner be friendly with Hojo.

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This was it. She had been working hard to be able to do this. She had to prove that she was worthy of this apprenticeship.

"Relax, Helena," Cassie laughed. "No need to be so tense."

She had her shoulders up to her ears again.

"I just don't wanna mess up," she admitted, forcing herself to loosen up.

"Odds are you will at some point," Castalia pointed out, though the comment was softened with a smile. "That just comes with the territory. But, I'll make sure you don't mess up the ways I did."

That actually was kind of reassuring.

"Okay, with healing potions, slow and steady is best. You want to make sure the mixture stays at a consistent temperature, stir at an even pace, and give each ingredient time to settle before adding the next. You got everything ready?"

"I-I think so!"

"Cure materia equipped?"

"Yes? I wanted to ask about that, actually. The book didn't say anything about needing materia..."

"Ah, right. You usually don't. In fact, you're probably not going to find it written anywhere- it's one of my own little modifications to the process."

"Wha-? Really?"

"Yeah. Basically, instead of focusing your base magic on the potion, you're going to be focusing a cure spell. It'll tire you out more, but it gives the potion a boost."

When she said that, it made sense, but...

"You're wondering why no one's ever thought to do this, aren't you." At her nod, she shrugged. "I couldn't say. The potion does work without the extra bits, so maybe they were content to leave it as it was."

"So why did you change it?"

For the first time since Castalia had agreed to teach her, the older girl looked a bit uncomfortable, but it was gone the next moment.

"I've been...messing around with different healing items, trying to see what effects they have on each other. I just kinda stumbled upon this, to be honest."

"That's still pretty cool."

Castalia laughed and sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck. "You think?"

"Yeah! Is that why there's flowers here too?"

"Marigolds, and yes. I remember reading somewhere that they had medicinal properties, so I asked Doctor Beckman about it, and he was able to get some for me. Then it was just a matter of trial and error to see if they could contribute to the potion at all. Adding them does help a little, but mostly it just improves the taste."

She smiled mischievously. "The taste. Of course."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"If there's one thing I've learned since you started teaching me, it's that taste is a big thing for you."

"Hey," she pouted lightly. "If I'm going to constantly be testing these things by drinking or eating them, I'd at least like to enjoy it. If anything, that's what I'm surprised no one's tried to do yet."

"The stuff I had before wasn't that bad..."

"That's because they were already my version. Talk to me again after you've been forced to do take Remedies for five hours straight while synthesizing other items. They're also on my list for improvement, by the way."

"Wait, I thought they were supposed to be mostly tasteless."

"Bitter is still not a nice flavor, no matter how mild. I suppose it wouldn't matter to most people. They're not usually in a position or situation that would have them popping the things into their mouths like candy, so they can handle the occasional bitterness. They won't like it, but they'll deal with it for the sake of their health. I, and eventually you, do not have that luxury, and will probably hate it for the rest of our lives...Besides, you take enough of them, and you start to get an aftertaste similar to that of sour milk."

...Ew.

"I'll...take your word for it."

"That's what I thought. Now, let's get started."

To her relief, everything seemed to go smoothly. Castalia walked her through each step while also pointing out things she should avoid by mentioning some of her own experiences. It kept her from getting too nervous and helped to distract her from the fatigue that she could feel slowly settling in.

"What the-? Where in the world did you get that?!"

Helena yelped as Cole suddenly appeared next to Cassie and slammed his hands on the table, then had to step back from the bubbling mixture in front of her as her racing heart settled.

"Hey!" Castalia snapped at him, quickly taking over the stirring. "You know how delicate item synthesis is! What's gotten into you?!"

"That ring of yours, that's what! Where did it come from?!"

Ring? Oh, now that he mentioned it, her mentor was wearing a ring. It was kinda plain looking, though the green gem in the middle was pretty.

Castalia slapped his hand away with a warning glare as he reached for it. "It was a present. That means no touching."

"A present? With how much these go for, who the hell-?!" he stopped, then scowled. "It was that ShinRa guy, wasn't it. Twisty? Knew he was a sleazy little-"

"What?!" she choked. "No, it wasn't Reeve! What the hell, Cole?!"

And could she just say how impressive it was that she managed to keep stirring steadily despite that?

He threw his arms into the air. "Who else could it be? What, you expect me to believe someone here just found it, thought it looked nice and gave it to ya?!"

"As a matter of fact, yes!"

She could believe that. Cassie didn't really seem interested in any of the boys in town- although she had been hanging out with Travis lately, but she got the feeling they were more friends than anything. She remembered that a lot of the older women would complain about it before ShinRa came, but after the attack of those monsters, they didn't really say anything anymore. Castalia never mentioned it either, so it made more sense for her to receive something as a random gift than a courting one.

Cole didn't seem to agree, though.

She shrunk back a bit when he actually seemed to get angrier at Cassie's response.

"Who gave it to you, Castalia?" he growled. "Was it that flunkie o' his- the one with the creepy eyes? Didn't think those meatheads got paid that much but-"

"It wasn't Ryuu either! Seriously, I just agreed that it was from someone here! Why do you keep saying it was someone from ShinRa?!"

"Because it would be just like those scumbags to do it! And you don't seem to see how dangerous they are!"

Her eyes narrowed. "I know exactly how dangerous they are."

"Coulda fooled me," he shot back. "Even when they were leavin' you were all friendly with them. Tell me the truth. What did they promise to give ya if you joined them?"

Cassie froze, and it was only because of where she was sitting that she saw the hurt flash in her eyes.

Hurt that was quickly replaced by anger.

"Nothing," she hissed, her whole body stiff as she stopped and bent down to grab her bag (leaving her scrambling a bit to take over). "They promised nothing because this. Wasn't. From. Them. And I can't believe you even thought I'd accept something as empty and superficial as a bribe."

Cole finally seemed to notice that he'd messed up, since his eyes had widened. "Wait, Cassie, that's not what I meant-"

"Coulda fooled me," she snarled.

They both winced as she slammed the door behind her, a heavy pause settling between them before she gathered up the nerve to speak.

"Mr. Falkov?"

He sighed, then turned to face her. "Keep doin' what yer doin', Helena. I'll tell ya if somethin's wrong. It's the least I can do after all that."

She nodded and went back to her potion, but the cheerful air she and Castalia had been sharing was gone. She cast a furtive glance towards the shopkeeper as she worked, and noticed he seemed to sag in his chair, a frown on his face.

"I've...never seen you argue like that with Castalia," she began hesitantly.

"That's 'cause it's never actually happened before," he admitted tiredly. "Suppose we were overdue for one...Don't stir it so quickly. Slowly."

She adjusted her speed, then continued after another brief silence. "I didn't know you knew how to make potions."

"How do you think Cassie learned? Books? Sure, they can teach ya the theory, but no book can beat experience. I knew enough to get her started, and kept an eye on her until she knew more than I did...then even pushed the boundaries on that," he finished while he looked at the flower parts on the table. "Did she say what those were for?"

"Mostly to help with the taste."

"Heh," he smirked slightly before shaking his head. "That girl..."

"Sir?"

"I don't know when you're supposed to add those, so you're going to have to settle for a regular ol' potion this time. I'm sure Cassie will go over it when you meet up tomorrow."

"Are you sure she'll be here?"

"Course I am," he assured her. "She won't leave you hangin' just 'cause she's mad at me. Besides, she was never the type who could stay upset for long. She just needs-"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"-some time to cool off," I finished explaining to Vincent with a sigh, plopping down on the couch in the manor.

He remained quiet for a moment afterward, and even though what he said next wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear, thinking back, I wouldn't be able to help the slight smile it caused because he felt comfortable enough in our friendship to say it.

"You overreacted."

At the time, however, I just groaned and pressed down on my face with my hands. "I know. I know Cole has no idea of just how aware I am of ShinRa's dangers. He was just reacting based on what he knows and was trying to look out for me, in his own way. I just-...Have you ever had those days when your temper just seems to go off at the slightest provocation? Even if you know it shouldn't? I know it's not an excuse, but..."

"I understand. I experienced quite a few of those days while working under Hojo."

"I bet," I muttered. I sighed one last time and sat up, nervously running a hand through my hair before looking at him. "I'll apologize to him later, but there's something I've been thinking a lot about lately...and what happened today seemed to be the final push I needed to make a decision."

"What is it?"

"As soon as this apprenticeship is over and Helena gets her alchemist's license...I'm leaving Nibelheim."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo ~ 1 month later

"Damn it, shoulda been here by now..."

At Cole's grumbled complaint, I looked up from where Helena was preparing the ingredients for an ether.

The day after I'd spoken to Vincent, I had made sure to apologize to him, though I had to admit I'd been surprised to receive one back. I hadn't been expecting him to, seeing as I'd been the one to go off on him, and told him as much only to have him roll his eyes and call me stupid.

Situation sufficiently smoothed over, things went on as normal.

"What is it?"

"An order for a special material I sent to Kalm hasn't come in yet, and every time I've tried callin'm, I can't get through- line's disconnected."

"Who'd you order from?"

"Frank and his guys."

I frowned. "That's weird. You've never had trouble with them before."

"Yeah, well, that was then," he scoffed, though I could see he was just as uneasy about it as I was. "I swear, those idiots better not have snuffed it, or I'll find a way to bring'm back so I can kill'm all over again."

They did go out of town a lot, so it was a valid possibility, but still. "It has been a while since the last time you've ordered anything from them. Maybe they changed their number? Is there someone you can call to check?"

"Never needed to before, so I don't have any number but theirs. I'll see if Lockhart knows anyone in the area, though. In the meantime, I'll just have to get the part from somewhere else."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo ~5 months later

Castalia was up to something.

Cloud watched as she pulled their da aside during Tifa's birthday party, feeling them narrow as whatever she told him made the man stiffen in shock. It took Matt a few moments to collect himself, but once he did, the two of them walked off, their faces making it clear that the ensuing conversation would be a serious one.

Damn it, he couldn't even follow them.

As Tifa's proclaimed best friend, he had almost the same amount of attention placed on him during the festivities as she did. There was no way he'd be able to sneak away long enough to eavesdrop, and the last thing he wanted to do was call attention to their absence. Everyone else who might have been concerned at their sudden departure was equally distracted.

She'd timed this well.

He'd done his best to stick with her as much as he could whenever she went to go visit Vincent these past few months, playing it off as a need to make sure she was safe (which wasn't a lie, but not the whole truth either). During that time, he had gotten a feel for what the friendship between them was like, and came to the conclusion that there was no feasible way to get Vincent on board with his plans without dragging her into them as well. They were too close, and apart from that, it turned out that Vincent had indeed been teaching Castalia a few things throughout the years.

He still wasn't sure how to feel about that.

On one hand, Vincent was experienced- one of the strongest people he knew. If Castalia had to learn how to fight, he was glad it was him instructing her, since he couldn't really do it himself. On the other hand...if she was good enough- and she would be considering who was teaching her -if he gave even the slightest hint of what was to come, she would get caught up in it.

He didn't want her anywhere near the ShinRa Corporation in its current state. Just the thought of it sent chills down his spine, and he was certain that if he told Vincent, he would tell Castalia. Then if he told her, she would want to help- it was just in her nature, especially if it concerned her family. Then she would try to convince them to let her join, and odds were Vincent would agree. On the small chance he refused, Cloud knew Castalia would follow on her own, which was even worse. So basically, if he wanted to keep Castalia safe, he had to give up on the idea of telling Vincent.

For now.

He was sure he'd eventually find a way to do it without dragging Castalia into danger, but he probably wouldn't get the chance for a couple of years. Hopefully, it would be before he left for Midgar. If he couldn't, he would just have to do his best and try to make it so that Vincent's assistance wasn't needed at all, because, despite everything...

They really were good friends, and he didn't want to ruin that.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo ~2 months later

This...was an obstacle to my departure that I'd sort of expected, but had tried to ignore.

Until today.

"Ma! Ma!"

"Da!"

I smiled slightly as Cirrus and Rinan happily moved their arms up and down in their high chairs, giggling in the light, infectious way only babies could. Ma and Da were practically melting on the spot as the twins continued to chant their (currently) favorite words.

They were a year old today.

It was kind of crazy to think that an entire year had already gone by since ShinRa came to Nibelheim. It felt like it had gone by in a flash. During that time, I'd been focusing a lot of time on the apprenticeship, and then planning my approaching departure at night with Vincent since Cloud usually tagged along when I went to visit him during the day. I still hadn't told him that I was leaving, even though I'd finally told Ma last week (there...were a lot of tears involved), but I knew I had to do it soon.

Helena was in Rocket Town taking her exam today.

She had defied even my expectations, showing an admirable amount of drive and focus, though she tended to credit a lot of it to me. Regardless, the end result was that she was taking her exam only after a little under a year of study. It's true that it was a subject-specific, one-on-one study, which I knew better than anyone you could learn quickly with, but it was still very impressive.

She was going to go far.

It also meant that, if she passed (which I was sure she would), I would probably be leaving by the week's end. The thought was simultaneously exciting and terrifying. For the first time in both my lives, I would be going out into the unknown- to travel a world that I only knew from textbooks and media. Sure, Vincent had all but said he was coming with me, but it was still nervewracking- especially once you took the monsters we might face into account.

There wasn't anything more I could do here, though.

I'd pushed the research into my Phoenix Down + project (name pending) as far as it could go. If I wanted to have any chance of having it ready in time- of being able to help Cloud when the time came -I couldn't afford to stay. I just...hadn't wanted to think about how hard it would be.

I'd been in Nibelheim for almost twelve years. I'd gained a family to take the place of the one I'd lost. Friends...Teachers...Memories and experiences.

It was...home.

My heart gave a sudden, painful throb at the thought of leaving it behind.

It wouldn't be forever. I didn't think I could ever do that. But...I wouldn't be working in the shop anymore. I wouldn't see the same people I'd spent years with- struggled with and cried with and mourned with -for a long time. I wouldn't go sleep in my bed at the end of the day, comforted by the knowledge that my family was only a short walk away.

Then, there was Cloud.

My little brother. My Chicky. The one I'd messed around with, and teased, and spent many nights just hanging out and laughing with. The one I'd watched grow from a little baby into the confident, protective, kind, and selfless boy I knew now. The one I'd doted on and loved almost from the moment I'd met him.

The one I cherished and wanted to protect more than anything.

I loved Ma, Da, Tifa, Cirrus, and Rinan. But Cloud...Cloud was the one who would suffer the most if I didn't do anything to change the future. He was the one who would sacrifice almost all of himself in order to save the world. He would be bent and twisted and crushed until he broke, and his smile would fade.

I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't.

I took a deep breath and met Da's gaze from across the table. Sadness flashed in his eyes for a moment, but he nodded his head just the slightest bit.

It was time to go.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Cloud...there's something I need to tell you."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo ~Arc 1 (Prelude) End

Not gonna lie, I was listening to Hollow, the ending song for the remake, a lot during this chapter.

It's pretty Cloud and Castalia POV heavy, but that's because Cloud finally met with Vincent, it flowed the best and because, as you saw at the end, they're not going to be interacting with each other for a while. There'll be one last scene in Nibelheim at the beginning of the next chapter as Castalia says her goodbyes (and one more moment with Cole because come on, you didn't think I'd leave it like that, right?), and then we'll be off. More of Vincent's thoughts during this time will be in the chapters to come.

Helena is 13, a bit above average in height, slim, has pale skin, rust-colored hair, and gray eyes.

Travis is 15, average height, is kind of all elbows and knees at the moment, has pale skin (honestly, pretty much everyone in Nibelheim has pale skin), black hair, and brown eyes.

I'm not sure what many of you were expecting the meeting with Cloud and Vincent would be like, but I hope I pulled it off in a way that both made sense and was satisfying. I did try to put in a bit of humor at the beginning, but it quickly turned into a more introspective thing. Cloud can be a bit reckless at times, but he knows when to be cautious too. Vincent, as he is now, would have been too different for Cloud to immediately make the decision to reveal everything. He wanted to observe the new Vincent first before doing that. Then, once he saw how close Vincent was to Castalia, he hesitated.

They really do care a lot about each other, too bad it was kind of to their disadvantage here.

I can't really think of what else to say about this chapter (other than the fact that I've finally finished an arc. Jeez, I can't believe it. This is actually a moment for my personal history books), so I'm going to end it here. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Take care and until next time!

Now, to answer a few guest comments/questions:

1. The Sephiroth/Castalia pairing (Sephtalia? Sephitalia?), despite its recent bump in popularity (seriously, what gives? Have I been giving vibes for that pairing somehow?) has a very low chance of happening. Castalia cares about Cloud very much, and as such, is more than a bit biased against him for being the cause of so much of his suffering. Yes, she knows it wasn't entirely his fault, but he still made the decision to abandon every single shred of humanity he had left and become a heartless, psychopathic being bent on destroying the world. So long as Jenova exists and there's a chance of that happening again, she's not even going to joke about that being an option.

It doesn't mean they can't be friends, though.

2. I loved the remake, thanks for asking.

3. There may be some kaboom, yes.

I have plans for Reno and Angeal. You'll have to wait and see what they are.

The one in the thumbnail is Zack. I was looking for pictures of a young Cloud and came across that one. I didn't crop it because I thought it was cute and didn't think anyone would confuse Zack for Cassie. Might have to change that...

4. Cassie probably will end up as more of a support fighter with her skillset, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. She will also do a fair bit of exploring before we move into the main flow of canon events. She will also be leaving Nibelheim in the next chapter so...wish granted?

I think that's everything...Like I said, I don't make a habit of replying to guest reviews in my chapters, so if you want a response, make sure you sign in or send it through Tumblr. Thanks again!