Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long since I updated. I've been busy with school, work, and my boyfriend. I also had a little bit of a writer's block, if the truth be told. LOL! I would like to thank Jeanie, for sort of bringing me out of my writer's block, with her suggestion about luring Red out to where Seto was. Thanks! Oh yeah, and I'm sorry this chapter probably isn't as good as some of the other ones I have written. I'm currently working on this fic, Broken Promise, which has gotten only one review, so I guess I'll take my time on that one, and I'm revising another Yuffie/Vincent one that I've completed, but looks like a third grader tried to write it. LOL! Well, here is chapter 7! Enjoy.

Chapter 6: The Third Key to the Promised Land

The warm sunlight streamed in the window, onto Tifa's face. She squinted as she fully awoke, and then looked at the clock. It was already noon. Tifa jumped out of bed and began pulling her clothes on. She couldn't afford to stay here much longer. She went to the bathroom to find her shirt, waking Marlene up as she went by.

"Hurry, Marlene. We have to get going."

"Okay…" Marlene said getting out of bed and searching for her own clothes.

Tifa came out of the bathroom fully dressed with her pulled into a high pony-tail. "Are you ready to go, Marlene?"

"Yeah, I just have to put my other shoe on."

Tifa began stuffing their belongings into the bag they brought. When Marlene had her shoes on and was ready go, Tifa quickly ushered her out the door, and headed towards the docking bay of the ships. Tifa and Marlene snuck into the cargo bay and waited for the ship to pull away.

As the two of them sat in a dark corner behind some boxes, Marlene looked up and smiled at Tifa. Tifa looked down at Marlene and returned her smile. "What?"

"Nothing. Is this the way to Sephiroth?" Marlene asked.

"What!" Tifa gasped. "How do you know Sephiroth?"

"He came to me in my dreams last night."

"He did? What did he say?"

"He said he loves you and me, and that he is waiting for us in the Promised Land. He says you have to find nine keys."

"He told you that?"

"Yep."

"What did he tell you about the keys?"

"Nothing."

"I see…. Well what do you think?"

"I can't wait to get there. Can we go soon?"

"Soon enough, but we have to go visit Nanaki first." Tifa said smiling and putting her arm around Marlene. The ship began to move, and Marlene drifted off into a slumber. As Tifa sat thinking about Sephiroth.

Tifa was jarred out of her thoughts as the ship's whistle sounded, indicating that it had docked at Costa Del Sol. Tifa woke Marlene Marlene, and the two of them disembarked.

"Come on Marlene. We need to restock on our supplies," Tifa said.

"Okay," Marlene replied, skipping along side her. She and Tifa walked through Costa del Sol restocking their supplies. Then, they headed out of town towards Coral. When they reached the town, Tifa went straight for the weapon's shop, leaving Marlene outside.

"Hi!" Tifa said, cheerfully approaching the store owner.

"Hello, what can I do for you Miss?" the store owner replied.

"I'm looking for a bow and some arrows. Oh yeah, and I need a particular type of poison," Tifa said. The store owner nodded and led Tifa over to the bows. She picked one out as well as the arrows that went with it. The shop owner set out one of each type of poison he had, allowing Tifa to pick the one she wanted. Tifa made her purchases and left. She and Marlene borrowed an old man's black chocobo, just outside of Coral and headed for Cosmo Canyon.

It took three hours of nonstop, uneventful riding for them to reach Cosmo Canyon. They arrived shortly before dark. Tifa stabled the chocobo and then took Marlene to the inn to get a room. Though it wouldn't be safe for them to actually stay the night there, Tifa needed some place to stash their belongings and a place where Marlene could wait for her.

"Marlene, I need to go find Red. Wait for me here," Tifa said.

"Okay," Marlene replied. Tifa turned to leave.

"Oh, and Marlene, when you see Red don't say anything about Sephiroth to him, kay?"

"Sure, Tifa." With that, Tifa left to go and find Red. She found him at the top of the Canyon, in his grandfather's lab.

"Hey!" Tifa said brightly walking up to him and giving him a quick hug and a pat on the nose.

"Tifa! I didn't know you were coming. Is something wrong?" Red asked.

"No, why would anything be wrong. Can't I just come in and visit my old friends?"

"Of course you can. Glad you're here. Are you here by yourself, or…?"

"I'm not with Cloud, if that is what you are getting at Red XIII. I'm actually here with Marlene. Surely you heard about Barret," Tifa said willing herself into tears.

"Yes, that was very unfortunate. Have they caught the culprit yet?" Red replied patting Tifa on the back with one of his paws.

"No, unfortunately not. If I ever catch the son of a bitch that did it, I will personally kill him," Tifa said letting her tears fall down her face, and allowing fake rage and anger to come into her voice.

"Well, how is Marlene holding up with all of this?"

"She's getting on better, now that she knows he hasn't really left her side. I told her that he was watching over her from the life stream."

"Good, good. Well then, shall I go back with you and pay her a visit?"

"She would love that!" Tifa said with a smile. Red and Tifa headed down to the inn, where Marlene was waiting.

After Red, had visited for a while, and Marlene had been fed, and fallen asleep, Tifa put her in the bed and covered her up. She grabbed her bow and arrow, having already applied the poison to the arrows, turned off the light and left the room. Red was waiting for her.

"Why is it that you wish to go through the Gi Cave again?" Red asked curiously.

"I just want to go and visit your father with you. Oh, and I think that there may have been some useful items left in there." Tifa replied nonchalantly.

"As you wish. Let's get going before Marlene wakes up."

The two of them set off for the cave. There were not near as many battles to fight in here as there once had been. Tifa attributed that to the fact that the undead Gi god was long gone. They made it through, and Tifa checked her arrow supply. She still had plenty left. Both of them climbed the rock face up to where Seto stood, frozen for eternity but still alive, by the Gi's poisonous arrows.

"I have been looking for a way to take the poisonous curse off of him, with my alchemists. We still cannot figure out how to do it," Red sighed.

"Maybe someday you will," Tifa said standing up and walking to the edge to look out over the edge of the rock face. She turned and looked at Red standing beside his father. She could see how much they resembled each other. She aimed her bow. "But then again, you probably never will."

"Tifa…? What are you doing? OW!" Red howled as the first arrow hit him hard in the shoulder. He could feel the poison beginning to paralyze him. Five more arrows found their way into his body. He felt the blood trickling down, but could no longer move. Tifa was on him in a heartbeat. She pulled out a glass vile, and began to collect his trickling blood. Once it was full, she backed off and fired two more arrows into him.

"Why…Tifa…why?" Red panted, as he stood frozen trying to get the words to come out. He could see the tears in her eyes as she stood before him. They were full of anger, hate, and betrayal.

"Because, Red, Cloud left me. You knew he did, but did not even extend a hand to help me up, from where he left me fallen. You just minded your own business. But, Red, you were good friend for a long time, which is why I decided to give this last tribute to our friendship. You will remain up here forever, frozen in time like your father. Not really living, not really dead. No one will ever know why, or how. Good-bye Red. I go to meet Sephiroth in the Promised Land." Tifa said as she turned around and left.

"Tifa….," was all Red could say before the poison took him over.