Cloud and Tifa walked through the Shin-Ra building without being asked for identification once, It looked like everyone knew who Cloud was.

"You lived up to your promise" said Tifa with a smile when they boarded the elevator

"What do you mean?" Cloud asked "I haven't finished all of it have I?"

"Yes" Tifa said with a smile "You said you would come back and rescue me when you were famous, which you have done and you are very famous" Cloud smiled to himself

"I never really thought I would get it done" said Cloud

"Well you have" she said with a smile. When the got off the elevator they went up even more stairs until they reached the floor below Rufus' office.

"Hello Commander" said a Turk who had just come down the stairs from Rufus' office.

"Hello Reno" said Cloud shaking his hand

"How's everything?" Reno asked putting his hands in his pockets

"So-so" said Cloud "You?"

"Kinda boring" said Reno "We've got nothin to do, so we're being dispatched to Wutai, such fun" he said sarcastically.

"I might see you out there" said Cloud

"It's always a possibility" said Reno walking away.

"Can you wait here?" Cloud asked Tifa "I need to speak to the President by myself"

"Okay" said Tifa taking a seat. Cloud smiled at her and went up the stairs to meet President Rufus.

When Cloud first entered Rufus was sat with his head on the table in a bunch of papers.

"President?" Cloud questioned. Rufus sat up straight with a bit of paper stuck to his forehead.

"Sorry Commander" said Rufus removing the piece of paper "So much work to be done I rarely get a chance to sleep"

"It's understandable" said Cloud

"So what brings you here?" asked Rufus "You are on leave for" Rufus checked a document "A month"

"I was wondering, well asking, if I could perhaps take a friend of mine up on the Highwind" said Cloud.

"Do you know how to operate it?" Rufus asked looking through the back window of the office to where the ship was tethered.

"Of course" said Cloud "I have been taught how to operate all vehicles" Rufus mulled it over in his mind Cloud is the best commander and he is serving us well thought Rufus.

"Why not?" said Rufus smiling only slightly "It will be a floating billboard for my name" Cloud laughed but then kept it in. Rufus smiled

"Go get your friend" said Rufus "Before you go, how is everything on the western front?"

"Easy enough" said Cloud "The peasants are still fighting back but superior firepower and numbers is forces are giving us, well Shin-Ra, an easy victory"

"Glad to hear it" said Rufus "It's been hard enough to keep it out of the papers"

"It's on the other side of the world" said Cloud "None of the people there have transport and even if they did your navy has surrounded the entire land mass, nothing is leaving that island unless it works for Shin-Ra and has authorization"

"And if it tries?" Rufus asked now fully awake

"We blow it to smithereens" said Cloud "Mr. President" he added. Rufus smiled

"Your friend must not be kept waiting" said Rufus. Cloud saluted to him and ran down the stairs to meet up with Tifa. By the time the two of them had come back up the stairs Rufus was already gone. Cloud and Tifa exited through the door and out onto the balcony before climbing the rope ladder onto the deserted Highwind.

"We're pirates!" declared Tifa as they entered the empty control room

"What would you have done if this place was packed?" Cloud asked. Tifa just giggled and walked over to the large window at the front. Cloud quickly made sure that everything was working before going over to the controls and opening the throttle slightly.

Rufus watched from his bedroom window as the Highwind rose into the clouds bearing the President Rufus banner. He wondered where Cloud would be going with his 'friend' but his concentration was drawn away by the ringing of his video phone. Rufus sat in the large leather chair and activated the monitor. He was instantly drawn to the background noise which was explosions and gunfire.

"Tseng" said Rufus with a smile "Is everything going well?"

"We have just reached Wutai Mr. President" said Tseng "They have a very strong resistance here and we are being pushed back, we might need Commander Strife for this operation"

"He is on leave for a month" said Rufus "You know that"

"Yes Mr. President" said Tseng "Is there anyone you can send out to help us deal with this resistance?"

"I could send out the rest of the Turks if you think you need their aid" said Rufus

"I would be thankful" said Tseng

"Then consider them on their way" said Rufus. Tseng bowed to Rufus and Rufus cut the call. Already it had been a month since Rufus had invaded the isle of Wutai but the campaign was coming to a much needed end. There was a lot of Mako energy running beneath Wutai and so Rufus wanted to flatten it and build the largest reactor there; easy enough.

Cloud managed to turn the Highwind completely until it had its back to the Shin-Ra building. With one last check of the energy readout Cloud opened the throttle and the rotors began to spin as fast as they could sending the Highwind away from Midgar as fast it could go.

"This is actually quite fast" Tifa commented as they sped towards the outer wall of Midgar.

"No traffic either" joked Cloud. Tifa smiled as she watched the dirty city speed by below them.

"Radio mast!" said Tifa only spotting the wiry little antenna moments before they hit it.

"Hold on" said Cloud and span the wheel until it reached its end. The Highwind turned roughly and with another flick of the controls it tilted. Tifa grabbed onto the handrail as her feet were swept from underneath her. Seconds later Cloud turned again and the ship went back on course.

"Where you meant to do that?" Tifa asked

"Yes" said Cloud

"Are you meant to do that?" Tifa asked

"Probably not" said Cloud with a short laugh.

By the time Tifa and Cloud had boarded the Highwind Sephiroth had checked all the restaurants on that street and he still could not find them. He thought about going to check the Shin-Ra building but he doubted that the two guards on the gate would let him past. A small black company car was making its way through the gates and Sephiroth recognised the driver, more importantly the driver recognised him. Reno pulled over in the car

"Well if it isn't Sephiroth" said Reno shaking Sephiroth's hand as he leaned out of the car.

"How are you Reno?" Sephiroth asked and not really caring

"Fine" said Reno "Just off to Junon to get a ship to Wutai"

"What's in Wutai?" Sephiroth asked

"A war" said Reno "Meant to be led by Commander Strife but he is too busy entertaining the brunette"

"Brunette?" Sephiroth said "What did she look like?"

"Very large chest, white t-shirt and a brown miniskirt" said Reno.

"Where did you see them?" asked Sephiroth

"Just gone to see Rufus" said Reno "Anyway I have to go, see ya" the car screamed away with a cloud of smoke that clouded Sephiroth from view.

"Isn't this guy ever going to go away?" asked the soldier watching Sephiroth "Now he's bothering the Turks" the soldiers walked towards Sephiroth as Reno screamed away. Just as Sephiroth was clouded in smoke the Soldiers raised their weapons as something shot out of the cloud of smoke and crashed into them. The guards lay there flat on their backs

"What was that?" asked one of the soldiers groaning.

"I think it was that guy" said the soldier watching the Highwind leave its station. Sephiroth looked up and saw the Highwind speeding away. Sephiroth concentrated and set off flying after the Highwind.