Chapter 12


As they climbed to the top of one of the mountains surrounding Cosmo Canyon, they stopped dead in their tracks, eyes wide at the scene before them. Nibelheim was surrounded by hundreds of heartless, their teeth bared as they snarled at the defenceless people. Tifa clenched her fists in anger at the scene before her.

"We've got to do something!" She cried, turning to each party member frantically. Cid shook his head.

"We have to get to a gummi. Nibelheim's will be frantic right now meaning we won't get a chance. Rocket Town will be calmer so we should go there if we are going to get off this planet. Tifa stamped her foot angrily.

"This is my hometown!" She snapped. "I'm not going to abandon them now." She jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Cloud was behind her.

"I'm going with you." He stated simply. Her eyes widened at the confession.

"Why?" She asked. He stared at the fallen town before him.

"I'm going because maybe it would make me feel alive again if I protected Nibelheim this time. Maybe if I protect something close to me I won't feel as guilty for what I couldn't protect in the past." His friend frowned at his words. She had never seen this side of Cloud before. Slowly, she nodded showing him that she accepted his company. Cid scratched his head and sighed.

"The gummi is hidden in the mountains. It won't be too hard to find if you travel through them a bit." Cloud nodded.

"Thanks." He murmured.

"Good luck kid." Cid replied as the group headed off. Yuffie quickly ran forward and hugged both Cloud and Tifa.

"You better come back alive you two or I'll find you in the afterlife and give you a fate worse than death." She warned jokingly, but the tears were brimming on her eyelids. Tifa flashed a smile.

"Hey, Yuffie it'll be alright. Cloud and I will be fine." Yuffie smiled back and gave a reassuring nudge on the shoulder before she ran back. Cloud glanced at Tifa.

"Was that wise?" he asked. Tifa frowned.

"What?"

"Saying that we'll be alright." He explained.

"You don't think we will?" She asked, a little hurt. Cloud shrugged.

"I don't know if we will." He corrected as he unsheathed his sword. "All I know is that I have to help this town." As soon as he finished the sentence, he charged down the hill towards the heartless.


The rest of the team weren't surprised to find that the Heartless had spread to Rocket Town. Barret loaded his gun threateningly.

"All right!" He cried. "Let's kick some Heartless butt!" He suddenly turned at a buzzing noise and his eyes widened when he saw Cait Sith had his head down as if sleeping.

"Hey you stupid cat!" He hollered but the robot didn't stir. Yuffie shook it violently but still no response.

"It's switched off." She said.

"What do you mean switched off?" Cid cried.

"Reeve must have switched it off so that he could control things in Midgar."

"Or perhaps because he has been killed." Vincent added. Yuffie frowned at him.

"Don't say things like that Vincent." She replied sternly. She did not want to think about everyone who wouldn't be able to get a gummi ship. Vincent sighed and looked at Cid.

"You should go to the ship and prepare to take off. We'll hold the Heartless off for as long as possible. If the situation gets bad don't hang around. Just go and get whoever is on the ship out of here, understand?" He commanded. Cid raised an eyebrow but he knew Vincent was right, he needed to be at the gummi ship as he was the only one in Rocket Town who could fly. He nodded slowly to show he had understood.

"Good luck." He sighed before he ran off around the back of the town. Yuffie walked closer to Vincent.

"We'll be alright, won't we Vincent?" She asked softly. He smiled and kissed her forehead lovingly.

"We'll be together always." He replied. She nodded with a small smile before she took out her shrunken.

"Aeris, if only you were here now." She whispered sadly, glancing at the sky for a moment. Barret looked at them.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Ready." Vincent and Yuffie answered simultaneously. Barret nodded before he fired his gun in a fury of shots. Vincent was quick to follow his lead, shooting the Heartless from a far. The Heartless turned to them immediately and started charging up the hill. Yuffie threw her shrunken desperately as Vincent and Barret continued to fire. But they were only hitting a few Heartless while the rest charged up. Yuffie quickly realised the shrunken would be useless now because it would waste time to wait for it to come back. She changed it for a small dagger before she surprised the creatures by charging right into their clan.

"Yuffie!" Vincent cried but she soon disappeared among the Heartless.


Tifa looked around desperately, trying to see through the gushing crowds and trying to hear over the screams and snarls. Cloud had been separated from her during the battle and she could not find him anywhere. Then a sudden glance of blond hair had her heart pounding. Cloud was running towards her, his clothes soaked in blood. She ran to him, meeting him in a tight hug.

"We have to leave now! It's hopeless to fight anymore." He explained. Tifa blinked back the tears but she knew he was right. She sighed softly.

"Let's go quickly before the gummi leaves without us." She said. Cloud nodded and the two raced for the mountains.


Yuffie had reached the fence where the rocket used to be with a few deep scratches but otherwise fine, because the village people, mainly the men had helped out in the battle and surprised the Heartless by coming up behind. She quickly guided the children around the back of the fence and turned around. The group of Heartless were small now at the cliff but there were still a lot hanging around.

"Yuffie!" She turned again at the sound of her name and saw Cid in the gummi ship, waving his hand to beckon her in.

"Where are Vincent and Barret?" She asked, looking around frantically. Cid looked down.

"Yuffie, the situation is out of control. Get in." He commanded.

"I won't go without Vincent!" She yelled. Cid responded by running out and grabbing her, forcefully dragging her inside.

"No!" She screamed, struggling in his grip. As soon as they were inside, the door automatically shut and he let go of her. She ran to the door, pounding on it desperately.

"Vincent!" She cried.

"He'll probably be fine." Cid reassured her. "There are emergency pods all around every town and they are easy enough to find." She looked up at him with tear-stained eyes and sniffed.

"You think so?" She asked.

"I don't know. I'm just saying maybe." He replied, not wanting to give her false hope but not wanting her to be totally upset either.

"We'll find out when we get there."


"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six…" Cloud grabbed Tifa's hand as the countdown echoed through the mountains. Ahead of them, they could see the gummi ship, it's doors slowly closing. With all the strength he had left, he threw himself at the door, pushing Tifa through.

"Two, one." He rolled under the tight space just before the door slammed shut. The captain grinned.

"Close one." he said. "Sit down and fasten your seatbelts." Tifa found two spare seats on the right hand side and fastened her seat belt. Cloud sat down next to her. She looked out of the window sadly with a small sigh.

"Goodbye Planet." She whispered. She couldn't believe she would never see it again. Cloud rubbed her shoulder comfortingly.

"It'll be alright Teef." He assured her. She nodded slightly. They couldn't do anything else but accept that they were going to a new home. She just hoped the Heartless wouldn't strike again.