"…I believe we came through this way."

"Ho ho hooo, I don't think so, my boy. I distinctly remember going this way," Bugenhagen shook his head as he tugged on a tuft of fur on Nanaki's neck. A long finger extended from the arm of his robe and pointed to a dark break in the stone wall; where it led to was anyone's guess at this point.

If they had been winding through these caves for miles on the way in, it felt as if they were going to be stuck in here forever now as they tried to trace their way back out.

Cloud wordlessly slipped past his bantering companions and continued down the path straight ahead. While they struggled to remember the direction from which they had come, Cloud had—thankfully—taken his earlier boredom and used it to carefully observe the various rock formations they passed. Why? He hadn't been sure…until it had turned out that Tifa's life was going to depend on it.

She was dying. A slow death, albeit, but dying nonetheless. Between the moment she had been infected and now, her condition had gone from bad to worse as she had gone from speaking coherent sentences to mumbling incomprehensible, random words strung together as the delirium had begun to set in. But she was speaking nonetheless, and that was all Cloud cared about.

She shivered. Cloud looked down. Tifa was smiling, her eyes not focused on him but instead on the path ahead; she laughed.

"…What?"

She stared ahead at the trail for another moment longer before wincing and crossing her arms across her chest as another wave of convulsions racked her body. "You always know what to do…which way are we gonna go?" Her words slurred together and she laughed again as she lulled her head backwards to catch a glimpse of Nanaki. "…You think I'm crazy I bet…"

Nanaki looked at Cloud. The blonde said nothing; his upper lip remained stiff and his eyes didn't meet his. Instead, Cloud continued forward with steady footsteps. He stopped as Tifa stretched out a trembling hand. "We can't just leave them behind, Cloouuuuddd. Look at him—" her finger pointed just past Cloud to Bugenhagen. Her voice was now just slightly less loud, although the reverberation in the caves did little to quiet her. "…He's old. You aren't just gonna leave him…" her eyelids began to brim with tears. "Are you?"

Cloud shot a glance back to Bugenhagen, who was trying as hard as he could not to crack a smile. Cloud supposed that he would have found it humorous too, was it not for the fact that his Tifa wasn't actually the one saying such strange things. He shook his head slowly, the corners of his lips rising only slightly as he reassured her that he wasn't, in fact, leaving the elder and their canine friend behind. "...I'm not going to leave them here." He felt Tifa's weak fist dig into his knit shirt.

"Please don't leave me here…"

"I won't."

Tifa let out a shaky sigh of relief and a serene smile spread across her face as she buried her sweat-covered face into the side of his chest. Her eyes closed.

Cloud let out a sigh of relief as the light at the end of the tunnel, both figurative and literal, was now in sight. He adjusted the fragile woman in his arms and stopped for a moment as if to admire the view of the aluminum ladders and ropes that hovered above them—they were almost back. He turned back and motioned to Bugenhagen to come closer. His cobalt eyes narrowed as he studied the rocky channel through which they had to ascend. On the outside of this tunnel was the familiarity of Cosmo Canyon. "You're going to have to take Tifa. I can't carry her up there," with the utterance of that sentence, his hold on her figure tightened.

The elder gave an affirmative nod.

Cloud's eyes fell to Tifa, who stirred ever so slightly amid her disorientation. The grip she had once had on his shirt had now completely loosened; she was quickly losing her strength. It was only a matter of time before the toxin suffocated her. Cloud's lips pursed together and slowly, he dipped his head closer to her ear. "Tifa, you're going to go with Bugenhagen. He'll take you to Aerith," Cloud's voice softened. "She's going to help you."

Slowly, Tifa's weighted eyelids groggily opened. The hand that laid limp at her side trembled as she used some of the last remaining ounces of her energy to place the tips of her fingers against his jaw; her nails gently traced along his chin and her glazed over eyes began to well up once more. "I don't want you to go…"

Please, don't let this be it. Please don't let this be the last thing she says.

He shook his head slowly. "I'll see you in a little bit."

The poison was taking its course steadily through her body and soon she wasn't going to be able to breathe, let alone move. Her muscles were already tightening in painful contractions and then relaxing to the point of near-paralysis; the more minutes that ticked by, the less likely she was going to remain on this planet. Cloud reluctantly passed her into the waiting arms of Bugenhagen, who gave Cloud one last nod before his luminous green orb lifted him above the ground and soon, above their heads. Both he and Nanaki watched silently as Bugenhagen's silhouette began to blur with the darkness at the top of the tunnel; the sound of a latch lifting and then a hatch opening signaled that the two had safely escaped the danger of the caves. After several more moments of silence shared between the remaining two members of the party, Cloud turned to Nanaki.

"I'm sorry that we had to cut this a little short."

"It's alright," Nanaki gave a quick flash of his white, sharp teeth. "There's no sense in losing anyone over my curiosity…" His voice grew soft. "No one else should ever have to die in these caves."

"Don't think that it's your fault," Cloud outstretched an arm and grabbed the rope dangling above his head. "Come on, we better get going."

"…Cloud?"

The blonde's head twisted back.

Nanaki lowered his head. "It wasn't your fault, either."

"…Let's go."

The sunlight that once illuminated Cosmo Canyon was now long gone, replaced by stars and a bright moon that accentuated every dip and peak in the rock formations. If the voyage out of the caverns had felt long, this felt about ten times longer. Cloud wondered how anyone could remember which way was up here; if it wasn't for Nanaki, he would probably be roaming the Canyon forever. The well-worn paths were visible but branched out in so many different directions—there was no telling where they led. In the distance, the faint roar of the creatures that roamed the desert echoed. Cloud stopped and sighed softly. This was taking too long.

What if they didn't make it?

As if hearing Cloud's thoughts, Nanaki turned. A small smirk tugged at the corners of his lips. "Bugenhagen can handle himself. I do not think you need to worry about them."

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "He seems sort of…frail," he pulled himself over a ledge. The faint glow of a dying fire lit up the Canyon only about a half-mile away.

So close.

"Bugenhagen has lived a long life. He's had a long time to perfect the use of magic."

"Magic? Like materia?"

Nanaki nodded. "Yes…while Grandfather does not condone the use of materia because it is not good for the Planet, he's learned to manipulate the energy around him to recharge materia and cast its magic." He paused. "Tifa is safe with him. Monsters should be more scared of him than he is of them."

As the pair descended the final peak, the fire grew brighter. And not too far off from that fire, a green orb—no larger than a marble from their distance—rolled across the desert landscape.

Cloud's brow furrowed and he turned to Nanaki. "What is he?"

The beast looked up and chuckled. "He is wise."

Barret's snoring could not have been a more welcome sound.

Nanaki and Cloud had managed to catch up enough behind Bugenhagen and Tifa to trail just slightly behind them; the two watched as the elder approached the fire where only a young woman remained. The tents pitched around the fire were all dark—everyone else slept on. Cloud's pace picked up and he joined Bugenhagen in carefully lowering Tifa to the ground. The woman rose to her feet. "What happened to her?"

Cloud knelt at Tifa's side with Aerith joining him. He brushed Tifa's dark, damp hair from her face. The tremors racking her body had not ceased and had in fact only grown stronger; her breaths came in labored rasps and her chest heaved as they struggled against the toxin invading every cell. His fingers gently rested against Tifa's cheek and he patted her face. "C'mon, Tifa. Wake up."

Her eyes didn't even flicker.

He lifted his head back to Aerith. "She's been poisoned. You have to help her."

"What—"

"It doesn't matter," Cloud's voice grew much more stern and the mako flowing through his body made his gaze even more fierce. "Please…just help her."

The Cetra watched him for a moment longer; Cloud could feel her eyes carefully observing every aspect of his face as he focused on the woman lying before him. Aerith shifted on her knees and folded her hands. Her lips recited silent words and for what felt like forever, nothing happened. The sound of insects chirping and animals howling filled the Canyon. But Tifa was still dying. Cloud's hand had remained on her face; his fingers gently brushed away some of the dirt that covered her face from their previous encounter in the caves.

Please don't go…

Another ragged gasp escaped from her body. Her chest froze. Cloud's eyes grew wide.

No. Please.

The blonde patted her cheek again. "Tifa?"

The young woman remained unusually still in its rigid state. Even the shaking had stopped. Cloud took her face between both his palms and lifted his eyes to meet Nanaki's, who stood frozen at Tifa's head. "What's happening to her?"

Nanaki shook his head. "I don't…"

Tifa…come back.

A flash of green. The crumbling of earth.

Cloud quickly pulled his hands back and he squinted against the blinding light that began to absorb Tifa's entire body. Emerald tendrils spilled forth from the Planet beneath her form and stretched from her head to her toes. Cloud watched in amazement as the wounds covering her body began to dissipate under glowing green strands; the muscles visible in her arms and legs began to relax as Aerith's prayer healed the damage it had caused to her nervous system. Slowly, the green light began to fade and the healing strands retreated to the Planet once more. All that remained was Tifa—still, but no longer shaking with pain. If anything, it looked as if she had been no more than peacefully sleeping.

Aerith's hands slowly lowered into her lap and she let out a soft sigh. The prayer looked as if it had taken a physical toll on her body; her skin was no longer its rosy hue and her eyes were tired. A gentle smile spread across her face and the tips of her long fingers gently grazed Tifa's cheeks. "She's alright now, Cloud."

Cloud placed a hand on Tifa's shoulder and gave her a firm shake. "…Tifa?"

"She might be asleep for a while," Aerith laughed softly and rose to her feet. "Just let her rest. She might not even remember much of this."

Bugenhagen laughed. "Ho ho hooo! Perhaps that is for the best, my dear."

Cloud searched the campsite for a blanket. None of the three had pitched a tent during the day before they left for the caves—a poor decision in hindsight, but the weather was alright. Finally finding a spare blanket stored away in Yuffie's rucksack, he carefully spread it out and laid Tifa upon it. The blanket was luckily large enough to be doubled up; he took the extra fabric and laid it atop of her. Amid the dying light of the camp fire, he could see what almost looked like a small smile gracing her face.

"Cloud, my boy?"

He lifted his gaze to meet Bugenhagen's. The elder adjusted his robe and yawned. "I must say that I'm feeling particularly drained after our adventure. If it is alright with you, I think I will call it a night, here?"

He ran a hand through his blonde spikes; the realization of it being nearly three in the morning just dawned on him. Nanaki had already taken up a spot close to the fire and looked as if he was dozing in and out. Knowing that his friend was going to be alright was apparently enough for him to allow himself to fall asleep. "Yeah…that's fine," he studied the older man for a moment longer. "Do you need someone to go back with you or?"

Bugenhagen let out another boisterous laugh. "Ho ho hooo, you needn't worry about me my boy. I can handle myself."

Cloud nodded, and watched as Bugenhagen gave one last wave before he turned and his orb steadily rolled away from the camp and weaved through the marketplace. Slowly, the green glow it emitted was swallowed by shadows and soon couldn't be seen at all. He rested his head between his legs.

A hand gently laid upon his shoulder. "…Cloud?"

He raised his head once more. Aerith knelt before him. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah…I'm okay."

She walked to her sleeping friend and gingerly adjusted the blankets over her; her fingers glided through Tifa's thick hair and brushed the knots out. "She's very lucky to know someone like you, Cloud."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Do you need anything before I go to bed, Cloud?"

Cloud stared at her as she rose to her feet once more and turned to him, a playful smile on her face. He laughed softly. "No, I guess not."

"Alrighty then," Aerith spun on her heels and wrapped her arms around herself; she had abandoned her bolo jacket for the night and had resigned herself to dealing with the refreshing cold for just a bit. "Well, then I suppose I'll be turning in for the night. Get some sleep, okay?"

He nodded. "…Aerith?"

Her head spun over her shoulder.

"Thank you…for saving Tifa."

The young woman smiled and gave him a small nod. She dipped into her tent and silently zipped up the entrance behind her.

Cloud leaned back against one of the logs set beside the fire and opposite of Tifa; his blanket was nowhere in sight—Barret had probably stolen it while they were all gone. He let his head fall back onto the wood, but his eyes never moved from Tifa. She remained asleep, bundled up in the thick wool blanket Aerith had covered her with. The sickly grey tone that had shaded her face was replaced now with her normal, pink hue—she was okay. She was alive.

Cloud let out a sigh and closed his eyes. And, in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but laugh to himself.

Tifa was really going to hate spiders now.