The New World

After the epic battle just a few months ago, it was a miracle any part of Midgar was still standing, let alone the church. Not one side of it was touched by fires or ruined in battle; it was like a force field surrounded the sacred monument, despite being a little dilapidated itself.

The airship had difficulty finding a big enough landing point, but Cloud insisted that it wasn't necessary. When they got close enough, he simply slid the door open and jumped out fearlessly, hitting the ground with no trouble at all. Had Lightning's Grav-Con Unit been left behind, the travel would have been easier…

But he personally wouldn't have wanted any other memento shredding his chest at the moment.

Immediately after landing in what was once the train graveyard, Cloud already started making his way to the Sector 5 slums. Tifa and Vincent trailed on right after him, quietly deciding not to butt into his ironclad concentration. Throughout the whole ride, he was deadly silent, his sights fixated on Midgar with no hint of relent.

"Are we sure about this?" Tifa hesitantly asked as they trekked through the maze-like ruins.

Vincent kept his gaze straight ahead. "Reeve said there were high reports of mako energy here." His crimson eyes suddenly narrowed; it felt like they progressed through a threshold, and the surroundings turned stagnant. "You can feel it, can't you? The strong density in the air…"

Tifa recognized this sensation from before, the familiarity digging into her for distant memories. "Materia," she realized, all of her breath almost flying out of her lungs. "When it's forged at mako springs, it releases massive waves of energy."

Cloud shook his head ever so slightly, his brows knitting together. "But it's rare for materia to be naturally forged." Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, reaching an epiphany just when the church could be seen from a distance. His mako-tinted orbs widened as he let out a shaky breath. "It can't be…"

Everything made sense in the blink of an eye – the surge of mako energy, the appearance of help the moment they needed one…It had to be her. No other kind of miracle had ever made its way to help them before, but Cloud still couldn't bring himself to believe she would pull through for them once more.

As tears coated her eyes, Tifa fought them down and gently smiled. "Who else could it be, Cloud?" she rhetorically asked in a soft voice. "And here, of all places?" The journey they all struggled through three years ago was forever burned into her heart. Though they had ultimately won in the end, the victory surely didn't feel like it made up for their losses. Tifa missed her with every reminiscing thought…but she knew that she would always be there to help them.

Vincent's mind was lost in thought, doing his best to connect the dots with all the information they had. "Was it because of Lightning and Jenova…?"

"Probably," Cloud replied, despite the burning wish in his heart that it was actually true. He conjured up possibilities for these change of events, and one moment shone out above the others. "When Lightning and I came to Midgar after that first assault on WRO, we fell into the Lifestream…We saw her."

Tifa's eyes widened with surprise. "You did…?"

"Zack, too. They probably know that she needs help." He felt the corners of his lips pull upward at a thought. They were never gone – just out of sight.

As they approached the once-hallowed ground, Cloud and Vincent drew their weapons, expecting any kind of possibility as to what brought them here. Tifa slowly climbed the steps and laid a hand on the door before turning back to them. After they gave her affirmative nods, she slowly pushed the door open, her eyes immediately scanning the large room.

Not much seemed to be out of place. Aside from some new debris from the bout with Omega and Deepground, the church appeared to be the same as before. The front altar still held the pond they regarded as sacred, as well as the original Buster Sword planted into a fallen pillar as a memorial.

The three of them picked up their pace as they entered the church, their eyes quickly scanning everywhere. All in all, nothing changed…except for their twinge of hope crumbling with disappointment. Perhaps the mako readings were just natural from the open reservoir of Lifestream. Nothing new…

Nothing exactly helpful.

With a heavy sigh, Cloud turned to the others and tucked away his sword. Maybe it was too good to be true to ask for a miracle again. After all, it would have been hard to turn the tides of fate, and yet they had done so time and again for the past three years. Nonetheless, it didn't stop the ultimate truth from hitting him.

They had no way of getting to Pulse. Lightning and her world were doomed.

Tifa felt her chest heave at the sight of his despair. More than anything, she wanted to relieve him of the misery that threatened to eat him from the inside. It was just like before – Cloud was never far from her mind…and it was times like these where she knew the dark recesses of her heart would come forward.

Across the aisle from her, Vincent's phone chirped to indicate a new text message. He instantly flipped it open and read. "Reeve's on his way," he announced while glancing up to look at them. Just when they felt entirely lost in their own thoughts, a bright yellow gleam suddenly blinded his eye, something Tifa and Cloud immediately noticed.

Spinning around, Cloud's eyes darted over the pond, searching for the source. The gleam came from whatever was tucked snugly next to the Buster Sword's blade – minute in size but brilliant in radiance. As the sun's rays struck it, gold light danced before them, briefly blinding them until Cloud began to edge forward. He brought his hand up to shield his eyes from the rays before getting a good view of the foreign object.

"What's that…?" Tifa's voice was hesitant, even with the large distance between her and the mysterious light. When Cloud was just an arm's reach away, his shadow towered over the small sphere, blocking the sunlight striking it at the right angle. He carefully crouched down to observe…and he found a glimmering gold materia leaning against the Buster Sword's blade.

Vincent's eyes narrowed as he speculated the strange turn of events. "Materia?"

With no coherent response, Cloud crouched down and carefully lifted the materia from its position. Its solid core proved that it was no illusion; as he got back up, Cloud delicately turned it with his fingers, observing the perfect and polished sphere.

Along with Vincent, Tifa slowly approached from behind, her eyes barely leaving the strange anomaly. "It's…gold." Just as she continued mulling over the thought that such a beautiful materia had actually been forged, her chocolate-brown eyes widened when Cloud brought the materia dangerously close to his forearm, realizing his intentions. "Cloud, wait!" Tifa leaped forward and laid a firm hand on his arm, prompting him to turn and face her with surprise.

Her brows knitted tightly together, taken back by his abrupt recklessness. "You don't know what it does," she explained. Even in these desperate times, she wanted Cloud to at least keep a cool head in his efforts to get to Pulse.

However, the look of fierce determination didn't leave his face and posture. "I trust them," he said with absolute, turning back to the materia just inches away from his forearm. "We can use this to help Lightning...somehow."

Tifa could see that her words barely had any effect. With Lightning no longer with them, it was clearer to see just how similar she was to Cloud. Though he had chastised her for charging into matters guns blazing, it was surprising how he would do the same when her safety was on the line.

'You'd risk your life…What about the others you leave behind?'

Sighing with defeat, Tifa merely took a step back as Cloud allowed the gold materia to dissolve into his arm. Yellow mist enveloped the site of entry, a strange yet painless sensation coursing through his veins. His mind raced to find an explanation, to seek a purpose for this undefined gift. Tifa and Vincent hesitantly watched while he paced to the side, drawing close to the spot where he had once slept during his time in the church.

After clenching his hand into a tight fist, the mist grew thicker and brighter, gathering in high concentrations until Cloud gave a wave of his hand. The mist shot out before him, swirling through the air and growing dense to emit a shimmering light. Not too far from him, it started to take an elongated form, tall enough for one of his size to walk through. A bright gold light shone from its depths, illuminating his face and widened mako eyes.

Tifa gasped and left her jaw hanging as she slowly stepped closer to him. "How did you…?"

All she got was a lost shake of the head. "I just knew," Cloud replied in a bare whisper. He himself was awestruck at the sight; even with all that he had seen with mako and the Lifestream, he could barely believe what was clearly before him.

"Will this bring you to Pulse?"

Together, Tifa and Cloud turned to see Reeve enter through the church's doors. His appearance was even more weary from before, what with all the turn of events still processing in his head. As he walked down the center aisle, Vincent nodded while turning back to the golden portal.

"It's our only lead," he explained, and there was no denying his words. "Either way, Cloud's right – we can't doubt those two." With the little time they had and virtually no access to Pulse, this one glimmer of hope was all they had going for them. As seemingly impossible as it was, the team still had to put their trust in Aerith, praying that this gift would get them over this very first hurdle.

Cloud nodded to him in appreciation while a heavy burden began weighing itself on his mind. Was he actually going to go through with this? Even with his trust in Aerith, there was still that sliver of hesitation gnawing from the inside. What if something went wrong the moment he stepped in? He knew his actions were a terribly big risk, and now that he's at this point, he may never come back to start over if everything turns out for the worst.

But if it was the right path, then he would be a whole world closer to Lightning, and Cloud refused to pass up that chance.

"Right," he said in a definite voice before taking a step closer to the portal. "I'm going."

"So am I."

The sound of Tifa's voice made him close his eyes and exhale, for he figured that she would somehow try to tag along. Cloud definitely didn't look forward to involving her, dragging her into potential danger along with him. "Tifa…"

When he opened his eyes and turned, he found Tifa close beside him, facing the portal with a fierce look of determination. There was also a hint of stubbornness, and Cloud could tell it would be an argument he wouldn't win.

"She's my friend, too," she told him without making eye contact. "No matter what, I'm gonna try to save her. I owe her that much…after all she's done for us."

He wanted to believe that she was doing this for the sake of a good friend…but Cloud could see there was some hidden secret, a deep wish that she was keeping to herself. Though Tifa was open to interacting and bonding with others, it was hard to completely access all her thoughts and feelings. He was wary of what ran through her mind…but was nonetheless grateful for her concern and help.

Just when he accepted her accompaniment, Cloud noticed a third presence on his other side. He turned to find none other than Vincent gazing at the portal with certainty, his expression hidden beneath his cloak, as usual.

"You too?" Cloud asked with the tiniest hint of a smirk.

Vincent let out a brief sigh. He certainly didn't like the idea of getting involved in affairs of others, particularly when he himself wasn't in any deep waters, but this would have to be another exception. "I have a debt to repay," he replied so matter-of-factly, it was hard to respond after that. Whatever it took, he wanted to bring up his connection to Lightning as little as possible. Though they had made amends, Vincent himself was still plagued by the memories of the acts he committed as Chaos. He was close to ruining Lightning's and, in turn, Cloud's lives, and despite that, the two of them worked hard to aid him in a great battle that threatened to consume his entire being. Traveling to a new world for Lightning's sake was the least he could do on his path to atonement.

Exhaling deeply, Cloud nodded and glanced back toward Tifa, who reassured him of her resolve with a nod. "Reeve," she said while turning to face the commissioner, her eyes pleading for an unspoken request.

He easily got the message and nodded. "I'll call Barret to get the little ones."

And that was that. With the crucial matters taken care of, Tifa turned back and stared into the gold portal with Cloud and Vincent. Traveling to a strange land was overwhelming – what they might run into the moment they step through, no one could say. If Lightning was around, they could have asked for some intel…but for all they knew, they were on their own.

"You can't expect to know what happens over there," Reeve warned in a dark tone, making the potential threats all the more real. "Be careful – it's a whole new world…with Jenova."

Cloud took that to heart; there was no time for a joyful reunion…not until he was sure Lightning was safe from harm. As soon as he took the first step, Tifa and Vincent followed suit toward the gold light. Gradually approaching, they felt their ears ringing with a high buzz, the scent of fresh water quickly disappeared, and the gold light transitioned into white for the longest time.

The first thing she noticed was how incredibly fresh the air was. Even near Wutai, where no reactors were allowed to siphon, every breath had a twinge of rust and waste. The vibrant green trees and grass were no illusion, and the clear blue waters by the coast were definitely clean. Above their heads, birds and insects chirped and buzzed with life, slightly drowned out by the sea breeze.

Tifa was breathless for the longest seconds, excitement suddenly filling every part of her being. Never before had she seen anything so lively: the earth and plants thrived so well, and the wildlife was in no danger of extinction or the like. "It's beautiful," she breathed out in a whisper, and the others couldn't help but agree.

"This must be Pulse," Cloud guessed as he looked across the lands. If Lightning's Guardian Corps and PSICOM really did exist, Cocoon wouldn't have been as infested with wildlife as what they saw. Great wyvern-like creatures soared through the skies, huge feral monsters prowled the ground on all fours, and from a distance, he swore he saw what could have been a colossal tortoise.

As his eyes surveyed the vast world, it didn't take long to see the sphere of crystal balanced on a pillar. Despite the treacherous jagged spikes and incredibly slim pillar, the glistening continent was a magnificent sight. "And Cocoon's over there." Cloud thought back to Lightning's story of the fal'Cie gods herding thousands of human sacrifices to kill them with a simple drop of their home. Seeing the real thing now, he felt his stomach drop at the vision. So many people dying at once would have been a tragedy; how did Lightning and her friends feel from carrying the burden of either saving or destroying all those lives?

Vincent's turning around got their attention, and they did the same to watch the gold portal gradually evaporate into nothing. Not even a small glimpse of Reeve or the church could be seen before it all disappeared, vanishing along with all other traces of their home.

"We on our own now," Vincent said as he looked back at Cloud and Tifa. His survival instincts kicked in, evident in his hard crimson eyes when they surveyed the land. "First thing's first – let's find civilization."

Tifa's appearance deflated at the suggestion. "And go all the way to Cocoon?" she asked while turning back around to face the continent. Though it was big in size, the distance between them and Cocoon was still great. Furthermore, judging by the smooth pillar, it didn't seem like they could gain easy access without getting caught.

"Lightning said it's crystallized all over," Cloud explained as he searched the world before him. "I doubt many people are living there." Stepping forward, he realized they were reaching the edge of a cliff that towered over a beach. Plenty of wildlife freely roamed around, survival of the fittest being the obvious number one rule here, but none of them were able to pass the chain-link perimeter spanning the beach. His eyes shifted over to see many huts forming a small village by the seaside, creating a relatively peaceful safe haven…that seemed to be void of life.

"Look – a village by the shore," he indicated with a nod. Tifa and Vincent drew closer for a better view, and they too took note of the lack of inhabitants. Luck seemed to be on their side, even with just about five minutes into Pulse.

With the tiny hint of a smirk, Cloud turned back to them. "Let's check it out."

As they retreated to find a way around, nothing stopped them from marveling at how true Lightning's words were. The land of Pulse was certainly captivating – from the endlessly streaming waterfalls to the intoxicating smell of fresh nature, it was a miracle Lightning never complained for a whole year on the Planet. For a while, Cloud wondered how people thought Pulse would be such a vicious world, not even thinking of venturing out of the once-floating shell.

But he'd know soon enough.

When they worked to safely shuffle down a steep slope, an abrupt rustle of leaves was heard just behind Tifa in the rear. All three instantly spun on their heels, weapons drawn and fists brought up. The bushes immediately fell silent, and only rapid heartbeats could be heard pounding in their ears. With no exposure to any wildlife yet, it was impossible to say what was waiting in the shadows, hoping to tear them to shreds.

Cloud slowly trekked back up the hill to reach Tifa, ready to take her spot and become the main target. His eyes never left the still bushes, anticipating an abrupt strike as his hand tightened around the hollow blade on his back. In his chest, his lungs disobeyed his will and erratically contracted, and his ears were drowning in the sound of his pulse.

It was enough of a distraction to let a canine creature spring out and collide into him. A large muzzle with razors for teeth snapped just inches away from his face before Cloud leaned back at the last moment, but it didn't stop the monster from pushing him back to tumble down the slope.

"Cloud!" Tifa was moments away from rushing after him before she heard a fierce growl from the bushes. Holding her ground, she waited until a second of the same creature lunged at her. Just as it tried to swipe at her with its glistening claws, Tifa spun on her heel, faced the opposite direction, and grabbed the wolfish monster by its scruff. Using the last of the momentum in her spin, she hauled the creature off its paws and hurled it into the air, its whimpering cries briefly sounding before three bullets from Vincent's gun tore into its chest.

As they tumbled to the bottom, Cloud kept his hold on the hollow blade until their speed finally decelerated. When he felt them reaching to a stop on the grass, he threw the wolf to the side and got to his knees, the hollow blade fully unsheathed for him to plunge it into the monster's gut.

Meanwhile, the others up on the slope had no chance for a breather. Another wolf leapt out and charged toward Vincent, who saw the attempt beforehand and leapt high into a tree's branches. Tifa's focus was on the snarling wolf, and they circled each other for the longest seconds…until a sphere of ice came from the same bush and struck her like thousands of needles. Pain was quickly turning into numbness, and a thin coat of ice wrapped her arm like a sleeve. She fell to one knee with an agonizing gasp, using her other hand to touch the unbearable layer threatening to freeze her limb to death.

With quivering breaths, she peered back toward the bushes to find even stranger creatures with tiny bodies and wings that flapped with such pathetic effort. No eyes could be seen on them, but they seemed to float closer to Tifa as if they could sense her with ease. On her right, the wolf couldn't take the delay any longer, and it rushed forward to claim its bite of fresh meat from her body.

A flash of black and red obscured the vision of her imminent death, and sturdy arms swept her away from becoming lunch. Once he skidded to a halt just a few feet away, Vincent whirled his arm back with Cerberus in hand, taking aim before drilling a hole in one of the smaller creatures' figure.

Just when they thought they had a chance of gaining the upper hand, more bat-like monsters came out to the field, some heading toward Vincent and Tifa while others bounded toward Cloud down the slope.

"The things with wings can cast magic!" Tifa cried to warn him, and he took note of her words as he steeled his body and mind for concentration. He clenched his hand into a tight fist, his eyes focused on the monsters as he waited for that initial spark of energy…but nothing appeared.

With a small growl, Cloud knitted his brows tightly and tried to focus more, to reach for that knowledge and power resting within his forearm. He tried to imagine bursts of flame or bolts of lightning lashing from his palm, bringing the foes down in no time at all…and yet, not even a small billow of mist could be conjured.

Panic shot through his veins just as one of the smaller creatures coughed up a ball of flames, its trajectory aimed straight at him with surprising speed. Cloud leapt back before the sphere could collide, and he reached behind into the holster to pull out the main blade.

"Materia aren't so great here!" he shouted back at the others. Tifa's visage was coated with horror as she struggled to maintain distance between herself and the monsters. The prickling sensation in her arm got worse by the second; if she waited for too long, she may as well say goodbye to her limb.

Luckily, one of the winged creatures spat out a ball of fire and directed it toward her, and Tifa was grateful for the opportunity. Reeling her frozen arm back was strenuous, but she made sure there was enough strength to use it in defense against the fiery ball. The heat instantly melted the layer into water upon contact, and before Tifa herself could get critically singed, she spun on her heel once more and charged toward the monsters.

They seemed to have multiplied in the midst of Cloud's discovery, but that didn't stop her as her fist shot up in an uppercut to launch the first winged creature into the air. Tifa used the momentum to pivot on her heel and launch a back kick into the next one in line. One after another, her attacks were strung up in an unbreakable chain as she effortlessly took them out with the most fluid movements. She definitely wasn't one to be underestimated in regards to versatility, and anyone back on the Planet was sure to confirm that.

Though the creatures multiplied, Tifa noticed how some of them dropped dead before she could even reach them, and only when she drew close did she notice bullet holes ripped into their carcasses. Glancing up above, she gave a brief nod to Vincent before finishing the last of the monsters closest to them.

At the bottom of the slope, Cloud flourished the hollow blade and threw the winged creatures to the side like flies. He rushed to neutralize them all in little time, but the final enemy took the chance and called upon its inner powers to form a great fiery sphere. It was too far out of his reach to stop the monster from releasing the fire, and given its higher position on the slope, Cloud had to dodge it at the precise angle and maneuver his strike differently than usual.

His eyes quickly glanced up at the top of the hill…and Vincent's gaze instantly caught his own. In the few years they had known each other, it was amazing how well they had gotten along; Vincent never thought of living out his days of immortality away from the dank cellar beneath Shinra Manor…until Cloud appeared and saved him from true darkness. Their tactics had grown to be similar, in that they would instantly devise complementary ways of battle and strategy.

In an instant, Vincent whipped the muzzle of his gun toward Cloud and pulled the trigger, making sure the bullet was aimed precisely. Before Tifa could even comprehend what was happening, Cloud raised the hollow blade and held it across his torso, angling it in an odd way that didn't make it parallel to his position. The bullet ricocheted off the blade with an ear-piercing screech, but it was worth the faint ringing in the eardrums when the bullet tore through the winged monster's tiny body. At first, the monster swayed lightheadedly, the sphere still attached to its body as it swayed to and fro. Within seconds, it finally fell back and released the fire, aiming nowhere near Cloud and sending it up into the clear blue sky before giving one final twitch.

Once they were sure all the enemies were permanently down for the count, Vincent and Tifa skidded down the hill to regroup with Cloud, who tiredly sheathed the blades back in the holster. "So materia are duds?" Tifa guessed with reluctance, hoping not to be a bearer of terrible news.

Vincent felt an unusual strain in his forearm as he pulled his materia out, holding it in his palm as he noticed how dull its core was. "They must need to be in contact with the Planet to call upon its powers." Figuring that it was no longer useful, he chucked the sphere to the side, not even bothering to watch it roll into the bushes and disappear from view. He let out a subtle yet audible sigh. "In this place…things will be harder."

Cloud growled under his breath as he turned around and pulled his own materia out of his forearm. As he tossed them away one by one, he hesitated when the gold materia weighed in his palm. It was unknown if it would give them some hope down the road, but he didn't feel right in letting go of the one thing that brought them to this new world.

Nonetheless, no effective materia meant no magic, and from what Lightning had told him long ago, only those with the cursed mark of something called a l'Cie had the ability to use it. It truly was survival of the fittest now. Cloud figured it wouldn't be so different from if they were wandering around the Planet with no materia…

But then again, they didn't have to face Jenova with nothing but their weapons and meager strength. What's more, there were hundreds of monsters out there that they had virtually no intel on, along with any other aspects of Pulse that Lightning failed to mention in the past year.

Cloud sighed at their predicament, feeling as if they had gone back to square one all over again. They were sitting ducks, and at that moment, it was like their chances of saving Lightning drew closer to zero than ever before.

"Right," he muttered as he tucked the gold materia away. "What else is new?"