The First Meeting

The village was eerily still as they approached - something they quickly noticed. Taking precaution, Cloud took the lead and hid beneath the ramp that connected the cliff to the sandy beach. He peered through the planks, his eyes locked on the open space in the perimeter fence.

"You think anyone's in there?" Tifa asked in a low voice.

Cloud sighed. "Can't say for sure. We're probably gonna have to pay a little visit." As he spoke, there was something about the small village that grabbed hold of his attention, refusing to let him to continue on after such a cursory glance. His eyes trailed over to the small pier directly in front of the largest building that could be seen, a vague familiarity jabbing at his memory.

"My sister and I lived in a seaside city called Bodhum. Nothing like a refreshing sea breeze."

His eyes widened as it struck him. "This is Bodhum," he muttered almost inaudibly.

From behind him, Tifa instantly recognized the name. "You mean Lightning's home?"

Cloud nodded as his feet started dragging him out of their cache. If Lightning could be anywhere, her seaside village would be the first place to search. He presumed the place was built right after Cocoon fell from the sky…and she would be staying here with her sister and friends.

"But why is it empty?" Vincent asked in a wary voice. "There's no one in sight."

The dead obvious fact struck fear in all of them. Bodhum was practically a tourist city. Even if they had relocated to the vicious world of Pulse, being this close to the beach was like paradise. Cloud wondered if Lightning also noticed this oddity…if she was even here at all.

It had only been a few hours since their arrival in the new world, but the quiet normalcy somehow put them on edge. Cloud had pictured dozens of scenarios in his head: fields full of the deceased, the land rotten and barren, or strange monsters mutated from Jenova's alien genome. With everything appearing perfect and in place, it only made them feel that the real danger was waiting in the shadows, waiting to catch them off guard and destroy them when left vulnerable.

"Are they…?" Tifa dreaded the worst, covering her gaping mouth with her hand.

Cloud vehemently shook his head, despite his own fears that wouldn't go away. "We gotta try," he insisted to mostly himself. He needed to believe there was a chance for all of it to turn around…for him to keep Lightning out of danger.

They silently approached the perimeter and stood just a few feet away from the chain-link fence. From what they could see, it wasn't running on an electric current to fend off any trespassers. However, it wasn't a risk they were willing to take.

Picking up a fallen tree branch nearby, Cloud exhaled deeply and stared the fence down before tossing the branch in its direction. It collided with the chain-link fence with a clatter before falling to the ground unscathed, not even producing the slightest spark or zap upon impact.

Letting out a small sigh of relief, he looked back to Tifa and Vincent with a little more confidence than before. "All right. Let's go through."

One by one, they carefully stepped over into the village's territory, their eyes darting to every corner for the slightest hint of movement. The soft sands did well in concealing the sound of footsteps, but leaving them to be seen was like leaving a trail of breadcrumbs. As they walked, Vincent dragged his foot heavily enough to wipe away any trace of their presence, hoping that it would buy them enough time to figure things out before getting caught.

"I don't get it," Tifa muttered in a low breath. "Jenova should start sapping the life of everything and turn this planet into a ship. Shouldn't things be…dead?"

"Maybe the cells in Lightning haven't woken up yet," Vincent speculated.

Tifa shot a wary glance over her shoulder. "And if we find her still in control? What then? How are we gonna get her a cure before the Jenova cells take over?"

That was one question that certainly got them stumped. If materia couldn't work on Pulse, they couldn't return to the Planet and to the church's pond…if the Lifestream's essence really could dissolve the Jenova cells inside of Lightning. It was still uncertain what could be done once they reached Lightning. Unless they had a definite way of curing her of the Jenova cells, her days were numbered.

As they drew close to the largest building on the beach, Cloud's expression immediately turned harsh. The village didn't give off the empty dead feeling he expected…

They weren't alone.

Cautious with every step, he peered up the steps and into the building's main entrance, realizing that it was actually a local bar. The ceiling fans were still rotating monotonously, a few glasses remained on the tables occupying the space, and there were signs of at least a few people being present. Naturally, the barkeep would tidy the place up between nights; seeing the disarray made him feel uneasy.

Once Tifa and Vincent were right on his heels, Cloud shot an arm out to block their path, his scrutinizing eyes never leaving the bar in front of him. "Someone's in the bar," he muttered in a low voice before he glanced toward the huts off to the shore. "…Maybe more nearby." Though he saw no one, the sensation crawling up his spine was definite, and he wasn't one to doubt his instincts.

Silence engulfed the village for a few moments…until the sound of falling objects echoed throughout the bar. Vincent instantly turned and fled to the space beneath the bar's floorboards, finding it easy to access, yet sufficient in concealing his presence. Deciding to follow suit, Tifa tugged on Cloud's arm to try and steer him in the same direction. Cloud gave some reluctance, for he hoped that the figure would bring him one step closer to Lightning…

But the sudden memory of Jenova made him think twice. Running into the viral calamity so soon wasn't something he wanted, not until he knew if Lightning and her friends were safe. Giving in, Cloud allowed Tifa to pull him underneath the bar's flooring, huddling close to her and Vincent as their eyes peered up through the floor's cracks. As they held their breaths, the team scanned the interior with limited vision. The main room was still and empty…until movement came from the rooms off to the side.

A young woman staggered to the main entrance, fatigue appearing to strike her body as each step bore some difficulty. She wore a pink sweeper over a white dress shirt, accompanied by a red plaid skirt and high stockings. The scowl on her face seemed to be far different from what her usual expression was – that much Cloud was certain. Despite the unclear view from beneath the floorboards, he was sure his eyes weren't deceiving him; the girl's identity was impossible to mistake. The faint shudder he gave out was impossible for Tifa and Vincent to miss, but they said nothing as the girl began making her way down the steps.

From the residential huts, another figure emerged with some more vigor than the girl. His incredibly tall stature was covered by a beige trench coat, and a black bandanna concealed the top of his long blond hair. As he reached the end of the bar's steps, the man's expression matched the girl's when she approached.

"Did you find them?" she asked in a harsh voice that was surely meant to be used in pleasant tones.

The man shook his head with a growl. "Not yet. Gadot thinks they might have run from the village in the commotion." Together, they turned their heads one last time to give the village one final sweep. "The boss is gonna be pissed."

With a heavy sigh, the girl walked along the sand and briefly glanced toward the space underneath the bar. In the darkness, Tifa's gaze locked with hers for what seemed like the longest seconds of her life. Her heart froze, and though part of it was out of the same recognition that Cloud had, what made her blood turn cold was the familiar look in her eyes that haunted her for years. The irises were tinted a green shade similar to mako, surrounding thin slits for pupils that sent shivers down her spine. Like before, those eyes held cold ruthlessness; crossing paths with the girl wouldn't earn a single ounce of leniency once the moment came.

And Tifa prayed it wouldn't be anytime soon.

The girl's gaze thankfully passed by with little to no scrutiny, and the group let out brief sighs of relief. "We have to hurry," they heard her say when she turned back to the taller man. "If it's not done soon, there won't be enough people left take part."

Together, the pair trudged out of Bodhum's premises, taking not even a final glance behind them as they disappeared toward the continent. Tifa's breaths were more audible, and she struggled to take in more air so as to relieve the tension building up inside.

"That was Lightning's sister, right?" she asked while turning to Cloud with wild eyes. The resemblance was uncanny and impossible to deny, and there was no explanation for saying otherwise.

Cloud swallowed hard before gritting his teeth. "Serah…" Who would have thought that the first people they would meet were the ones Lightning cherished? It would have been natural to have met them in their hometown, but given the circumstances, he didn't expect to find them all right.

At least in the physical sense.

Beside him, Vincent peered out in the direction the two natives had left, checking to see if they were truly gone. "Lightning must have infected them some time ago."

Tifa bit her lip as she followed his gaze. "And who knows how many others she's controlling…"

Vincent's mouth curved into a fixed frown, Serah's words taking an ill effect on his hopes for the future. "Enough people…what for?" Involving a massive amount of victims was never a good sign, and whatever they were planning was to initiate in a matter of time.

Once they were certain the coast was clear, they crawled out from the space beneath the bar and went to trace Serah and the other man's footsteps. As she approached the abandoned huts, Tifa pulled her gloves on before brushing her fingers on anything, making sure to not leave prints or any trace of her presence behind. Meanwhile, Cloud slowly climbed the bar's steps and entered the main lobby, his eyes instantly falling to the scattered crates beside the counter. The Jenova cells may have had a strong hold on Serah's mind, but body coordination was sure to be dwindling as the parasite sucked her life away.

Cloud drifted toward a smaller lounge in the back of the building, where it seemed more like a home rather than a local business. Pictures and decorations plastered the walls and tabletops, and it resembled the feeling of a happy home – a sensation he found to be long lost from him. When he drew close to the pictures with larger frames on the wall, he caught sight of one captured memory in particular, and his chest tightened immensely.

Lightning and the man from before were settled in the bar just outside the lounge, drinks in hand and glancing toward Serah, who leaned in with excitement from the side of the counter. Her eyes held no hint of boredom, and Cloud swore he could see the smallest tug at the corner of her lips. The man beside her didn't seem to be suspiciously close, but Lightning was comfortable enough to regard him as a good companion.

Taking a step back, he could see how natural the moment was; it was a piece of Lightning's life that she was accustomed to and must have missed before ending up on the Planet. It was enough to believe that she had some peace and normalcy before disaster struck…but that thought in itself only made the guilt amplify in Cloud's chest.

For the past year, she had so many chances of searching for a way home before Hojo could inject the cells in her. It was what she wanted from the start – to return to Pulse and live peacefully with Serah and her friends. He remembered that day he showed her mako for the first time…and the brief look of excitement she had when he mentioned the possibility of her returning to Pulse. How quick was it for her to change her mind at the sight of his selfish and pathetic face when he wished she would somehow stay on the Planet with him? If she continued searching, she probably would have figured the truth about Vincent much sooner and found an easier departure from their world.

Instead, Cloud had to make her run in circles, frustrating her with his actions until she ultimately decided to stay with him. It was he who sealed her fate, allowing Deepground to pursue her for a whole year when she could have just been safe before being captured as Hojo's test subject. Clenching his hands into tight fists did nothing to ease the rage churning inside; in the end, he couldn't protect Lightning, let alone her home and the people she cherished. It was difficult to say what Jenova was doing under her skin, but it was enough for Cloud to reach a new low.

"It wasn't your fault."

He dragged his eyes to the side and found Vincent standing at the border between the lounge and the bar. "You did what you could to protect her," his companion continued.

Unfortunately, it did nothing to make Cloud feel better, the scowl on his face growing even greater than before. "And it still wasn't enough," he muttered in self-disgust before moving to walk back out. "I may have redeemed myself for a while with Kadaj…but I got careless again. If we get through this, I'll make sure she won't get hurt again."

As he brushed past, Vincent instantly got the message and turned to stare at Cloud's back. "You mean you'll leave her…forever."

The words rendered Cloud immobile for a long moment as he considered the commitment to them. Getting Lightning to live through this was hard enough, but if he could make her safe again, what then? A simple goodbye and walk out forever, severing all ties once he leaves for the Planet? For a moment, he wanted to take the words back and say the exact opposite – that he wanted to bring her back with him. Hell, maybe even stay here on Pulse so they could be together. Cloud imagined ending up here for so long, thinking that some miracle would bring him to Lightning so that he wouldn't have to carry out her legacy alone.

But everything always came with a price, and he was tired to making others pay for it while he got off easy.

"If that's what it takes," he said in a low voice. If Lightning had even the slightest chance of returning to a normal life after getting the Jenova cells out of her, it was more than enough. He'd back off, make sure she hate his guts, if it meant she would live. Cloud was sure that his mind was made up…

But Vincent was far from assured.

"This sounds a lot like before," Vincent mused. "Only this time, you don't have Geostigma." Cloud saw where he was going with this train of thought, but this scenario was entirely different. When he was inflicted with the stigma, he disappeared to deal with the pain alone, so that no one else had to shoulder the heavy burden and get involved.

Shutting Lightning out of his life meant she wouldn't have to get hurt, and he wouldn't have to watch the one person he cherished most suffer because of him.

Before Cloud could protest, he heard Vincent let out a brief sigh. "Lightning wouldn't have wanted you to torture yourself like this," he continued. "Being the person she is, she'll always be in danger. We will always be in danger." The emphasis was hard to miss, and Cloud was once again reminded of how near impossible it was to protect everyone on his own. "That's something you can't change, Cloud. What you can change…is if we live in the end."

He thought of the idea for a long moment, a light suddenly peering through the darkness that gripped tightly onto his heart. Lightning and her friends were gone, but not lost. After witnessing enough losses to last a lifetime, Cloud swore to protect everyone in his sight until his last breath. If he were to fail in saving Lightning, it would be because of falling before she would be struck down, and even then, he'd make sure she had an escape route to survive.

Saving Lightning would definitely be perilous, as always, but he was more than willing to do it.

As he stepped out of the bar, a lone figure was seen in the corner of his eye, and he quickly looked over to find Tifa learning against the side, her face twisted into a perturbed expression. When she turned her head to face him, Cloud noticed the whirlwind emotions coating her chocolate brown eyes: one he could definitely make out was worry, but something else was hidden deep within. He was aware of her tendency to keep her feelings and thoughts to herself, but the small crack that became plain obvious began to worry him, for it was too small to allow him inside and know what was going on.

Tifa suddenly blinked, snapping out of some kind of reverie before shaking her head and walking down the steps. Refusing to look back, she couldn't continue to feed the flames that were growing in her heart, wanting to rush out and take hold of the steering wheel. They were here on a mission, she had to repeatedly tell herself. Even knocking her fist against her jaw had some effect in refocusing her mind.

This was no time to ruin things.

When Cloud and Vincent caught up, the three of them left the empty village and headed toward Cocoon. Their path led them to a gorge thriving with plant life, the sounds of a stream echoing off the cliffs along with the cries of wildlife. One incident had them running into gelatinous creatures, but before the enemies caught whiff of them, Cloud ushered the others to go into hiding. Vincent pulled out Cerberus and shot a bullet straight into the monster's core, but it practically had no effect, and the monster went along its merry way to find some targets to terrorize.

Cloud let out a heavy sigh and dropped his head past his shoulders. Despite their success in the earlier battle, the monsters in this area were going to be tougher without magic. For now, all they could do to survive was to stay out of their field of vision…but their destination was still a ways ahead, and it was unsure if they could last for so long.

Once the gelatinous monsters were out of sight and earshot distance, they left their cache and continued the journey, eventually reaching a sort of base camp settling on a cliff. A large aircraft was left to rust and let vines crawl all around, provisions and vehicular components scattered all around. From the looks of it, the place hadn't been disturbed for quite some time, diminishing their hope just a little bit further.

Cloud stepped forward to get a better look, but it truly seemed like a lost cause. With a heavy exhale, he turned and motioned the others to continue on across the bridge that led to a separate gorge. However, taking his first step forward brought a wary shiver up his spine. Something he needed to find was still here…or something he needed to escape as soon as possible.

He tried to make his steps as casual as possible, despite his hands clenching tightly into fists at his sides. With his gaze locked ahead, Cloud tapped into his other senses to find anything off: the smell of the fresh grass around him, the feel of the steady ground beneath his feet…

The growing whistle of something aimed at his back.

Fully drawing the main blade in a turn was sure to be too slow; Cloud swiftly tugged at the handle over his right shoulder while pulling it inward, bracing himself as an arrow slammed into the angled blade and ricocheted to the side. The ear-splitting sound caught Tifa and Vincent's attention, but Cloud wasted no time in fully unsheathing the blade and spinning on his heel. His mako eyes flowed with irritation, scanning the wreckage until he found the pink hair and sweeper at the top. In the woman's hand was a sturdy wooden bow, and she lowered it as her jade eyes glared fiercely at the party below.

Cloud felt all the rage instantly dissipate at the sight. The grip on the main blade faltered as Tifa and Vincent rushed up from behind, and he struggled to find words when the girl huffed and jumped down from the plane. "Serah!"

In response, Serah nastily scrutinized him while slowly reaching behind for another arrow in the quiver on her back. "Who are you?" she snarled as she fit a new arrow into the bow. "Why aren't you on Cocoon?"

Tifa shivered at the sight of the cat-like eyes once more, but forced herself to keep calm. "We just came to help…to help you find the people." As soon as she spoke, her pulse pounded against her eardrums. She hoped she was on the right track in her words.

Serah jumped down from the aircraft and sauntered toward the group. Their bodies tensed at her approach, but keeping a cool head was the only way to pass off the trickery. Amongst her clothes of bright shades, Cloud easily spotted the open sore on her left bicep, his eyes narrowing with distress as he saw an all-too-familiar black ooze leak from it. "The escapees were assigned to us," she said skeptically. "Did the boss really send you?"

"Instead of waiting for the escapees to turn into Pulse food?" Vincent's tone was clear and confident; Cloud shot an impressive glance in his direction before quickly looking back to Serah. Her eyes narrowed for a long moment, but the slight relaxation of her expression proved that the logic made sense.

While the scowl remained on her face, she conceded with a nod. "All right. It'll be better if we split up to cover more ground, though. Snow and I will head over to Yaschas Massif and the ruins." She relaxed and returned the arrow to her quiver, allowing the three newcomers to breathe an internal sigh of relief. "You take the Steppe. Send a fire flare to one of the ships to pick you up."

Tifa's brows briefly knitted together, as she realized they must have been short on necessary supplies. It was risky to engage in conversation without knowing everything, but the lack of options made the decision all the more influenced. "Fire flare?" she asked hesitantly, prompting Serah to glare with a huff.

"A fire ball." Her voice was heavy with irritation. "Y'know? To get an airship over here?" She turned back to return to the fallen aircraft. "You'd think they would send someone better…"

As they watched her draw farther away, the man from before suddenly appeared from behind the aircraft, his face cold and hard as his unusual green eyes scrutinized the new guys. Cloud immediately sensed the trouble he feared from the beginning, but it was too late to do anything or get to safety.

"Serah," he warned in a hostile voice, prompting the young woman to stop in her tracks with confusion. The man's eyes never left the trio, who easily picked up on the tension. Panic shot through their limbs; Cloud and Vincent reached for their weapons as Tifa readied to escape their line of sight.

"They're not from here. They're from that other place."

They could see the gears quickly turn in Serah's head, and in an instant, she whipped around to face them. Fury brimmed in her eyes as she reached into her quiver for an arrow. The moment it was fit into her bow, she aimed it straight at the group just before she released her grip, and the arrow disappeared at amazing speed.

Taking not even the slightest chance, Cloud tugged on Tifa's arm and pulled her away to the side. Vincent stayed his ground until the opportune moment, where one second longer could have let the arrow tear through his chest. Instead, he launched himself high in the air as soon as it drew close enough, flipping back while he whipped out Cerberus. Before he could land, three bullets were unleashed from the muzzle, speeding their way to Serah and the tall man.

With the most fluid of flexibility, Serah cartwheeled to safety, instantly fitting a new arrow into her bow. The man merely stepped out of the way, the bullets being mere insects to him, and he smirked as Serah unleashed a new arrow.

Once Vincent's feet touched solid ground, he dashed to the side, finding shelter behind a large boulder. He could hear the arrows ricocheting off the other side, but every one became increasingly louder and more forceful.

Serah and possibly the other man were drawing closer.

Behind a palm tree, Cloud and Tifa used the moment to catch their breaths, finding it difficult to accept the situation they were thrown into. Fighting would certainly help, but it would leave Serah and her companion hurt, something Cloud wanted to avoid at all costs.

At first, the commotion seemed to have been drawn toward Vincent, far from their location…until Tifa's collar was clutched at the back, sweeping the air from her lungs. Cloud was able to see her eyes widen in fright just before she flew out of her spot, dragged through the air by a tremendous force. Craning her neck with much difficulty, she saw the man's contorted face regarding her coldly, his eyes burning with a desire filed with bloodlust.

It took a lot of her strength to bring her arms over her head and grasp his forearm; she exerted the rest of it into swinging her whole body around, allowing her to wrap her legs around his neck. The brief cut in oxygen got the man to relinquish his hold; Tifa took advantage of the opportunity and twisted her body. Like a rag doll, the man tumbled to the ground, with Tifa releasing her hold just before landing in a low crouch.

The man quickly attempted to get back up on his feet, holding his head to shake the grogginess away. The brief respite was enough to be aware of Cloud's downward lunge toward him, and he easily rolled out of the way before throwing a mighty punch in his direction. Cloud raised his sword to try a side sweep, but his opponent instantly jumped a bit too soon…at least, that was how it seemed.

As the fusion sword swept by, the man instantly landed atop the horizontal blade, forcing the tip into the ground as he rushed up to Cloud along the length. Acting fast, Cloud ejected the rest of the sword from the hollow blade and leapt back. The man's weight made the hollow blade give in as it sank further into the ground, but he pounced toward Cloud like a lion catching its prey.

Luckily, Tifa sailed higher overhead, intersecting from behind just before he could land on Cloud, and clutched fistfuls of the man's overcoat on the back. Vaulting over, she pulled with enough force to take him off track and fling him far away. The man rolled across the ground to leave a trail in the dirt and grass just as Tifa landed nimbly before Cloud.

Relief washed over him for the briefest moment, but Cloud couldn't rest just yet. Spinning on his heel, he found Vincent and Serah in a wild dance to get at each other's necks. With little to no distance between them, they relied on speed to come out victorious. Just as Vincent tried to take a swipe with his gauntlet, Serah flipped back, reaching behind as an arrow perfectly slid out and landed in her palm, to land on a boulder before shooting the arrow directly where Vincent stood.

He immediately flipped back as well; once his feet reconnected with the ground, Vincent aimed his muzzle straight at Serah…until Cloud's firm hand steered it to the ground. The confused stare he gave to his comrade was unnoticed as Cloud's main focus was elsewhere.

"Serah," he spoke with a pleading voice. "We're not the bad guys here. We're here because you and Lightning are in danger."

At that, Serah's lips curled into a devilish smirk, sending shivers down the men's spines. "So, you're here to save the boss? Her knight in shining armor?" She tossed the bow to the side but pulled out an arrow, ominously twirling it in her hand. "Tell me, then…what if you couldn't save me?"

Her words cut through Cloud like a knife, blinding him for the shortest of moments before she aimed the arrow toward her gut. On instinct, he leapt straight toward Serah; his outstretched hand grasped the one that clutched onto the arrow and jerked it away as he crashed into her entire being.

Before Vincent could take off after them, a wild yelp from Tifa captured his attention. Spinning around, he saw the tall man wring her neck with one hand, dangling her flailing body over the edge of the cliff. In mere moments, Tifa would be dropped into the chasm below, and her body would probably never be recovered.

"Tifa!" Vincent dashed toward them in an instant, but at the same time, the man turned his body to aim his free palm toward him. A great crimson flame erupted in his palm, but Vincent easily jumped and somersaulted as it sailed underneath, drawing extremely close to the man's position. At the last moment, he twisted his body to plant his feet on the man's shoulders; Vincent exerted enough force to shove the man back.

His grip on Tifa's neck was loosened, expediting her fall below while she struggled to get air into her lungs again. Luckily, Vincent turned back around to glide in her direction; his arms readily stretched out and gathered her before digging his golden claw into the opposite wall of the chasm. The weight certainly took a toll on his grip, and the chipped rocks and dust did nothing to help him focus,

They skidded a few good feet down the chasm until Vincent's boots brought them to a rough halt. Catching her breath, Tifa nodded to Vincent with gratitude before squirming out of his arms, planting her feet on the side of the cliff to pounce back and forth. She quickly scaled up the chasm with all the lower body strength she could muster, moving from the sides in a ricochet fashion. At the last jump, she planted both feet on the side and launched herself toward the man with outstretched arms. Together, they tumbled to the ground, rolling as they struggled to gain the upper hand.

Cloud's fingers wrapped tightly around Serah's wrist, for her hand holding the arrow shook in her attempts to drive it through his chest. In most cases, his next move would be to strike his opponent as swift and hard as possible…but this one exception was difficult to harm. He could see the exact same aggression and determination that he saw many times within Lightning; Serah was hardly any different, though she didn't seem to be meant for combat.

As she thrashed to break free, Cloud barely noticed the gold materia slip out of his pocket and roll toward Serah's torso. Her focus was heavily set on Cloud until she broke out into a cold sweat, her eyes instantly darting to the materia on her left; a nervous growl escaped her lips as she shifted uneasily away with the limited space.

Her concentration faltered, something that Cloud immediately noticed. Following her gaze, he caught sight of the materia and watched as it finally began to glow. He was breathless as he realized how violent Serah was reacting to it…and devised a plan.

With the sliver of opportunity given to him, Cloud wrenched her arm with the arrow to the ground and reached for the materia with his free hand. He pressed it tightly against the black sore on her left bicep, where it was partially absorbed to elicit black and gold waves of smoke. Serah's body stiffened all at once until her head tilted back, her lips letting out a high shriek to make Cloud wince. In a matter of seconds, the last of the black smoke dissipated, and Cloud pulled the materia away from Serah's arm. She gave a final heavy exhale before her body dropped to the ground, her eyes shutting with dark circles underneath.

He continued watching her warily as he got to his feet, wondering if she would come back up to strike again…or if she was even still breathing. Before he could reach out to her, rough cries of struggle sounded from behind him.

"Cloud!"

Spinning on his heel, Cloud found Tifa and Vincent keeping the tall man pinned face-down to the ground, his arms twisted behind him. With both of their strength combined, however, it wouldn't be enough to keep him down for long.

"Got a plan?!" Tifa begged.

In one swift motion, Cloud tossed the gold materia in their direction. "For the stigma!" he instructed just as Vincent deftly caught it with one hand. Vincent eyed it curiously for a brief moment before shoving it toward the sore on the man's forearm, drawing a similar screech from the man upon contact. Tifa growled as she forced him to stay down, huffing with fatigue once his body abruptly fell limp beneath her. Once the last of the black smoke was gone, Vincent dropped the gold materia before it rolled away with a bright glow.

As the field finally stayed still, Cloud's heart continued to race, his eyes returning to Serah in fear. He knelt down and gathered her in his arms, brushing hair away from her face before noticing the breaths making her chest rise and fall. A wave of relief washed over him as he closed his eyes shut, an invisible weight on his shoulders instantly disappearing.

He caught the sound of footsteps approaching from behind, but Cloud refused to allow his eyes leave Serah. "It'll be too dangerous to try and bring them back to the village," Vincent said. "We should set up camp here."

It took a moment for Cloud to recollect his thoughts, and even then, his response was distant. "Okay," he said in a shaky whisper.

From beside the large burly man, Tifa watched Cloud scoop Serah into his arms and turn back to the base camp. This small victory seemed to bring them closer to Lightning…but did they really want to see what had happened to her? If her most cherished family was made to be this volatile, who knew what the Jenova cells had already done to her own body? Behind the curtain of her dark hair, Tifa caught a glimpse of the steeled expression on Cloud's face, and she easily knew about the whirlwind of emotions he tried to conceal.

Seeing Lightning again could have the potential to break down that barrier he worked so hard to keep up…and Tifa couldn't stop the menacing but desperate wish of never finding her.