"So it's a tie, then?" Amé asked, cleaned up and seated back around Mary's dining room table with Tatsu and the rest of AVALANCHE.



Tatsu sighed. "Isn't it always?" He too was freshly dressed and comfortable in his seat far away from Amé.

"Yes," Cloud said. "We're hiring both of you."

Red, the voice of reason, spoke up. "But we only need one of them."

"But two heads are better than one." Cloud beamed down at the orange cat-like creature, full of pride.

Cid drowsily shook his head. "Stop it with the damn clichés, kid."

"I'll have to call Reeve to confirm your salaries but other than that, it's on."

"If you two can get along long enough to complete the mission, that is," Tifa said. "Your actions today prove otherwise."

Amé slyly grinned, at the worried Tifa. "Personally, I felt that our skills would have been properly conveyed, if we were to demonstrate them. It was my idea, wasn't it, Tatsu?"

"Yes," Tatsu replied, perpetuating Amé's myth. (It was your idea but not your intent.)

"If it hadn't have for that, I don't know who we would have chosen," said Cloud patting Tifa's hand reassuringly.

"Tatsu," mumbled Yuffie.

"But the question still remains, do you two want to work together?"

"Why not?" posed Amé, her gaze shifting to Tatsu.

Tatsu had many reasons why joining forces with Amé could prove to be disastrous but he found himself saying, "Certainly. I accept." Sometimes he felt that he did not understand even himself.

"Fine," Cloud said, amazingly pleased that the situation did not turn into another street brawl. "Now that that is settled, time to move on to other things. Cid!?"

"What?" said the older pilot, waking up from his brief nap. "Are they going at it again?"

Amé and Tatsu both rolled their eyes at the insinuation.

"No," answered Cloud.

"Yeah," chuckled Barret. "But the day ain't over yet."

"Cid, I was just going to ask you if you had made the modifications to the Highwind yet?"

"Yeah, son. My men have been all over it. The defense system is almost finished and the cannons and guns have been done since yesterday. They're probably loading the supplies now."

"Defense system? Guns? Cannons?" asked Tatsu. "The Highwind was originally designed as a passenger airship, was it not?"

"Yep, but during the search for Sephiroth, Shin-Ra brought it under the control of the military. They barely got her flying before Rufus was throwing tantrums to get his damned grubby hands on it. They never had the time to outfit her with real weapons though and the ones they did put on her were lost when we had to convert to EEV form in that fucking crater."

"EEV form?" inquired Amé. "You mean Emergency Escape Vehicle form." She shook her head. "You all must have had a hell of a time trying to get out then."

"Damn straight! That lifestream/ holy shit was trying to escape and we were the ones in the way. It was like a damn champagne bottle and we were fuckin' cork!"

"But what about the new modifications?" continued Tatsu. "Now they seem a little severe. What are you expecting to find?"

"Better safe, than sorry," Cloud quipped. "We have no clue what disabled the other party but--"

"I'll be damned if we let that shit happen to us," Cid finished.

Cloud scratched his head. "I wouldn't have put it that way but……yeah. I also suggest that we rest up and get anything we may need…materia, armor, weapons… Just charge it to Reeve's Shin-Ra account."

"But Mr. Strife, are you sure that materia will be effective against what ever is on Mourir? The reactor there may have created monsters resistant to materia or mutated the local flora and fauna," proposed Tatsu.

"He has a point, Cloud. This is yet another reactor that Hojo has had access to," Red added.

Cloud sighed. "Damn," he muttered. "This does sound a little fishy. Why have a reactor out in the middle of nowhere?"

"Oh my god," Yuffie exclaimed. "What if Jenova--"

"Wait a minute," Cloud interjected. "Let's not jump to conclusions."

"Speakin' of Jenova," Barret said, eyeing Amé. "What does that mean to you, Shin-Ra? You were first class, weren't ya?"

"I know what Jenova is but if you want to ask me a question just ask," Amé responded, slight tension in her voice.

"So did they put Jenova in you? 'Cause we sho' don't need no more shit from her."

"As a matter of fact, Barret, no. My friends were all injected with it and died. But before I was promoted to first class, Jenova and all of her samples disappeared from the Shin-Ra building. I guess you could say that I missed out." A bittersweet sarcasm dripped from her voice.

Tatsu saw Amé stare down Barret with small tears in her Mako, brown eyes. He looked away. Her knew how she felt and had not missed out on the pain.

Vincent saw the quick exchange of glances between Barret, Amé, and Tatsu. Something was brewing there although he was unsure of what. "Barret, remember" he offered. "Cloud and I have also been exposed to Jenova."

"What?" asked a surprised Tatsu. "I thought that all of those exposed to Jenova died in the Northern Crater?"

"No, not all," Cloud said, obviously uncomfortable with the current topic of conversation.

"We consumed our demons before they consumed us," Vincent stated cryptically.

"We are now able to control the Jenova inside of us. It no longer controls us so don't worry. Even if there are others alive they've probably learned how to conquer it by now."

"And plus," Cid reminded them. "That bitch's body is dead. She can't control nothing."

"I certainly hope not," Cloud agreed. "And I think that if Reeve knew something about the reactor he'd say something. I'll talk to him about it. Anything else that we need to address?"

AVALANCHE, content with the meeting and their two new members, was silent.

"Now that we've covered all of the bases, meeting adjourned. Meet on the southern outskirts at eight, tomorrow morning. Cid'll bring the Highwind around. Be ready for anything."

With that, they went their separate ways, leaving Tifa and Cloud sitting alone in the house.

Tifa gently lay her head on the beautifully waxed wooden table as Cloud began to gingerly stroke her mahogany hair.

"You know what, Tif?" he asked smiling at her.

"What?" she whispered to him.

"I love you."

She sighed. "I know and I love you too."

Cloud wrinkled up his nose. "What was the sighing for?"

"I don't know. I guess I'm just I'm tired. I'm tired of fighting. I'm tired of running. And I'm tired of saving people."

Cloud frowned. He had never seen her so upset, so down before. She had never, even in all of their travels in saving the planet, seemed so forlorn. "Honey, I sort of understand, but if we don't help out, who will?"

"Someone will," Tifa retorted. "The world will keep spinning without us. We've done our duty for a lifetime, for a multitude of lifetimes. Why can't we take out some time to do what we want?"

She had a point but Cloud's over-developed sense of heroism would not let him rest. "Tifa, if there is something truly going on on Mourir, then we won't be able to rest for long. The trouble will find us, anyway. And besides I just can't stand to see people suffer. I never realized it until Barret pointed it out to me on our journey just before the second bombing."

Tifa sat up. "I thought that you were coming along to save me?"

Cloud was silent for a moment. He had said that to her when he proposed…… 'When I agreed to come along with AVALANCHE after the Sector One reactor bombing, I thought that I was coming to save you.' He remembered now, but he also remembered that that was not entirely true. "Tifa," he spoke softly. "I did come along to save you, but not just you. What happened to us in Nibleheim was inexcusable and I was never going to let that happen again. Never. Not to my worst enemy."

A small mirthless laugh escaped Tifa's pursed lips. "You were going to save the whole world?"

"Yes."

"You always did have high hopes, Cloud. But I fear that one of these days that your ambitions and good intentions are going to get the best of you………..and me." Tifa allowed herself to embrace her fiancé before leaving.

Cloud stood as soon as she left, stretching his muscles. (She almost quoted my whole speech back to me,) Cloud thought to himself. (But she seems to have forgotten the most important part...Tifa… 'You are my world.')





(Now that those wretched humans are gone, perhaps our people will be able to attain a position on the Road to Godhood.)

(I'm not so sure, Brother. Maybe we did not have to kill all of them. Some humans could have possibly turned out to be great allies. There were a few sympathizers.)

(No!) Barasu snapped. (We shall come to a greater purpose than those pitiful animals. They are barbaric, primitive, weak,--must I go on? We were destined to rule over humanity. There are no compromises. It is all or nothing.)

(Are you sure? They feel. They hurt. They bleed as we do. Can't we just--)

(Adam, are you doubting me? Are you saying that I am having false visions of our glory and triumph? Are you suggesting that Lord Sephiroth is a liar?)

(No. I am just not sure that this is the right way to achieve our goals.)

Barasu's hard, yet angelic face softened. (You are worried about Mother's soul. Miss Lilith was a great human woman whose energy was nobly given to our cause. She has made the ultimate sacrifice and it shall be handsomely rewarded by Lord Sephiroth and Lady Jenova. Do not worry. Everything is taken care of. All we need to do now is have faith..... and wait. The Shadow Dragon of Sephiroth's vengeance shall bring us the planet's sacrifice. Paradise is promised and will be fulfilled. We were created in his likeness. We are his children. He would not deny us. Just be trusting, Brother, of me and our master.)

(Yes, Barasu.) Adam bowed.

(Go get the elders. I believe that they need to be enlightened as to paradise's coming.)

(Yes, Brother.) He left.

Barasu smiled. (The Shadow Dragon, with his precious cargo, is in flight. I can see his fiery red eyes from here. The Life Tree's seed has been planted and we are simply awaiting rain.)

AN: See! I told you it would get better. Please review and if not, just hit me up for no good reason. I'd certainly like to get some responses on this since I am an aspiring writer. I'll even take flames at this point. *gets on knees* I'm desperate! I need someone to say something! I---

Sephiroth: *enters and smacks Acire in back of head* Get up, puppet! Do not grovel. It is not becoming of a clone.

AN: * gets up & bows to Sephy* Sorry, Master. I think that I'd better go, guys.