Slowly, almost painstakingly, Tifa made her way to the mountain range and began ascending the steep slopes. She didn't know exactly where to start looking, but it hardly mattered, for if Cloud were truly up here then she would run in to him sooner or later...preferably the former.

Unfortunately, it seemed that was not the case. The afternoon sun was now fading into dusk and she had no progress to show for it. He certainly wasn't making this very easy for her to say the least.

She hated to have to go back to Wutai, but once the sun disappeared behind the mountain it would be too dangerous to traverse the steep cliff. With a small sigh, Tifa began to descend. After a time, though, things began to look foreign.

"Is this...is this the same way I came up?" Tifa wondered aloud. Dammit, now she was lost in an unfamiliar place with no light. Figuring that she would be able to see the lights coming from the city at this hour, Tifa assumed she had somehow mistakenly begun her descent on the far side of the mountain.

Not that it helped much to know that. In this light even the tiniest of slip-ups would mean certain death; nevertheless, she did not want to stay on this frigid mountain all night long, so as carefully as she was able, Tifa continued her journey down. Testing each step to make sure it was secure before she placed her full weight on it was a lengthy and time-consuming process, though. It was already well into the night and she had probably gone no more than twenty feet.

Grumbling to herself over her bad luck, Tifa rested her foot against a small outcrop of stone. She froze when she thought she felt a slight movement beneath her, though. Keeping silent for perhaps two or more minutes, she eventually came to the conclusion that it was only her imagination. To be extra prudent, Tifa gingerly pressed against the outcrop she was standing on once more. Everything seemed to be all right, as it didn't give way in the slightest.

Then, she let out a startled cry as the entire section of land she was standing on collapsed under her feet.

It had all happened so fast: Tifa knew she was falling, and yet she couldn't see well enough to try to catch herself.

"I'm dead," Tifa cried to herself as she squinted her eyes shut and waited for the end.

Not less than a second later and her body crashed against a second node. The force of the impact knocked the wind from her lungs, but she was otherwise unhurt, though her mind was shaken so thoroughly that she dared not move for a small eternity.

Once she regained control of her mental faculties, Tifa slowly got to her knees and examined her surroundings. Judging from the length of time that she'd fallen Tifa concluded that it was no more than probably ten feet.

Something of a much more interesting observance, however, was directly in front of her. There, on the place she had landed, was a large cave that seemed to stretch deep into the mountain's bowels. Even more interesting was the soft yellow glow that seemed to radiate from somewhere inside the cave.

Very, very slowly, Tifa got to her feet and made her way inside.

"This is it!" she thought excitedly to herself. "Geez, am I lucky or what?!"

Approaching the light source confirmed that it was indeed a residence of some sort. Various articles and papers lay scattered about the small cavern, yet it was unoccupied at the moment.

"Not a problem," Tifa nodded. "All I have to do is wait for him to come back."

So saying, she settled down on the blankets that were piled up in the far corner that were presumably where he slept and was dead set on waiting up for him. Once settled in, Tifa took a moment to examine the cave more thoroughly. Aside from the electric lamp in the middle of the small expanse there was very little as far as personal effects. Hygiene products and soap bars told her that there was a water source somewhere nearby that he used to bathe, which was a good thing, because at least he'd be clean when she saw him.

A small shimmer caught her attention and she turned to see what it was. There, lying haphazardly on the floor was a small locket.

"Huh. I didn't know Cloud had jewelry," she mused as she reached for the item. Upon closer inspection Tifa was surprised to see that it was the exact same locket that she now had in her possession! Quickly retrieving her own, she held them side-by-side for a more accurate comparison. There was no doubt about it now- they were identical. Were there two originally, or had one of them been a copy? The one Tifa had in her possession would most likely be the copy if that were true, considering the fact that Cloud had apparently never even left this mountain.

"Well, no need to worry too much about it," she reasoned to herself. "I'll just ask him when he gets back."

Nearly an agonizingly slow hour had passed and Tifa hadn't heard or seen anything to indicate his immediate return. Perhaps he wasn't coming back tonight?

Moaning, Tifa slowly fell to the side and rested her head on the soft fleece.

"I'm just resting my head," Tifa told herself firmly, "that's all. I am going to get back up...in fifteen minutes or so..." Her eyes slowly began to close and she stifled a mighty yawn. "Hm..." she inhaled deeply. "These smell like Cloud," she smiled as she quickly faded off into slumber.

She didn't know how long she had been sleeping, but when Tifa slowly opened her eyes it was still dark outside.

"Man," she groaned, "how long have I been out? I hope I didn't miss him."

Rising wearily to her feet, she made her way towards the entrance of the cave.

There, sitting in the mouth of the grotto with his back turned, legs crossed, sat a now all too familiar figure dressed in black.

Tifa froze in place, subconsciously holding her breath as if the slightest of sounds would cause his image to disappear.

"Cloud?" she asked cautiously. Or rather, she tried to ask- her voice seemed to have left her throat. "Cloud?" she whispered a second time. "Is that you?"

For a long time there wasn't an answer. Tifa merely stood there staring at his back waiting for him to reply. There wasn't a chance in hell she was going to say anything else, for she knew that he'd heard her. The ball was now entirely in his court.

Cloud slowly got to his feet, but he did not turn around to face his longtime friend. "What are you doing here, Tifa?" he said coolly.

"I..." Once again, Tifa's voice failed her. Here he was, standing in front of her at last! She'd thought of so many things she wanted to say when she finally met him, yet now they seemed so trivial that all she could do was stand there dumbly.

"You don't need to be here," he continued firmly. "I already asked Vincent to tell you that, and it was my understanding that you have been in contact with him."

Tifa almost didn't hear what he'd said, so concentrated on his voice was her attention. Two years had not changed the tone, yet she was able to tell that he had matured a great deal. Before, where his voice had been soft, but determined, it had now evolved into something more powerful; a strong fortitude that gave way to deep conviction.

Now, if only he would turn around so that she could see his face...

"You're not listening to me," Cloud said irritably. "I have no time to spend on stubborn women right now. I'm leaving, and I want you outta here before I get back."

That definitely registered. An irrepressible rage welled up within Tifa's body. How DARE he! After abandoning her for so long, how dare he speak to her like that! Especially after she'd come all this way to see him.

"I've got a bone to pick with you, Cloud," she said, putting a bitter emphasis on his name. "I didn't come all this way to take that kinda crap from you. You turn around and get what's coming to you!" She hadn't forgotten the promise she'd made to herself.

Amazingly, Cloud obeyed and turned to face her. His jawbone and mouth had become more defined, but the most incredible things were his eyes. Before they had merely been a glassy blue, but now they were an iridescent azure that shone brightly and were twice as deep as any ocean.

"You left me two years ago without saying a word!" Tifa spat. "I promised myself that when I found you, I'd break your jaw with my fist!"

Cloud smiled. "If you can land a single punch, then I'll let you stay," he declared. "But if you don't, then you have to leave."

Tifa furrowed her eyebrows. Something about the way he said that gave the impression he believed she didn't stand a chance. Well, she'd show him a thing or two! She'd been nearly at his level before he left and though she was out of practice, landing a single punch should be a piece of cake.

Without waiting for his approval, Tifa rushed forwards and swung squarely at his jaw. She had been expecting to connect to his face so she was thrown off balance when her arm swung wildly through nothing but air. In less than a second, he'd been able to somehow get behind her without her even noticing.

She didn't even have time to react before she felt his powerful arms grip her and toss her out of the cave and over the cliff's edge.

"What the HELL?!" she screeched. He really was trying to kill her!

Much to her chagrin (especially after all the crap she went through the night before) as soon as she cleared the edge she saw the grassy bottom of the cliff a mere three feet below her.

Upon impact, Tifa rolled forward and used the momentum to spring back up to her feet.

"Too slow," Cloud remarked from behind her.

Tifa quickly spun around with a powerful roundhouse kick, but once again met with nothing.

"How are you moving so fast?!" Tifa demanded as she quickly tried to locate him. Her temper once again reached a boiling point when she saw that he was perched on a rock not too far away and smiling at her.

"Doesn't matter," he shrugged.

Yelling fiercely, Tifa charged once more as she concentrated her energy into her curled fists. At the last minute, Cloud leaped into the air so that Tifa's blow landed squarely on the boulder behind him. It shattered into hundreds of pieces that went sailing through the air, but Tifa paid them no mind. All of her attention was squarely on Cloud.

"You are strong," Cloud commented from behind her once again. He ducked to avoid a punch she threw at his face. "Your speed could use some improvement, though."

"Shut up!" Tifa screamed as she threw blow after blow, her frustration rising as Cloud effortlessly dodged every one of them.

"All right," he said. Deftly, Cloud grabbed one of Tifa's wrists and jerked her forward so that her face was next to his. "Now I'm going to show you what true power is."

With that, he raised his leg and landed a kick squarely on Tifa's chest that sent her sailing back at least thirty feet. The instant she got back to her feet, she was bombarded with blow after blow to her face, chest, stomach, and just about every other part of her body that was exposed, which was to say everything. Her eyes simply could not keep up with his movements in time to guard against his attacks.

A single tear trailed down her face, mingling with the sweat that was pouring from her forehead. The pain she could handle just fine, it was just...she could tell that Cloud was pulling his punches. He wasn't even trying, and already he was managing to humiliate her by utilizing her own form of combat against her.

"I'm sorry, Zangan," she screamed in her mind. "I...failed you."

Noticing her emotional state, Cloud stopped his bombardments and stood back to watch her.

Tifa was sweating heavily and her arms extended towards the ground to keep herself from falling over. "I..." she huffed lowly. "I lost." It was all she could manage for the occasion.

Something in the back of her mind wanted her to get on her knees and beg Cloud to let her stay, but she would have none of that. Her pride simply wouldn't allow it. Still, the thought of having to leave him was rending her heart in two all the same.

Cautiously rising to her feet, she looked Cloud directly in the eyes and said, "I lost. I'll honor your request and leave you alone..."

That was all she could manage before she felt like she would burst into tears. Vincent had told her no lie when he said Cloud had truly changed. She felt like telling him just that- telling him that he was a cruel and heartless shell and that she believed her Cloud from two years ago was dead. Surely, this callous thing in front of her could not be the one she loved.

All of these things she wanted to scream, and yet...she simply didn't have the strength. The fire had completely burned out of her soul.

Without saying anything, she turned and made her way back to Wutai.

"I didn't say we were finished!" Cloud yelled after her.

"Well I'm finished with you!" Tifa shouted back without turning around.

"The Tifa I remember never backed out of a fight- ever."

Tifa spun around and glared at him. "Like you have a fucking right to tell me anything, Cloud!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "You're the one who's changed! I never should have come here!"

Cloud merely raised his arms in a fighting stance. "Come at me. There's no reason to give up."

"You are SO dead!" Tifa growled as she ran towards him once again. Never in her life had she been so completely unhinged. The only thing that burned in her mind was the desire to cause Cloud Strife as much physical pain as possible.

Once again she concentrated energy to her fist, ready to deal an earth-shattering blow to the man who now stood before her. Yelling wildly, she swung her fist towards him, but then her eyes widened in horror.

At the last second, Cloud lowered his guard and allowed Tifa's attack to connect uninhibited by anything.

There was a loud popping sound as Tifa's fist crashed into his face. The force of the blow sent him flying back towards the cliff's side where his body hit the wall with such velocity that it became imbedded in the rock wall, itself.

"Oh my god!" Tifa gushed as she ran towards the fallen warrior. "Cloud, are you all right? I'm so sorry!"

"Ow," Cloud moaned as he pulled himself from the rubble. "I think you popped my jaw outta place or something," he mumbled as he gently worked his bones back into place.

"You...idiot!" Tifa barked as she slapped the backside of his head. "What the hell did you do a crazy thing like that for?! You could've been killed!"

"There's no way you can kill me the way you are now," Cloud said matter-of-factly. "I'll admit, you're one tough lady, though..."

Tifa wrinkled her eyebrows. She may be going out on a limb here, but..."Is this your way of apologizing?" she queried cautiously.

"Hn," Cloud remarked. "Take it however you want."

With that, he stood up and brushed the rock dust off of his clothes before he began walking back towards the cave.

He turned around and looked at Tifa. "Are you coming, or what?"

Tifa's eyes shimmered and she smiled. "Yeah, you bet!" she replied as she jogged to catch up with him.

FFVII

Vincent approached the door calmly. He did not know what awaited him on the other side, but surely it wouldn't be anything he couldn't handle.

"Now, Marlene," he instructed as he knelt down to her level, "I want you to wait outside for a minute, all right?"

"Okay!" Marlene nodded simply.

"And don't wander off too far."

Once he was satisfied that Marlene understood, he knocked on the wooden frame and waited for a response.

"It's open!" came a voice from the inside.

Accepting the invitation, Vincent turned the knob and walked into the small house.

The first sight to greet his eyes was the graceful Shera, who smiled brightly when she saw him.

"Vincent!" she cried joyously. "It's been so long since I last saw you! Are you alone?"

"No," Vincent shook his head. "I'm looking after an acquaintance's charge. She's outside waiting right now, but before she comes in I wanted to make sure that-"

There suddenly came the sound of a door crashing open from the back of the house.

"Goddammit, Shera! That fuckin' rotary blade still ain't turnin' and tomorrow's the goddamn deadline! What in god's name to I have to do to get that piece of shit to work!!"

Shera glanced sheepishly at Vincent. "I'm sorry," she whispered to him. "I'll let him know there's a child outside."

Before she had a chance to get to him, the great Captain Cid came storming through the hallway and halted as soon as he saw Vincent standing there.

For a long time, Vincent and Cid merely exchanged glances without exchanging words of any kind. Cid was the first to speak, though it was directed at his wife: "I hope you haven't been keepin' him here too long, Shera," he fumed.

"Actually," Vincent spoke up, "I just got here, and wouldn't you know it? Not two minutes passed before I heard that wonderful little string of expletives."

"Vincent can't handle a little swearin', huh?" Cid threw his head back and laughed loudly. "Sorry, if you don't like it, I'll try to keep it to a minimum."

"I think that's quite impossible, dear," Shera smiled as she handed him a small tray of miniature sandwiches.

"Goddammit, woman, don't tell me what I can and can't do!"

"If you would please try," Vincent explained level headedly. "I have Barret's child, Marlene, here with me, and I would appreciate it if you kept your vocabulary clean in her presence."

"Tsch," Cid scoffed as he took a bite out of one of the sandwiches. "Not a problem, Vincent, my man."

"And please put out your cigarette as well."

Cid glared at the ex-Turk with disbelief. Vincent's gaze was unrelenting, however, so he settled with an affirmative, "Yeah, whatever."

Moving quickly to the door, Vincent pulled it opened and called for Marlene to enter.

"Oh, how cute!" Shera gushed as soon as she saw the child. "Hello, Marlene, my name is Shera!"

"Hello, Miss Shera! You smell like smoke!"

Cid chuckled under his breath as Shera fumbled for an appropriate response.

"I'm afraid I must be brief," Vincent spoke up over the commotion. "Shera, would you please allow Cid and myself some privacy?"

"Sure thing," Shera agreed. "Marlene, would you like to come out back with me? Mister Cid needs me to fix a rotary blade for him." She looked over and winked at the captain.

"Goddamn bitch," Cid grumbled under his breath.

Fortunately Marlene and Shera had both disappeared outside before they had a chance to hear him.

"So," Cid began as he popped another sandwich into his mouth, "Wha brens you hare?"

"I'm afraid it's not pleasant. Things are beginning to be put into motion."

"What kind of things?" Cid asked curiously. "Is it bad?"

"I cannot say for certain, but I suspect that it is," Vincent sighed as he took a chair next to his friend. "There's no reason to go into too much detail, but Tifa and I have both been summoned and I cannot figure out why.

"I believe my conclusion is the same as Red XIII's- that we are seeing the beginning of a new threat. When and where it will come from I don't know, but it would be best if we were prepared for the worse."

"If it's as bad as you make it sound then why the hell are we sitting around here?" Cid demanded.

"An unfortunate necessity, I'm afraid," Vincent replied. "Barret is unable to join us, as is Cloud and Red XIII."

"I'd heard about Barret from Shera," Cid commented, "but I haven't heard anything from Cloud. Where is he, anyway?"

"That is a separate dilemma. It seems the shadows of Cloud's past have cut much deeper than even I imagined."

Cid quickly swallowed another sandwich before he spoke: "He's gone off the deep end again, hasn't he?"

"Not quite, but he's still unstable," Vincent corrected. "When I met him, he was very unworldly- as if he were no longer attuned to the rhythm of life on this planet. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that he is the danger I am sensing."

With that, he briefly described the events that transpired up to his arrival at Rocket Town. Sparing any details he thought were unnecessary, he rapidly brought Cid up to speed on the situation as it stood now.

"Wait a minute," Cid interrupted quickly, "Cloud may be a homicidal maniac and you sent Tifa off all alone to go and find him?!"
"Don't underestimate the power that women can hold over men's hearts," Vincent warned.

"Whatever," Cid snorted. "I only answer to me."

"Honey? Can you bring me the number twelve ratchet?" came Shera's voice from outside.

"Yes, dear," Cid replied as he quickly got to his feet and made for the tool closet. Then, he glanced down at Vincent irritably. "Don't you say a damn word," he warned. "I'll be right back! And keep your hands off my sandwiches!!"

Two minutes later and Cid was back in his chair all but inhaling the few remaining portions of his meal.

"Where were we? Oh yeah, the 'danger'," Cid said sarcastically. "So what do you plan to do about it? It's probably not anything we can't handle."

"Possibly. But like I said, I just wanted to make sure you knew. I'm not going to ask you to join up with me, but I want you to be prepared, just in case."

Cid grinned menacingly and cracked his knuckles loudly. "I almost hope you do gimme that call," he chuckled. "I've been itchin' for a fight."

"There was one other thing..." Vincent trailed off.

"What would that be?" Cid asked.

"The Highwind. I have not seen it as of late. Is it still functional?"

"Yeah, she'll still fly," Cid replied, "but I kinda put it in storage. I figured once we'd gone our separate ways we wouldn't need it anymore, and it's way too big for just me n' Shera, even if it is just the emergency segment."

"I suppose. If you don't mind, could you have it prepped and made ready for flight as soon as you are able?"

Cid threw back his head and laughed loudly. "Good one, Vincent! Hah ha! Heh...oh, wait, you're serious?!"

Vincent nodded.

"Damn, man, that's...I mean I suppose I could have it ready by tomorrow evening or something..."

"Then there was one other thing, if it isn't too much trouble."

"Why don't you just write down everything on a goddamn list?" Cid said in a gruff tone of voice. "What's it now?"

"Would it be possible for Marlene and I to stay here for the night? Actually, to be more specific, just Marlene? There's something I needed to check."

"I don't suppose you'd like to tell me what it is?"

Vincent merely stared back at Cid without replying.

Sighing heavily, Cid got to his feet and went to the small sink in the kitchen. "You've changed a lost these past two years, Vincent, but you're still too damn mysterious. I don't mind if Marlene stays, but I ain't exactly comfortable around little kids, so try not to be gone too long, okay?"

"Then please tell Marlene I'll be back before tomorrow morning," Vincent said as he stood to leave. Hesitating slightly at the door, he glanced back once more at Cid. "Make sure Marlene doesn't leave the house tonight," he said quietly.

"Not a problem." Cid replied. He didn't even bother asking whatever it was Vincent meant by that particular statement. Without saying anything else, he watched as the dark haired man quietly opened the door and stepped outside.

Once Vincent had left, Cid quickly pulled out a cigarette and lit it. Inhaling deeply, he let out a steady stream of smoke into the air.