"So, what were those things, anyhow?" Yuffie turned from gazing out of the Inn window.
"Clones," Cloud sighed, "of us."
"I take it that's not a good thing," Cid winced as he tried to smoke another cigarette.
"And do they have the same abilities as we do, or what?" Cait Sith asked.
Cloud shook his head. "You're asking me things I don't know–I couldn't gather much from the conversation between Hojo and that kid."
Beside him, Tifa let out a sound of disapproval. Cloud frowned back at her.
"He was good to help us, now that I think of it," Nanaki growled, curling up beside the fireplace at the right-hand side of the room.
"Too bad we couldn't do anything to help him," Barret crossed his arms. Tifa let out another angry noise. Several of them turned to look at her this time.
She abruptly stood up. "I'm leaving."
"Why!" everyone cried in shock.
"I'm not just going to sit here and think of ways I could have helped him," she strode toward the door. Cloud leapt up and grabbed her wrist, and she turned to glare at him.
"Going back there right now is suicide," he reasoned. "I would like to help him–we all would–but I think we should be sure those clones aren't out for our blood yet."
"So we're going to sit here and wait to die!" she snapped back.
"No, but–" he couldn't retort fast enough; she pulled away from him and opened the door.
"I'll be back."
They all watched her march toward the Highwind, silent. Red XIII started forward, but Cloud held out an arm and walked forward instead. He reached her as she led their golden chocobo–Kinto–out onto the field. Tifa secured the saddle and reins on Kinto's back and head, preparing to mount him.
"You can't go alone, you know," he said. She adjusted the final straps on the large gold bird.
"Kinto's fast–he can outrun anything," she answered.
"What about when you're not riding him? You have to get off him to look for the guy."
"His name is Zeo," Tifa snapped, "and he saved my life not once, or twice, but three times. I'm not going to wait for him to just magically appear on the doorstep!"
Cloud watched her face turn red, then pink, and she bowed her head.
"Tifa–"
"Cloud, I'm sorry but...I have to," she said softly. Cloud studied her posture and tone of voice. Something suddenly struck him and he took a step back in uncertainty.
"You don't...like this guy, do you?"
She snapped her gaze back to his. "No! Are you crazy! I..."
Her voice died in her throat. She merely shook her head and looked up at him. He blinked in confusion, then reached out to touch her face. She jumped onto Kinto's back and quickly dug her heels into his side, making him wark in protest. She and the chocobo raced toward Mt. Nibel. Cloud watched them go until the last feather of the golden tail disappeared around a bend in the trail. He turned back to the others, who had watched the entire spectacle from the doorway. Cursing underneath his breath, he returned to the Inn.

Tifa Lockheart kicked aside a twisted Shin-Ra logo and made a face.
"Good for that," she looked up from her search. Way back at the start of the markings of ground zero, she saw Kinto's feathers gleaming in the dawn light. She had been searching most of the night, and dawn was coming fast. At least she'd have more light; of course, she would be easier to spot during the daytime.
Coming across the remains of a mako capsule, she stopped again and called out softly:
"Zeo? Can you hear me? It's Tifa!"
Her eyes darted around quickly, looking for anything out of the ordinary. To her left she spotted the crumbled foundation of the cursed Shin-Ra building. She wiped the sweat from her brow, her eyebrows knitting together in frustration.
"Well, this is pointless. Cloud was right..." she glanced back at the glowing horizon. Suddenly she cupped her hands around her mouth and screamed: "Zeo! Zeo, can you hear me! Zeo!"
She listened and only heard the hollow echo of her own voice. Shaking her head, she turned to run back to Kinto when something behind her moved. She snapped back around, taking her fighting stance.
"Who's there!"
A dull clatter sounded from her left this time. She turned in that direction and saw a figure rise from the debris. It groaned inhumanly, and Tifa took an uncertain step back.
"Who...who's–"
"Tifa," the person whispered. Her eyes widened and she raced forward.
"Zeo!"
The white-haired boy collapsed. She caught him before he hit the ground and lowered him gently, kneeling beside him.
"Are you okay?"
"You...you got away..." he gasped, staring up at her dazedly.
"All thanks to you," she bit her lip, blinking back tears. Zeo's eyes suddenly came into focus, and the green orbs peered up at her in wonder.
"W-What happened! ...when...why...!"
"There's no time to explain; we have to go back now."
"The clones...?"
"I don't know where they are. Did you defeat them all?"
He shook his head. "The clones...they–"
A heap of twisted metal beside them exploded upward. Tifa yelped and held Zeo closer. Together they watched a shadow rise from the rubble and dust. Then another. Nine figures stood before them, bright green eyes shining lethally with mako. Hojo's laugh echoed over the ruins of the old Shin-Ra building, and he stepped forward.
"Fools!" he cackled. "You think a mere energy blast can defeat me and my clones! They will help me create an army of invincible bio-SOLDIERs, with which I shall rule the world!"
"Oh, get over yourself," Tifa snorted, drawing Zeo to his feet. They turned away from Hojo and the clones and she helped him limp away. A figure stepped out in front of them, and she looked up at Cloud Strife, almost dropping Zeo.
"C-Cloud...?"
"It's not him," Zeo whispered to her. "That's one of Hojo's creations."
"Why does it look so much like him!"
"The clones have your DNA genetically fused into their own cells. Especially this clone and yours."
"What!" Tifa gaped at him.
"Tifa," the Cloud-clone called, extending his hand to her. She stared at his offer critically, then pushed past him, leading the other boy away.
"We don't have time for this."
His sword was suddenly out and lined against the side of her head. She froze, her brown eyes wide. Zeo growled and tensed beside her.
"Remove...the sword..." he snarled. 'Cloud' chuckled deeply, playing the glowing blade of the synthesized Ultima Sword against her neck.

"What if I slit her from here," he pressed the tip of the sword to her temple, "to here?" he trailed it down to her neck. Tifa whimpered, glancing around as the other seven clones surrounded her and the wounded boy. Zeo tried to step in front of her, but he almost fell to his knees. Tifa hung onto him, glancing around for an escape. She suddenly remembered Kinto and let out a shrill whistle. The clones all took a step back, then the Yuffie-imposter was bowled over as the golden chocobo dove into their midst. With a heave, Tifa threw Zeo onto the golden bird's back and slapped its tail-end hard.
"Go to Cloud!"
The animal let out a startled wark and shot into the field. Tifa watched Zeo sit up and hurl something in her direction. With a sharp clink, a red-gold materia orb landed at her feet.
"Use it!" he called back as the chocobo carried him over a rise. She scooped it up quickly and studied it–she had never seen anything like this. The interior was deep, dark red, encircled by a honey-gold glow. A shape was twisting in its depths, curled up and waiting to strike.
"Game's up, girlie!" the Barret-clone rushed at her. Tifa's eyes glinted and she rushed forward to meet the attack: she gave him a Beat Rush to the stomach and face; struck a startled Cait Sith-double with her Somersault; downed Red XIII's copy with a Water Kick; slammed Vincent's clone with Meteodrive; knocked 'Yuffie' back with her Dolphin Blow; hit the Cid-look-alike with the Meteor Strike; finally pulling back her fist and feeding her own clone the Final Heaven.
They all fell away from her wrath, and she turned her eyes to 'Cloud', not noticing the strip of blood which suddenly trailed down her face.
"Not bad, for a human," he muttered. Tifa stood, brandishing the strange summoning materia. She glared at the duplicate.
"You're not Cloud–you never will be!" she yelled, casting the summon.
A strange, haunting tune filled the air. Darkness overcame the land and a faint red-gold light formed before her, straight from her chest. Tifa held it in her arms, feeling its warmth and reassurance–the creature was a familiar one. The ball of energy expanded, blinding all except the summoner. A shriek issued from its depths and out burst the Phoenix, flames shooting from its wings and mane. But this Phoenix was different: behind its flaming wings was a pair of white and golden-tipped ones. Then, behind those were a smaller pair of gold and red-webbed demon-like wings. It's golden eyes lay on the clones and it crooned its strange song. Red lightning sparked across the wasteland, encircling the blond–golden bands of energy held him in place. He grunted, trying to break free. With another shriek, a beam of light parted the darkness from above and slammed into him.
Tifa collapsed from the heat of the explosion and the force of her drained will. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she fell atop the body of this strange bird, and with a few more haunting notes of its song, it rose into the air and flew away. 'Cloud' stood and brushed himself off. His green mako eyes glittered.
"You'll pay for that, girl."
Hojo began to laugh, and the clones turned to him obediently.
"Come, my magnificent warriors!" he chirped. "We must head for another location."
All nine disappeared.