Chapter 3

Tifa twisted the ends of her hair in her fingers. Cloud stood behind her as she sat perched at the edge of the armchair, his hands tight on her shoulders.

"He came from Mt. Nibel," Vincent finally informed as he sat back and wiped an arm across his brow, the Restore materia in his hand losing its harsh green glow. "He mentioned something about an enemy wave coming out of the reactor on the mountain."

Tifa glanced up at Cloud: "Weren't you just there?"

"Yeah," he nodded gravely. "We wiped out every last one of them, or so I thought."

"Apparently not," Cid sighed and made to sit down on the loveseat. Tifa shot him a glare. He froze.

"Shower."

He went upstairs.

"I'll get you clothes," Cloud said, stroking Tifa's hair gently with his fingers and then following the other man.

"What is he doing way out here, anyway?" Tifa slid off the chair and knelt beside the orange-red creature, stroking her fingers as tenderly as she could through its tangled fur.

"He dragged himself into town with the last of his strength," the dark-haired man shook his head. "We don't know anything except what he managed to tell us before passing out."

"And where are the others?" she asked tensely.

"I don't know," came the man's truthful reply, "but I don't think they're on the mountain."

Tifa nodded and bit her lip. She didn't want to say it out loud, but she was getting a very bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, and her thoughts were turning to her baby more and more by the second. Please god, she begged silently. Please, not my baby. Not Caleb.

Nanaki's good eye was twitching. Both she and Vincent leaned over, holding their breaths. The animal huffed and shifted, growling loudly as it aggravated its injuries. His yellow eye shot open, darting around the room and taking in his surroundings.

"You're in Tifa's house," Vincent informed him.

"Barrett…" he grumbled, trying to get to his feet. His muscles twitched and he fell back to the carpet with a shudder. Tifa quickly cast Cure 3 again.

"What about Barrett?" she placed the materia beside her and lay both her hands on his fur, rubbing soothingly.

"Mountain… monsters…"

Vincent and Tifa exchanged tense glances over their companion's shaking frame.

"Barrett was on the mountain?" Vincent asked. Nanaki nodded weakly, his tongue lolling out as he panted for breath. "Was anyone with him?" A negative shake of the head. Tifa sat back and sighed wearily, closing her eyes. "Why was he there? Did he say?" Another negative response. Cloud returned from upstairs, looking at the three grave faces.

"You're alright," he finally decided on addressing Nanaki first. The creature nodded, trying to stand again. Vincent helped him shakily to his feet.

"We have to go back," he gasped, limping toward the door.

"You're in no condition to go back out there."

Tifa rose quickly. "But I am." She moved past her friends and her husband, starting up the stairs. Cloud caught her arm but she did not turn to him.

"You can't go up there alone. You know how dangerous it is."

"Nanaki's wounded. Cid and Vincent don't have any weapons with them. You just got back. I'm the only one that can go."

"Tifa, I can't let you—"

"Our son's out there, Cloud!" she screamed, whirling to face him. He met her slightly panicked stare evenly.

"I know that, Tifa," he said gently. "We'll both go."

"I'll meet you there," Vincent rose, striding toward the door. "I have one or two things stored in the old mansion's basement."

Tifa turned and stormed her way up the stairs, entering her bedroom. She strode quickly over to the walk-in closet and pulled its doors open, reaching past all the dresses, suits, and coats, and retrieving her battle clothing from two years previous—a white tank top and black leather skirt. Her Premium Heart gauntlets were hanging on the back wall of the closet, and she took those down as well. Cloud entered the room as she was changing. She clipped the metal belt around her waist and straightened the straps of her leather suspenders, then leaned over to tighten the laces of her steel-toed boots.

"You still look good," he said with a slight grin. She stood and rolled her eyes.

"Cloud, the baby—"

"Tifa, I know you're worried about our son," he said, crossing the room and pulling the freshly washed mercenary uniform from its hook in the back of the closet. "I am too. I'd like to know where he is, but we have to trust that Barrett put him with Marlene in a safe place. We'll find them." She pressed her lips together, still looking upset. "I promise, he'll be fine. You know I would never let anything happen to him."

"…I know you wouldn't," she finally answered, and gave him a weak half-smile. He smiled back and changed into his uniform. Cid was just getting out of the shower as Cloud and Tifa were walking through the front door.

"Where are you two going?" he blinked.

"Stay with Nanaki," Cloud ordered.

"Use a Cure 3 spell on him every hour or so," Tifa added, and they were both gone. Cid stood in the middle of the foyer, a confused look wrinkling his brow. Then he turned to Nanaki, who was laying stretched out along the living room floor, wincing soundlessly.

He sighed: "Do we ask for shit like this?"

Vincent joined up with them as they were leaving the city. He had donned an old leather holster, and a small silver rifle was tucked securely into it, as well as one in his belt. Not needing to speak a confirmation, the three tore through the valley, the purple, mako-rich mountains rising up quickly like jagged teeth on either side. They ran so fast, the scenery became blurred and the wind shrieked in their ears. Cloud led them onto the faint mountain path, Tifa bounding up after him, and Vincent staying close behind. As they ran toward the Mako Reactor, however, Tifa was suddenly gripped with something so real that she stopped as if she had slammed into a brick wall.

"What is this place? It's beautiful."

"It's a Mako Fountain; materia in its natural state."

"Shin-Ra's reactor is going to destroy this one day. They keep draining more and more energy from the planet."

"Tifa…?"

She looked up from her train of thought. Vincent and Cloud were both looking at her oddly.

"I think I know where Caleb and Marlene are," she said to them.

"How?" the black-haired man looked slightly shocked.

"Do you remember that mako cave? The one with the crystallized materia in it?" she addressed Cloud. He nodded.

"There? I didn't think anyone knew how to get there," he said, but Tifa shook her head.

"We all went there once, together," she reminded him, and now that she said it out loud, it just felt right. Logical. Of course Barrett would have put the kids somewhere secluded and devoid of monsters. It was the perfect hiding place. "I'll go get them."

"Tifa…"

"I'll stay right there! We won't move; I just want to find them before something, anything, happens. Okay?"

"You won't move?"

"I won't. We'll be waiting right there for you all to come get us."

"You promise?" Cloud lifted an eyebrow. "No dramatics? Just finding the kids and sticking in one place?"

"Yes!" she cried and turned to navigate her way through the twists and turns of the mountain range.

"Tifa!"

She looked back.

"…be careful. I have a bad feeling."

She waved off his warning, ignoring the shudder that crept its way up her back. "Nothing's going to happen." You have a bad feeling too? I hope I'm not too late…