She looked around at the people who had raised her best friend. Yuffie Kisaragi slept curled up in Vincent Valentine's arms as he leaned upright against the far wall, just beneath the only window. The animal formerly called Red XIII lay in a ball of fur by the steps, Cid Highwind using his rumbling flank as a pillow as he mumbled "corn flakes" in his sleep and continued to snore. Barrett Wallace was hunched over in a corner, the fur blanket they had been huddled in earlier wrapped around his broad shoulders. Cloud Strife lay on the straw mattress face up, breathing softly. Kali Evangelline briefly recalled the older man had told them all before they had slept. The terrible story of deceit and monsters, and how he had defiled his own wife's grave against his will. Tifa Lockheart... the poor woman. Angel wondered how the woman must feel in the afterlife, knowing her body was being used for evil. Was she able to rest? Would her spirit just be wandering without a body to reside in? So many questions raced through her head, and she couldn't sleep, even though it was the dead of night. She wondered how Caleb was doing. Where he was in the city, and had he done what he had set out to do?

"Oh, Cale..." she whispered to no one, letting her head fall back into the dark corner she sat in. "Why didn't you take me with you? You said I could follow you anywhere..."

"What's stopping you?"

She jumped and snapped her gaze back down to the speaker. Cloud was leaning up on one elbow, turned toward her. His mako-infested eyes shone eerily at her through the darkness of the small shelter.

"Mr. Strife..."

"Cloud."

"Cloud," she corrected nervously.

"Why don't you go after him?" the man asked her, sitting up fully. "You love him, don't you?"

She blushed: "I..."

"It's okay," he laughed. "I haven't really been around to know anything, anyway."

"I'm sorry," she told him sincerely. He waved her apology off.

"You didn't do any of this. How long have you known Caleb?" he changed the subject.

"We met around age five," she recalled, a hint of nostalgia in her voice. "The kids in the neighborhood were playing tag, but as usual, Cale was watching from the second story window of his house. He never came outside to play with us, and he always looked so sad." She smiled at her memories affectionately. Cloud listened to her words, his face neutral. "I remember climbing to the top of the well at the center of town and waving my arms until I got his attention. I asked him to come play with us and he just turned away from the window. I was really sad. But then, the next day, he was outside on his front step as if he were waiting for something. I went over to him and invited him to come and play. He didn't smile or nod, he just said 'okay' and followed me back to the group."

"And did you have to keep asking him to play?" Cloud asked her.

"The first couple of times, yeah," she nodded, almost laughing. "He was so sweet and quiet. So shy. And finally, I knew that I could get to know him better if we started doing things, just the two of us. So, we did. And we became best friends."

"All your life?"

"Well," she made a face, "There was a period of time when we didn't talk. We didn't fight or anything," she added quickly, "we just... stopped talking. Something happened that I guess made him nervous around me. I didn't find out the reason until about two years ago, before he left to NeoMidgar to become a mercenary."

"What was the reason?"

"When we were twelve, I got into an accident. It wasn't Cale's fault, but I know he blames himself for it. We were following Mr. Wallace and Marlene up Mt. Nibel when the rocks gave and I fell. He fell too, and got bruised up pretty bad, but I hit the rock and got cut up. I was out for a while, and when I came to, he never spoke to me except a few brief hellos. It was weird, and a little sad. I missed him..."

"I think I know why he did that," the older blond smiled to himself faintly. "Maybe he thought he wasn't strong enough or smart enough to protect you. Maybe he felt you'd be safer without him in your life."

"But I know that's not true!" Angel protested. "We even made a promise at the old well... I made him promise to come and rescue me when I was in trouble! And he did."

At this, Cloud gave a startled laugh that made Angel look at him warily.

"I'm sorry," he gave a strained smile. "You just remind me so much of my wife."

"I'm so sorry!" she cried.

"Don't be," he shook his head. "I'm happy that Caleb has found such a good woman to love him."

She blushed. "I do love your son, Cloud," she said. "I always have, and I always will."

"I loved Tifa so very much," he nodded at her, his eyes clouding over with a mixture of pain and happiness. "Everything felt right when she smiled at me, everything was under control when her eyes met mine. I loved her more than life itself, and I needed her more than the earth needed the sun or the rain. She was my everything, and when she died, I had nothing left. At least, that's what I thought..." His eyes moved up to hers, searching her, just as Caleb's had always done. It made her tremble in its intensity. "I had Caleb to live for as well. I had him and I lost him just as I lost my wife. I missed his childhood; his first steps, his first words. All because I tried to keep the past alive. I don't want to become just a faded memory to my only son. He represents the woman I lost and the future I keep shying away from. Kali," he reached over and rested one hand on her arm, "for my sake, if not for your own, go after him. Help him. Please?"

Angel stood slowly. "Will he accept my help?"

"If he knows what's good for him," Cloud grinned back at her. She smiled at him and started toward the stairs. The red-orange creature abruptly sat up, making the old smoker's head slide off his body and hit the rock floor with a solid thunk. He rolled over, said "lemon snaps" and continued to sleep.

"I overheard your conversation," the animal flicked its ears, "sorry. Let me go with you, Kali."

"I couldn't--" she tried.

"That's a good idea," Cloud glanced from her to the creature. "I wouldn't trust anyone to go in alone against Hojo and the Turks."

"Let me deal with the Turks," Vincent spoke from behind them, appearing in the abrupt creepy way he was accustomed to doing. Angel jumped. "I've got a score to settle with them... and Hojo."

"Still?" Cloud half-laughed. The darker man gave him a crimson-eyed glare.

"Look, mako boy, vengence takes time," he retorted.

"No offense but, isn't this a little bit too much for a stealth approach?" Angel asked.

"Vincent is the master of stealth," Nanaki assured her.

"The president of the stealth club, one might say," Cloud rolled his eyes.

"I've got t-shirts," Vincent replied dryly.

"And Nanaki's not so bad either," the blond added as an afterthought.

"Thank you for the vote of confidence," his friend growled sarcastically.

"You'll be fine with them," Cloud reassured her.

"We'll get you to Caleb faster than you can say 'Cloud looks like a chocobo'," Vincent commented, striding downstairs.

"I heard that!" the other man called down after him.

"Stay close, Kali," Nanaki glanced back at her, descending the stairs as well. She nodded and followed them out of the shelter.

"Kali." She turned to Caleb's father. "Be careful." I have a bad feeling... Cloud stared down at her.

She smiled back up at him and gave a small wave. "I will. Thank you."

And Cloud watched the woman that looked like Tifa Lockheart run out after his friends. The bad feeling subsided a bit. Maybe now, things will godifferently...

Caleb Strife looked up and down the hall. The left hand side was dark, while the right path reverberated with a strange, white-green glow. He crept along the lit passage, keeping his eyes on the shadows bouncing on the wall ahead of him. He followed the curve of the path and came to an almost-invisible stairway, spiraling down into a deep blue crevace. Below him were the sounds of machinery and raised, accusing voices.

"You killed Elena! You crazy-ass scientist! You murdered her!" He started down the crystal staircase, sword in hand. "Where's your high-tech bodyguard now? Huh! You lying, cheating, scamming bastard!" Caleb's eyes darted back and forth as his feet tred silently down the spiral case. "Reno! AHH! Rude!" Caleb's head shot up and his feet moved a little faster. That had not been a good sound; Reno and Rude might be in trouble. Taking the steps two at a time, he moved without a sound down the endless path, his orange eyes trying to pierce the darkness below as the steps curved slowly. When he neared the bottom, a pool of clear, thick blue water illuminated the area around him, forcing his eyes to adjust abruptly. At the end of the staircase, he saw movement--someone was dragging something into the dark alcove before the steps opened up into a set of platforms that rose to an altar. In that little corner they huddled, one figure slumped over another and sobbing gently.

"Rude..." Reno hiccuped, sniffling hard. "Not you too. Not you... he took you both away from me. Damn you, Hojo. Damn you...!" The red-haired man lowered his forehead to his comrade's shoulder and cried. Caleb watched from the shadows as another figure started toward them slowly, deliberately. The sharp curves on the shape defined it as female. Experiment 819720—Codename: Ayden was alive.