Author's Notes:

Tseng: Brrraaaaaaiiiins…

Reno: Shut up. Just shut the fuck up. That was my joke first.

Reeve: I don't think he's joking.

Reno: What gave it away? The zombie-ish look in his eye, or the fact that he's gnawing on my head?

Reeve: Heh. I think it's funny because he went for the brain-free head and didn't munch on my obviously superior intellect.

Reno: Right. Just get the fucker off.

Reeve: Will do, as soon as I say the disclaimer and pull out my zombie repellent. Tyramir doesn't own the rights to Final Fantasy.

Reno: Uh… why does your zombie repellent look a lot like a shotgun aimed at my head?

Reeve: Just stay still…

Chapter Fifty Four

The Wings of the Phoenix

Tifa dreamed nightmares of being chased by a man with two swords who wouldn't stop flirting with her while Cloud rescued her and Rude fought for his life on top of a mountain fortress. It was a horrible dream, but at the same time, a comforting one. Because no matter what, Rude fought on, and Cloud was always there to rescue her.

She awoke slowly, and felt itchy sensation of having been Cured recently where several cuts used to be. She moved slowly, groggily, as she got up, and saw Graehan tied up, sitting in front of a campfire while Cloud brought more wood.

"Why should I believe you?" Graehan asked. "You are the enemy."

Cloud didn't answer him, merely looked to Tifa. "Good morning. Glad to see you're okay. I didn't think you'd be up for another few hours."

"She shouldn't be," Graehan said. "but then again, she's a warrior. I wouldn't have been surprised if she hadn't shrugged the poison off entirely as soon as it entered her system."

"You're unprompted, Tifa," Cloud said. "Tell Graehan here where Jenova is."

"Where Jenova is?" Tifa asked, confused. "She's dead. Her body from where she took over Lucrecia is in Midgar, and her original body is pretty much atomized in North Crater from when she tried to kill us all with an Ultima spell."

"You're lying!" Graehan snarled. "Mother is eternal! The Yenta Pree would know if she were dead! They led us to the surface because they told us she was in danger, and that we needed to sweep the lands of the unbelievers in order to save her!"

"The Yenta Pree thanked me for killing Jenova," Cloud said.

"What? Graehan asked, startled. "No… that can't be. I don't believe you. Ply your wares elsewhere, merchant of lies. I am not buying."

"What do you know of Jenova?" Cloud asked.

"Everything," Graehan said confidently. He stared Cloud in the eye, and then looked away, his shoulders slumping. "And nothing."

"I ask again, what do you know of Jenova?"

Graehan lifted his head once more and met Cloud's gaze, "When we are young, we are taught the glory of Mother, and how she came from the heavens to bless us above all others for our hard work and sacrifice. And she instructed us to strike down those who had strayed from us, the faction that had chosen to settle instead of work. The lazy, the inept. Those who said 'good enough', and chose that to be their lifestyle. It is said she herself led us into battle. But the Cetra… ones that chose not to follow Jenova… they fought alongside the humans, and we were driven away, forced into the underground."

"That's not what I asked," Cloud said. "I asked you what you know of Jenova, not the history of your people."

"She is Mother. That means everything to us. She gave us a goal, gave us a dream, gave us a purpose."

"As a Cetra, you had a purpose before Jenova. Settling the planet. Reaching the Promised Land. You lost sight of that, and became more content in becoming conquerors. That is Jenova. And she is dead."

"I still don't believe you."

"I fought the Yenta Pree in Midgar. This is what it said to me. 'We are the Yenta Pree. The last of our kind. You are the Champion. We know you, for we saw you slay Mother. We thank you.' Does that sound like something the Yenta Pree would say?"

Graehan paused, doubt clearly on his face. Tifa wondered what he was thinking. The man's very beliefs were being questioned. Was he really an enemy? Or was he just misinformed?

"Yes," Graehan answered, "it is something Veishan would say."

"Veishan?" Tifa asked.

Graehan craned his head to regard her, and said, "He is the weakest, yet boldest, of the Yenta Pree. He is intelligent and cunning, yet murderous. And he leads the Yenta Pree. He is something of a first among equals, but he is dependant on the other two, Dweir and Ephain."

"What is the Yenta Pree?" Cloud asked.

"The Yenta Pree is our leader, our spiritual guide. They, it, is our connection with Mother. They speak with Mother and relay her words to us. It was discovered long ago that Mother's words drive people slowly to madness. A normal mind cannot withstand her presence fully. So the Yenta Pree was made. Several minds all Linked into one hive mind. They can still think individually, but can feel each other's thoughts, or so I'm told. But Veishan's different. While the others still have a sense of individuality, Veishan's rooted in the Link. He speaks in plural. 'We' this, 'we' that. Everyone always thought he was submissive to the Link at first, but for some reason, it allowed him greater authority within it. He is the leader of the Yenta Pree, if there is such a thing in a union of sharing."

"Will you help us?" Cloud asked.

"Why should I?" Graehan asked. "I'm not even sure I believe you. We were taught that your kind are liars and thieves."

"I'm not asking you as a human," Cloud said, standing up and moving closer to the albino. He grabbed the man by the front of his coat and pulled him close, bringing the full force of his Mako eyes staring into the other man's. "I ask you as a fellow man who has been tainted by Jenova."

Graehan's jaw dropped. He firmly shut it, and made as if to say a retort, to deny Cloud's words, but then stopped. He started to shake his head, and then stopped that short as well. Tifa began to weakly stand up, and Graehan broke his gaze from Cloud and looked at her. "Are there others like him?"

"Yes," Tifa answered.

"Your lover… the bald one…"

"His name is Rude. And yes, he is like Cloud. They were both in a special unit of warriors called Soldier. They were treated with a showering of Mako, and infected with Jenova cells. It allowed them to be stronger, faster, and more resistant to injury."

Graehan nodded, as if that had been the answer he had been expecting. He looked back to Cloud. "I am not entirely sure I believe you, warrior. I do not know if Mother is truly dead or not, or if she is evil like you claimed. But I know one thing. This invasion is wrong. It never sat well with me. We do not belong here. Our place is underground. And until I hear Mother's words telling us that the course we travel is correct, then I am content to take my people back to their home."

"Good enough," Cloud said, then dropped Graehan unceremoniously onto the ground. He turned away and gestured to Tifa, motioning her to follow him. Once they were away from the campsite, Cloud began to speak once more. "I don't entirely trust him."

"I do," Tifa said.

"Why?"

"Because…" she answered, remembering back to when they had fought. "He's a gentleman."

Cloud nodded. "I'll need you to watch over him, and try to steer him in the right direction. You're good at that. You've always been my compass, Tifa. Now I need you to be his. He's the best chance we have at making the Tali Hishna retreat."

"I'll try. Cloud… where have you been? You mentioned seeing the Yenta Pree…?"

The Soldier washout sighed, and answered, "The past week has been a nightmare. Ever since Avalanche split up, it seems to have been one large disaster. You and Rude defending Fort Condor, Barret and Red are in Cosmo Canyon, Aeris is with Rufus-"

"She's with Rufus?" Tifa exclaimed. "How did that happen?"

"There's no time to explain. But Yuffie's with the Turks, too. As in, she's a member." He paused while the shock from that hit her, and then continued, "And we still don't know where Vincent is, or what happened to him. But then the Planet came to me and told me that the Yenta Pree were after Mako reactors. Fort Condor, Midgar, and Gongaga. They're attacking Cosmo Canyon to keep everyone pinned down. I need to get there in a hurry, but without the Highwind, I can't get there. And there's no reliable fuel point between Kalm and Cosmo Canyon right now, so I can't go that way."

Tifa nodded, unsure of what he was asking. She also thought of what Cloud was saying. Fort Condor, Midgar, and Gongaga. Gongaga's reactor was broken. So were all of Midgar's. So why were the White Scourge attacking those locations? It didn't make sense.

"The Planet came to me and told me that the Yenta Pree was making a move on Midgar and that I had to stop it. But somehow it, this Veishan, sensed me coming and was prepared. It ambushed me, and ever since I've been running. Sometimes the Planet comes to me and tells me when to run, but the enemy always seems to be waiting. I need to get ahead of them somehow.

"Do you have your Phoenix Materia?"

The question seemed to come out of nowhere, and Tifa couldn't bring herself to answer at first. "Yes."

"I need you to summon Phoenix for me."

"Why? There's no one here to fight. Who are you going to have it attack?"

"No one," Cloud answered, "but I have an idea. I need to get to Cosmo Canyon as quickly as possible. Phoenix can fly. If you summon it and keep it out for an hour, it should be able to get me to Cosmo Canyon."

"But we need you here," Tifa protested. "Rude sent me to find you. Fort Condor's going to be overwhelmed if we don't get help."

"You have help. While I was on the run, I stopped off in Kalm. The people there, the residents and the refugees of Midgar are gathering. They've been hearing Fort Condor's plight over the radio, and are beginning to gather. They're a day behind me, and they're not well armed, but with the right leader, they should be enough to defeat the Tali Hishna army when they join forces with the Fort Condor. Wait here for them, they'll be here. When you see them, ask to see Johnny."

"Johnny?" Tifa asked. "The same Johnny that used to hang out at my bar?"

"That's the one. He's more or less in charge. Now, can you summon Phoenix?"

Tifa pulled the red orb from her glove and nodded. As she concentrated on it, she saw Cloud move away, towards his motorcycle. He removed a large bag from it and slung it over his shoulder.

"Keep the motorcycle," Cloud said. "I don't think it'll fit on Phoenix's back."

Tifa smiled, even as sweat began to bead along her forehead. A burst of flames appeared to their left, and both of them involuntarily flinched as the great firebird appeared, its feathers shimmering. It let out a cry, and looked about, searching for an enemy to attack.

"No one to fight," Tifa said to it. "We need your help. Can you fly Cloud to the west? To Cosmo Canyon?"

The Phoenix turned its head slightly to the side, as if the words were foreign. It let out a squawk, then hunched itself down and spread one wing for Cloud to climb. Already the female fighter felt the strain of keeping a summoned monster out for so long.

"Hurry, Cloud," she said.

He nodded once, then wasted no time launching himself onto the bird, sword and sack in tow. As soon as he did, Phoenix gave one powerful beat of his wings and sent itself soaring into the air.

"Hurry."