Disclaimer: I don't claim to own or own Final Fantasy 7… for now… -continues scheming evil mastermind plan-

Did I take too long to update last time? I'm sorry if I did =) I'll just try to hurry my ass up then! I really really didn't like the last chapter… I think I could have done better. So, in the future I might re-write it. But for now, I'll leave it as it is. Plus, I'm really uninspired at the moment, I can't think of anything interesting to happen. I swear, if you get confused in the following chapter, tell me and I'll try my best to fix it. =D

Curious

"Dear… god…" With paws aching and throbbing, Nanaki and Cid, whom cradled Shera, had encountered the choice of ten different tunnels. However, before the decision had been made, cries of torment echoed in the walls. "Is… that Nguyen…?"

"Fuck no… We got to go help her." Bubbly tears streamed down Shera's infant face. "Sorry."

"…" A solemn expression mounted the fiery beast.

"What?!"

"To help her… we must first help ourselves. As you can see, we can't even do that."

Each scream stabbed deeper into their hearts, each outcry burned images of her into their minds. "The Curse! The Curse! Let me out! Please, god! Please! Anyone!"

"We can't leave her." The pilot's conscious was weighed with guilt and empathy; no one with a soul could simply leave a fellow human in such agony.

"… We can't save her."

"Listen to her! She's fucking getting her brains drilled out or something!"

"Mercy! Please! Somebody; anybo-" Finally, her howls refrained. Nothing could change her fate anymore. For the next half an hour, Cid and Nanaki chose the tunnel to the very right and followed its path.

"Ah! Shit…" The smoker's arm reached out and gripped the stone wall, slightly crippling.

"What's wrong?" Nanaki moved quickly, making sure that Shera was balanced on Cid's one free arm.

"My… ah- fucking hip's slaughtering me here!" Staring intently at his companion's face, the dog-like beast saw time being stolen from him. Another curse had landed on Cid, the exact opposite of Shera's enchantment; he was growing old.

"We've got to get out of here…"

"What are you thinking?" Though Vincent was not tired of holding her, Tifa had figured out that she could lay the dagger and flashlight on her lap and they'd both work perfectly alright, leaving her hands free plait several braids in his silky hair.

"Nothing" He added quickly. "...important."

"If you say so…"

For a long time, no words were exchanged. The maze of brick and dirt seemed to be never-ending, was that part of the spell? Impossible escape? Both couldn't deny the bizarre sensations they were feeling when they were so tightly attached together. However, they did refuse to comprehend what the feeling meant.

"Vince…?"

"Mmm?"

"Are… we ever going to get out?"

"…"

"…Oh…"

"Anything's possible."

"I want to get out…" Fifteen proud braid stuck out in his tresses, Tifa stroked each one tenderly as she spoke. "I've been feeling kind of funny ever since I… faded…"

Worry creased Vince's face, he had also been feeling slightly off but dismissed it quickly. "So… have I."

"…Really?"

"Yes."

"Thank god. I thought I was going crazy." Smiling, she resumed her twining marathon. "Do you think we should worry? Or do you think it was that weird looking eggs that they served us at the inn?"

Somehow, she always managed to make him smile, no matter the situation… sometimes, she didn't even have to say anything; she simply had to smile or allow him to watch her. "I think we should worry… because if it was the eggs, I would be worry."

"My… ah- fucking hip's slaughtering me here!" A familiar voice cried deep within the obscurity. Never had they been so glad that the pilot was loud and rude. Scurrying in the direction of the voice, they broke into another dozen tunnels.

"The right!" Yelped the female fighter.

"Why?"

"Trusting my gut, you got a better idea?" Following her instincts and command, he drove into the right tunnel. Flying threw the path, wails of an infant could be heard. Finally entering an opening, red fur came into view.

"Nanaki!" The shooter's voice carried to the animal's ears. Turning, Nanaki's eyes filled with such hope.

"Vincent! Tifa! You're alright…-ish." Facing Tifa, he grinned. "What happened?"

"We… I fell." She winced in pain; her ankle throbbed profusely.

"Then let's get the hell out of here…" The dirty blond pilot was on edge, his face was quickly lining with wrinkles. Plus, his worry was skyrocketing, if Shera was a baby, what happened to the one she was pregnant with? His child?

They headed forward, deep into the unknown crevice of the deadly temple. Tifa, whom was now leaning against Vincent by clinging to him by the waist, flexed her fingers. Her ankle refused to get better and the odd sensation continued to stick to her. I just want to get out of this hellhole…

It had been a long day… or night, and yet they had no idea if they were anywhere closer to escape. Cid had aged almost a decade already and Shera, at the moment, seemed to have finished un-aging. Leaving Vincent and Tifa the feeling same as before. Vincent led the way, too busy conversing with Nanaki who walked behind them, he didn't see the protruding tile. With his foot on top of the trap detonator, a large axe came swinging down. A sick flesh and bone being slashed sound invited silence and panic. The quick gunman's instincts had forced him to shift to the left to dodge the blade, what he couldn't calculate was that Tifa had clamped onto him tightly and she had moved with him. Now she stood, her grip had gone limp, with a large axe deeply gouged in her chest.

"Oh my god." Nanaki ran behind her to break her fall as Tifa's body fell backwards. "Cure Materia! Now!"

Cid scrambled to get the magical orb and began to chant. But like before, nothing happened. "Son of a fuck! Come on you fucking piece of shit!"

Blood was visible, a big red splotch on the front of her shirt. This is my fault. Why did I move? I've killed her. Vincent's self-blame had begun. But the feeblest voice reminded him. She isn't dead yet.

The panic died down slowly as the minutes dragged by and Tifa was still breathing; still living. Albeit the pained woman still seemed to be in immense pain, she was alive for some reason.

"What the…?" She's… alive. "What's going on?"

Nobody could answer Nanaki's question, it was miracle. But if it was such a miracle, why was Tifa still screaming in torment? The slightest draft brushed Cid's face, drafts only arrived when the exit was near.

"Is…is that a b-breeze…?" Poor girl, even her voice shook.

"Shh. Do not speak." Relieving the dog-creature from supporting Tifa's weight, Valentine collected her up. "Let's find the exit, we must retrieve help."

Following the light wind, they saw no light but could hear howls of wind getting louder. The halls began to look familiar as they closed in on the way out. With Cid and Nanaki now leading, they ran out of the malicious temple. Vincent followed excitedly but he ran straight into an invisible wall that split him and Tifa from the world.

The pilot and the beast turned to look at the helpless couple. But they had no time to wonder as Cid age-digits flew back to its normal number. And Shera's form aged to her normal age.

"AHHHH!" Shera cried in distress. Facing her, he noticed that her clothing had been disposed of except for a Cid's jacket he had wrapped her in when the spell was still in effect. Blood was running down her legs. She was in labor. Running to her side, his eyes questioned what to do.

"Go! To a hospital! Get the book and get us out later!" Vincent screamed to them as they burst off running, hoping they'd get to a doctor soon. Once they were out of sight in the blinding blizzard, he knelt down and set Tifa's sweaty head on his lap, running his fingers through her soft hair. The blood had stopped pouring but the gap was obviously still open. And her expression and voice told him that she was still in absolute torture. Hmm. Curious how she's still alive.