It had been four hours since Cloud had asked Nanaki where Tifa and Sephiroth were and so Cloud was again wondering where they had got to. Cloud walked down the stairs and went into the garden to find Nanaki lounging in the sun.
"Nanaki" said Cloud. Nanaki opened one eye
"Yes Cloud?" Nanaki asked.
"Where have Tifa and Sephiroth gone?" Cloud asked. Nanaki thought about it; He probably won't go after them thought Nanaki.
"They are in the Forest of the Ancients" said Nanaki "They left at six this morning and I don't expect them back until late"
"What?" Cloud said loudly
"They are training Cloud" said Nanaki getting to his feet "They need time"
"But they could get attacked!" was Cloud's excuse.
"Sephiroth and Tifa Lockheart getting attacked…What exactly should they be afraid of Cloud?" Nanaki asked "A martial artist and the most powerful person on the planet, what could hurt them?"
"With Sephiroth gone there's room for a bigger evil" said Cloud "That's the way the world works"
"Or you're being paranoid" said Nanaki. Cloud turned on his heel and left the manor to being his journey to the Forest of the Ancients.
Sephiroth and Tifa were sat on a hillside looking down at the valley. They had released the Chocobo's so that they could run about for a bit. Sephiroth and Tifa watched them as they did laps and bounced around in the lower fields.
"Odd creatures" commented Sephiroth.
"What's so odd about them?" Tifa asked "They're happy!" Sephiroth shrugged
"They are still odd" said Sephiroth
"Oh shut up" said Tifa who laughed. Sephiroth stuck his tongue out at Tifa who laughed. Sephiroth lay back on the soft grass and looked up at the clouds as they trailed by. Tifa lay down next to him and watched the clouds with him.
"So what do you get up to?" Sephiroth asked Tifa "Before you came after me"
"We were part of an anti-Shin-Ra association" said Tifa
"Ooh rebellious" said Sephiroth sarcastically. Tifa elbowed him hard in the ribs
"I you don't stop being sarcastically I'll plat your hair, or like Yuffie said 'Dye it ginger!'" said Tifa pouncing on Sephiroth and began to tickle him. Sephiroth laughed and managed to roll Tifa off him. Sephiroth rolled over and began to tickle Tifa who laughed out loud and managed to get to her feet and make a run for it but Sephiroth was quickly after her.
Cloud had managed to borrow a motorbike from one of the villagers. Cloud knew how to ride but he had been surprised when one of the villagers revealed that they owned a motorbike. Cloud was wheeling it through the town when Nanaki came running over.
"Come on, Cloud" said Nanaki "This paranoia is going to break your friendship with both Tifa and Sephiroth" Cloud seemed to falter but continued to walk to the edge. When he arrived at the edge Cloud swung his leg over the bike and sat in its seat. Quickly removing the key from his pocket Cloud ignited the engine. Nanaki put himself in front of the motorbike
"Cloud, don't!" said Nanaki. Yuffie, who had heard them talking, came over
"What's going on?" she asked
"Sephiroth and Tifa have gone training and Cloud is paranoid that something is going on between them" said Nanaki. Cloud ignored Nanaki and revved the bikes engine
"Nanaki, move now" said Cloud. Yuffie jumped onto the back of the bike
"I'll come with you" said Yuffie "Keep you out of trouble" Nanaki looked deep into Yuffie's eyes and saw that she was telling the truth. Nanaki stepped aside and Cloud sped away with Yuffie on the back of the bike. Vincent landed behind Nanaki
"So you told Cloud after all" said Vincent
"I did not think he would go after them" said Nanaki "I hoped he would have more self control"
"I will go also, just to make sure Yuffie holds her pledge" said Vincent and vanished with a wave of his red cape.
Tifa and Sephiroth had been running for a while when Tifa stumbled off a cliff and landed in a large blue lake. Sephiroth stopped at the edge and looked down at Tifa who was treading water.
"What's the water like?" Sephiroth asked. Tifa looked around
"It is really warm" said Tifa. Sephiroth set down the Masamune and removed his coat before diving in. Tifa and Sephiroth did a few lengths of the massive lake, which took quite a while, before stopping in the centre.
"Do you think the ancients built this lake?" Sephiroth asked "Or was it here anyway?"
"Look at the cliffs" said Tifa "Clear magical blast patterns, they built this place"
"Wow" said Sephiroth looking around "it's really nice"
"Yes it is" said Tifa swimming towards him "Come on, let's get out"
Cloud and Yuffie pulled up next to the Chocobo's which warked in surprise. Yuffie climbed off first followed by Cloud who removed the keys and pocketed them.
"I wonder where they have gone" said Yuffie
"They can't have got far" said Cloud walking into the forest followed by Yuffie.
"What do you think is going on?" Yuffie asked Cloud "I trust Sephiroth so I doubt he would do anything with Tifa"
"It has got nothing to do with that" said Cloud
"Liar" said Yuffie "I know that's exactly what you're thinking"
"Alright then, maybe that is what I'm thinking" said Cloud "But I want to just make sure, if you are right and nothing is going on then I will leave it at that"
"Good" said Yuffie "Maybe then you will trust Sephiroth"
"I do" said Cloud "But I need to make sure"
Tifa and Sephiroth began to trudge through the forest back towards their Chocobo's. Both of them were soaking wet and Sephiroth had to carry both his coat and Masamune I his hands to stop them getting wet. Suddenly Tifa pushed Sephiroth playfully and took off at a sprint. Sephiroth dropped his coat and the Masamune and took off after her. Tifa squealed in delight as she saw Sephiroth sprinting after her.
Cloud and Yuffie looked up when they heard Tifa squeal from somewhere to their right. Cloud and Yuffie took off at a sprint towards them.
Sephiroth quickly gained on Tifa but he stumbled and grabbed her by the legs and they both came crashing to the floor. Tifa rolled onto her back laughing and Sephiroth crawled up next to her so that they were both at the same height.
"We'll have to go back to get my stuff now" he said. Tifa sat up slightly to look at the direction they had come from; they couldn't even see the items, they had covered so much distance.
"Do we have to?" she asked rolling over to face him
"Well yeah" said Sephiroth "After all…" Sephiroth trailed off as they looked into each others eyes "They are…all I have" he said quietly as both got closer to each other. Tifa and Sephiroth closed their eyes as their lips connected. Both their hearts sped up as they kissed. Tifa pushed her body up against Sephiroth's and their kiss got deeper. Footsteps got their attention and they broke apart and looked up to see Cloud and Yuffie stood there.