It's late afternoon when the buggy reaches the solid rock of the canyons. Burgundy-banded plateaus stretch beneath a cerulean sky. The group is asleep in the back, except Barret, who's been staring out with arms crossed. Cloud should feel tired, but the scene in the museum keeps replaying in his head. The words the General spoke, again like a riddle, repeat endlessly. The Black Materia.

Ahead, a globed structure appears at the top of a large plateau. A telescopic lens protrudes from one side, and a small town is visible along the cliffs leading up.

"Cosmo Canyon," Barret says, startling Cloud. "Always wanted to come here. A lot of us consider this the birthplace of Avalanche."

Nanaki rouses and stretches. "Oh good, we're almost there!"

"Avalanche was the name of your group?" Cloud asks, careful not to qualify them as terrorists anymore.

"Yeah, and Cosmo Canyon is a bastion for the Study of Planet Life. The founder of Avalanche was a scholar here."

"Is that so?" Cloud eyes the buildings piled atop smaller plateaus like a motley staircase.

Nanaki's tail wags as Cloud pulls the buggy up to the entry gate. Aerith yawns, and Yuffie pleads for five more minutes of sleep. Cait Sith bounds out of the car, and the cat stretches, pawing at the moogle's head.

"Nanaki!" A man at the gate greets them. "Welcome home!"

Cloud was expecting a creature similar to Nanaki, but this is a human male. Everyone he can see in town is, in fact, human.

"It's good to be home," Nanaki purrs. "Is Grandpa here?"

"Yep, in the observatory. As usual."

The gate opens, and Cloud enters with Nanaki. The town, though remote, is bustling as they walk up the winding rock path. There's a bar and an inn, open-air markets, and plenty of shaded areas to rest, many of which are occupied by men and women reading or writing. A patchwork of structures perch along cliff sides, some only accessible via a ladder.

"You are surprised, Cloud," Nanaki surmises. His tone is light and happy.

"I was thinking there'd be more of your species."

"Ah. Well. I am the last of my kind. My mother was a brave warrior, who died defending this village when I was a kit. My tribe are protectors of those who appreciate this beautiful canyon and the Planet."

It must be a heavy burden, to be the very last. And lonely. Cloud could've easily walked right out of the Shinra Tower without Nanaki had the beast not been in the same place as Aerith. He wonders what other rarities Hojo has hidden away in those long white corridors.

"Hey, Cloud," Aerith says, catching up. "I bet Nanaki's grandfather knows about the Cetra. We should ask him about the Promised Land, too."

Nanaki trots happily forward as they near the observatory. At the top of the highest plateau, a bonfire burns, licking the sky.

"That's the eternal flame," Nanaki explains. "It's burned for generations."

A bald older man in blue robes and dark circular glasses exits the observatory. He exclaims joyously, arms wide.

"Nanaki, my boy!"

Nanaki leaps up, stretching to the man's shoulders, giving him a strangely human hug. The man pats Nanaki's mane. He introduces himself as Bugenhagen, master proprietor of Cosmo Canyon and Nanaki's faithful caretaker.

"Though, really, he takes more care of me than the other way around!" the old man laughs.

It is a joyous reunion. Nanaki explains how Cloud and Aerith helped him return home, though he doesn't mention the specifics of Hojo's lab. Bugenhagen expresses his gratitude, saying that Nanaki is but a child, after all.

"His species has incredible longevity," Bugenhagen says when he notes the surprised looks. "His forty-eight years is the equivalent of, say, a fifteen year-old human. Oh, our young Nanaki will outlive all of us, no doubt."

That explains why Hojo had such an interest in him, Cloud realizes. Bugenhagen strokes his fluffy gray beard, eyes hidden beneath the dark lenses.

Aerith launches into a series of questions about the Ancients. Cloud likewise starts asking about the Black Materia, leaving out the General since he's not sure how much information is safe to relay. Bugenhagen halts their questions with raised hands.

"How much do you both know about the Planet?" he asks.

Aerith and Cloud look at each other, then at Bugenhagen. Not much.

A cooling breeze whisks up small cyclones of dust. The beginnings of a sunset touch the horizon.

"The Planet is in crisis," Bugenhagen says. "When a body dies, it decomposes and returns to the soil. But what about the spirit? This, too, returns to the Planet. To the very essence of our world. The Lifestream. It is the unending flow of energy within, from which all new life springs and eventually returns. A cycle. This energy allows all things to flourish."

"Mako energy," Cloud says.

Bugenhagen nods. "That's what Shinra calls it. But truly, it is this Lifestream they are tapping into with those mighty Reactors. Pulling the energy out without cycling any back."

Cloud thinks of the Mako soaking his own cells. He has dead people inside him, he suddenly realizes. Trapped.

"This spirit energy from the Lifestream cannot be coerced or manufactured, as Shinra desires," Bugenhagen says. "Its purpose is not to power our houses or weapons. As more of it is drained from the Planet, condensed into materia or processed into Mako, literal life is being destroyed."

"Ain't that the truth," Barret grumbles.

Tifa nods along, while Yuffie seems bored, toeing the dirt.

"What about the Promised Land?" Cloud says. "A land of pure Mako. Could that mean the Lifestream?"

"Ah, the Promised Land. The fabled resting place for the Cetra. The Ancients were protectors of our Planet, and for them, tending to life, allowing it to grow and die, was their journey. I imagine that returning to the Planet at the end of such a journey would indeed be the ultimate Promised Land." Bugenhagen peers into Cloud. "I can tell that you were once part of Shinra's machine, and I recall hearing Shinra sought the Promised Land for its supposed bountiful Mako. In truth, nobody knows if the Promised Land is real. Much of what we know of the Cetra is myth and legend."

Aerith speaks up, "My mother was a Cetra. She died when I was young. What more can you tell me about them?"

Bugenhagen's eyes brighten. "Ah, a woman who can hear the cries of the Planet. You are special, my dear. Perhaps the very last Cetra on this earth. I'm afraid I can't help you understand much more about yourself. History has not been kind to their eradication. Although…" he looks back at Cloud. "I wonder if you know someone at Shinra."

"Who?"

"A Shinra scholar used to come here, oh about thirty years past. His name was Gast. He spent his life studying the Ancients. Far more knowledgeable on the subject than I or anyone else. He said they'd discovered the corpse of an Ancient, perfectly preserved in a geological dig. He'd named it Jenova—"

The hairs on the back of Cloud's neck rise. Everyone in the group shifts except for Cait Sith.

"—and he was back and forth here, using the observatory, spending time with his research. Only… If I recall, he concluded that this Jenova wasn't a Cetra at all. One day, he was very distraught, saying he'd done something terrible. I haven't seen him since."

The information floods over Cloud. Jenova, of course, is not an Ancient, but hearing it from an unbiased external source gives this belief credence.

"So, I think Gast would be your best resource. Is he still at Shinra?" Bugenhagen says.

Cloud shakes his head. There's nobody at Shinra with that name. Nobody he knows of, at any rate.

"Shame. He seemed a nice young man."

Aerith is equally unsettled at the revelation. Tifa's eyes are wide, looking at Cloud.

"What are you all doing here, really?" Bugenhagen says, spectacles propped on his head. "Surely your quest is not only to return my dear Nanaki home."

"We're...looking for something," Cloud says. "I mentioned it earlier. The Black Materia. What could it be?"

Bugenhagen rubs his beard. All materia is derived from the Lifestream. Even manufactured materia comes from condensed Mako pulled from the Planet. There are no records of any such Black Materia being created; for what type of energies would it synchronize? Any natural formations discovered have been dark as violet but never pure black.

After a thoughtful pause, he goes on, "There are tales, however, of an ultimate destruction magic. Something the Cetra protected and feared. But most agree this is an allegory for the cyclical nature of life and death. The ultimate destruction could be a cleansing. Like how a forest fire renews growth."

"So it isn't a real materia?"

"Not in the sense we understand materia today."

A dead end. Fables. Yet Cloud is certain those were the words the man in the black cape spoke. He can hear them even now, echoing.

"There must be something else you can tell us," Cloud presses.

Bugenhagen chuckles. "You aren't the first to be frustrated with the lack of information on the Cetra. Iconography points to a temple housing this ultimate power, and there was indeed an ancient temple discovered on an island to the southeast decades ago. It was quite the buzz back then, but the temple had no entry. Interest eventually waned. I'm sure it's overgrown by now."

Aerith and Cloud exchange a hopeful glance. Even Yuffie's attention perks up.

"Ho ho ho. I know that look. You're planning to investigate. Then please do report any findings," Bugenhagen says. "We're always looking to expand our knowledge here."

This temple is their best bet on where Sephiroth could be headed. Though, there is one other question troubling Cloud.

"Can anyone die and not return to the Lifestream?"

Bugenhagen squints. "No, I don't believe so. The Planet connects all living creatures, and without a body to restrain us, those energies continue being connected in an ethereal sense. We cannot sever it."

Except Sephiroth was born from the cells of Jenova, which Hojo said fell from the stars. Not of this Planet.

"Well," Bugenhagen says with a clap of his hands. "You all must be tired from your journey, so please enjoy the Canyon and spend the night. I am eager to catch up with my dear Nanaki, to hear of his adventures. Whatever further questions you have must wait until morning."

The two descend into town, Nanaki's flame tail wagging the whole time, and once they are gone, everyone else falls into conversation.

"Jenova isn't an Ancient?!" Aerith whispers.

"And who is this Gast? I've never heard of him at Shinra," Cloud says.

"The Promised Land…" Tifa ponders. "It must be the Lifestream…"

"But why would Sephiroth seek the Lifestream?" Barret asks.

Aerith taps her chin. "Because the Lifestream is the ultimate recycler of the Planet's energies. A pure source. Whatever he wants to do must require a lot of spiritual energy."

"Like utilize this ultimate destruction magic," Cloud says.

"Or cleansing magic," Aerith points out. "As Bugenhagen said, that could've been misinterpreted."

"And Jenova… that thing… it's not an Ancient, what could it be?" Tifa says. "And why carry that to the Promised Land?"

"Because," Cloud answers, "Sephiroth thinks himself an Ancient. He doesn't know that Jenova isn't a Cetra. He wants to return his 'mother' to the Promised Land." Maybe. It's all a little foggy still.

"Nah, there has to be more to it," Barret says. "Sephiroth is bad news if Shinra is so hot on finding him. He ain't just tryin' to bury a dead mother."

Theories circulate. Conjecture is drawn. The sun sets. The desert paints vivid pink and purple across shadowed clouds. The group relocates around the bonfire once the air cools and the ember sky fades into twilight. Barret, Tifa, and Yuffie head into town to pick up food while Aerith stays with Cloud and Cait Sith. The black cat is curled atop the moogle doll, seemingly asleep.

Eventually, Aerith and Cloud fall into silence. All this new information swirls excitement in their blood, and they'd been talking nonstop for hours. This temple, everyone agreed, is the next step. They have to get to this Black Materia, if it exists, before Sephiroth does. Or Shinra.

Aerith leans back with a deep exhale. The firelight dances warm hues over her slender form. She peers upwards.

"Incredible," she says. "I've never seen so many stars in my life."

It's a dreamscape of milky shades and deep azure, punctured by pinpoints of white.

"You must think it's silly to see someone so startled by starlight. I bet you've seen this kinda sky every night in the mountains of Nibelheim."

All he can recall is one night in particular. And yes, the stars were beautiful (weren't they?).

"It's okay, you can admire the scenery," he says, reclining, eyes fixed on the fire.

"You know, it's strange," she says. "I feel as though I've known you my whole life, but I know we only met a few days ago."

He feels it, too. This uncanny connection. The chemicals between them, or, he considers, the molecules inside them. Jenova. The thing from the stars. Not from this Planet.

He has to tell her. She has a right to know what Hojo did to her. He squirms, organizing the words in his head.

"Oh, look! A shooting star!"

She seems so happy, though. Should he take that away? Make her worry?

"I'm really glad we met," she says to him. "I'd hardly been outside of Midgar before, and now in such a short time I've seen the ocean, the beach, the mountains, the desert. The cosmos."

The danger of their mission doesn't faze her. She's resilient, unencumbered by the gravity of what lies ahead. He can't stop thinking about the General, can barely eat or sleep, and yet she is gazing out, reveling in each new experience.

It's a refreshing outlook.

He's drawn to her in a way that's different from his enamorment with Tifa. Whereas Tifa represents the past, a dead-end of burnt bodies and vengeance, Aerith represents the future, an unclear path that she greets with levity despite the circumstances. He feels hopeful with her yet grounded with Tifa. It's confusing. So he says nothing.

"There's still so much I want to learn," Aerith says. "So much I want to experience. This world is bigger than anything I'd imagined. So far beyond what one person could ever comprehend."

She lifts a hand up, fingers spread, as if trying to touch the stars.

"I used to feel so alone."

"You're not," Cloud says.

She tilts her head to look at him upside-down. "I know." And a big grin crests her face. She stretches and sits up. Cloud wants to say more, but the desire to talk about Hojo and Jenova and all those horrors is gone. He, too, is momentarily lost in the infinite sublime around them.

The night waxes. Aerith says she's going to the inn to rest. Perpetual exhaustion has hung around her since they escaped from the Shinra Tower.

Cloud sits alone, then notices Cait Sith nearby in an apparent powered-down mode. He taps the moogle, wondering how it's wired, and the cat springs to life.

"Hey, what gives?" Cait snaps.

"Oh, sorry. I thought you were...asleep."

"Hm? No. I heard your whole conversation."

"Oh…"

The cat climbs down, keeping the tiny crown balanced on his furry head. He stretches, sharp canines glinting in the bonfire.

"You know your stars are perfectly aligned," Cait says. "You and Aerith."

"And how would you know?" Cloud says, easing his knees to his chest.

"Because I'm a fortune-teller. It's in my blood to read these things. I have to, by nature."

Cloud sits with this, pleased but not wanting Cait Sith to notice. Tifa and Barret return. Yuffie, evidently, had other plans in town.

"She promises to meet up with us in the morning," Tifa says, plopping down next to Cloud and handing him a bowl of stew from the market. She smiles at him. He hadn't asked for any food and protests her kindness at first, but then realizes he is famished and accepts the dish with repeated thanks.

Barret stretches his legs out. "Biggs and Wedge woulda loved this place. Jessie, too. Still can't believe they're gone."

He doesn't look at Cloud, but Cloud can feel the blame. The guilt. He'd nearly killed Biggs and Wedge at the Sector Five Reactor, only capturing them instead under orders. For public execution. He is the reason they would never see Cosmo Canyon.

"None of it seems real, this place," Barret says, looking up. He's lost his friends at Avalanche, his best friend from Corel. All in such a short span. "Cosmo Canyon, alright. The Cosmos sure are dancin' tonight."

"You said it," Cait Sith replies.

Barret gives him a sideways glance. "Don't talk to me, cat. As far as I know you're still the odd one out."

"Just because I'm the new guy? I'm sure you used to hate Cloud here, too."

"Used to?" Barret lets out a playful hoot. "Still do!"

The stew is delicious and has Cloud fully occupied. He doesn't respond to Barret's jab.

The bonfire roars, fed by an attendant who appears at intervals. Barret excuses himself to the inn, dragging Cait Sith along. He gives Cloud a surreptitious wink.

Now it's just Cloud and Tifa. Beneath a canopy of starlight, in a sphere of warmth.

Cloud looks over at her, expecting to see her head inclined to watch the sky, but she's staring into the flames, pensive.

"Bonfires are funny, aren't they? They make you remember all sorts of things," she says, and it has a touch of sorrow. Her garnet eyes go to him. "You know, Cloud. Five years ago… When it was you in the Nibel Reactor… Well, I thought I was dying. I thought I'd imagined you. And now…"

The fire crackles, spitting embers that fizzle out on the rocks.

"What is it?" Cloud implores.

Tifa is nervous. The woman who openly defies Shinra, the most powerful corporation on the planet, without a single tremor, now looks frightened to speak plainly to him.

"There's something so different about you," she says, the corner of her mouth tightening.

Jenova crawls into his head. Yes, he has to tell her. If anything, he owes her this honesty, to share his fears with her—that whatever they are chasing is part of him, too. And maybe that would explain why she feels he is not what she remembers.

She goes on, "I thought I would die that day. That smell of Mako. The blood all over me. My entire body was shaking. Yet I don't remember being afraid. And when I was in the Shinra Tower, awaiting execution, immobile and helpless, there wasn't any fear."

Suddenly her eyes dart to Cloud.

"I feel afraid now."

Her confession extinguishes any resolve he has of speaking up. She's laying a secret before him, and he must treat it with care.

"Jenova," she says, and this is the ghost that haunts her. "It was in the Reactor that day, wasn't it?" She's named her terror, and it silences him entirely. "Now it's out there, and it isn't even an Ancient or a Cetra or anything like we thought. We don't know what it is. And that's what scares me."

The unknown. The murky darkness. She's never seen it, except perhaps in her nightmares of the Nibel Reactor, and now Cloud's swimming with it. Visions of Hojo's darkened lab come to him unbidden. All those tubes of black draining into him, screaming. He shuts his eyes for a moment.

No, he can't tell her. She would be afraid of him, too. That's the last thing that could comfort her.

Instead, he draws closer. Tifa shivers, and it's not from the climate. He puts an arm around her, half-expecting her to resist or push him away, but she does neither. She merely sinks against his shoulder.

"I'm glad we aren't doing this alone," she whispers. "Facing this monster, or whatever it is."

"We'll figure it all out," he replies.

The two remain there, together. His fingers brush the bare skin of her arm, tracing toned muscle. The intensity of quiet between them makes his heart beat even faster. He wants to alleviate her fears, yet she has every right to be afraid. She'd seen what Jenova had done to Sephiroth. Just the knowledge of it drove him insane. Aerith and the others are mercifully free of such memories.

"Oh, a shooting star," Tifa observes softly.

"Another one?"

Something isn't right. Tifa sits up, hearing the caution in his voice.

Four more shooting stars blaze overhead, but the tails are too long and constant. He scrutinizes them.

Then he bolts upright. He grabs her hand.

"Those aren't stars."

"What?"

"We've gotta go."

He isn't sure what the hell they are, but the trajectory is clearly coming towards them. He can only think of Shinra, the hound at their heels. And if they discovered Heidegger's corpse or if Hojo decided it was worth it to reveal that Cloud is alive...

Without explaining, he runs towards the town, eager to find Aerith and the others. Tifa runs with him, gloves on. She's ready for combat, all lean strength and sharp focus.

The five shooting stars transform into whirring engines and dark blots. Three break off. One of them lands in front of Cloud and Tifa, blocking the hike down. It hits the dirt with a metal clunk.

It's an automation, a crude replica of a humanoid torso with an arsenal of mounted weapons, micro-jet turbines for flight, and a single robotic neck on which perches a black reflective camera. The lens consumes the full width of the oblong cranium. There is no face or features. The chassis is slick dark metal laced with mythril. Four legs squat beneath it, keeping the machine steady and solid, reminiscent of a large dog. The feet are nimble hooves.

Cloud freezes, one hand out as if to protect Tifa but she's already in her fighting stance, gloves up. Two other machines land behind them.

He doesn't wait. These don't bear the Shinra logo, but there could be no other benefactor.

His sword strikes fast, cutting into the drone behind him, slicing apart two jutting barrels. Bullets come to life. Tifa dodges, sending a fearsome strike at its joints. But the metal is tough. These aren't the oversized prototypes they'd fought in Midgar, but compact reinforced hunters. He blocks a barrage of shots, shielding Tifa too, then sweeps the blade around to keep all three at bay. They are close and getting closer. Their guns spark in the night, sending flashes across their robotic forms.

Tifa lands a roundhouse kick, cracking a camera-head but not stopping the drone. She falls back.

"What are these!?" she yells to Cloud.

They aren't anything he's seen before. A division of Shinra outside his purview.

It's no use fighting. The sword can't penetrate the armor. He tries an Ice spell, but it slides off as the chassis overheats in response. Tifa's martial arts is swift, but the blows aren't stopping these machines. The guns rattle and advance. Cloud can only continue blocking so many of them.

"We have to get the others!" he shouts, adjusting fast at another stream of bullets.

Screams come from the village, somewhere along the cliff sides. This idyllic place has been shattered, and Cloud knows it's because of him and his companions.

One of the drone's weapons clicks dry, and Cloud throws his weight into the attack. Metal screeches against metal. His blade cuts in through the gun barrel, terminating inside a mess of wires, but the drone does not die. He slashes at its legs, severing two hinged joints. As the automaton falls, its camera rotates to keep sight of Cloud.

"Just go," he calls to Tifa. "I'm right behind you!"

Then another drone lands, fresh and alert.

He can't take four alone. He needs Barret and Yuffie. Ranged weapons. He follows Tifa, keeping himself between her and the drones.

The town is in chaos. Another drone marches, surveying, guns alert. Tifa is ahead of him, halfway to the inn, when it shifts its predatory gaze to her. The other drones descend from the plateau, including the fizzling one. The jets on its body keep it upright despite the mangled leg. He can't risk anyone's safety and decides to draw their fire. He must trust that Tifa can reach Barret.

He slashes at them, grabs all attention. They pursue, guns firing, and he defends, edging back to minimize possible damage from ricocheting bullets. The drones push towards the cliff ledge, and soon he stands against a backdrop of starlight and emptiness. Their coordinated fire never lets him counter. It's fine that he's pinned. He just needs to hold out until his friends arrive.

But how much can this sword withstand? Each bullet chips away, and Cloud can hardly move fast enough. Muscles begin to protest. The drones are wearing him down.

Time is nonexistent. Each clip pushes him.

Finally, he misses a connection. A single bullet gets through, into his lung. He inhales blood and sharp pain. There's another disconnect. His ribs explode in hot branches. His knee buckles. One hand releases the hilt.

And the firing stops. Only his ragged breathing remains.

One of the drones approaches.

"Well, well, well," a feminine voice says from a hidden speaker. "This explains what happened to Heidegger. Looks like Hojo's biological weapon is alive and kicking. But not for long. There's a reason Shinra shifted away from organics like yourself. Too many bugs."

A cackle emits from the speaker. It relents into a sigh of enjoyment.

"Oh, we haven't met," the woman says. "But I know loads about you."

The camera tilts. Cloud can see his reflection in its long lens.

"How do you like our new hunter-killers? These are replacing all you dusty SOLDIERs, and once I put you down, Hojo's legacy of failure will end."

The speech is truncated by a sudden blur of steel. Yuffie's shuriken lodges into the head of the speaking drone. Sparks fly. Cloud feels blood ooze from his ribs and chest as he tries to stand.

All the drones turn to the new threat.

Yuffie stands with arm raised in her killing blow. The drones fire and she flips towards her fallen weapon, snatching it up, keeping ahead of the targeting mechanisms. The shuriken destroyed one drone. Cloud stares at it, then at her. The mysterious ninja has just saved his life.

Behind her, their companions follow. Familiar gunfire means Barret is here. A jolt of Lightning crisps from Tifa's gloves, courtesy of Barret's materia. Cait Sith's moogle soaks up bullets, evidently much sturdier than it looks.

Cloud can hardly comprehend as the battle shifts. Each breath is agony. It's difficult to focus on the Restore slotted right in front of him, in the sword clutched tight in one hand while the other curls around his abdomen, but he manages to call forth a flow of healing energies, all the while thinking of how it interacts with his Mako, how it's all part of the Lifestream. A million ghosts.

The materia does its job, spitting out two smashed bullets from Cloud's ribs. It's not perfectly sealed, but at least he can breathe.

The drones are taken down with combined bulletstorm, lighting, and shuriken until the robots are piles of inactive and twisted wiring.

As the last one collapses, Barret fires nonstop into its face. Flashes from the gatling gun illuminate his scowl.

It seems to be over, but the drones aren't totally depowered. Even in their defeated states, a distant hum survives beneath the plating. Yuffie digs around, yanking out a power supply, yet the humming remains. There's a redundant backup somewhere. Which means they can likely self-repair. Cloud leans on the sword while his body replenishes the blood he's lost.

"What the heck are these things?" Yuffie says, then she nods to Cloud. "You're welcome."

"That was Director Scarlet," Barret says, gritting his teeth. "That voice. I'd know it anywhere."

The famous executive of Advanced Weaponry. Heidegger's contemporary rival, though both despised Hojo as far as Cloud could tell. She was the one who destroyed Barret's hometown.

Above them, another four shooting stars appear. Then six more.

"They're after us," Cloud says. "They know I'm alive." The last biological weapon, Scarlet had called him.

"What did that bitch say about Heidegger?" Barret asks. "I heard his name."

This is where Cloud has to reveal what really happened in Junon.

"I...I killed him. In the upper tier."

The group is quiet. Then Barret extends his hand to Cloud.

"Fuck yeah, that's what I'm talkin' about," he says, taking Cloud's arm in a celebratory pat on the back, which shakes Cloud's ribcage. "Heidegger probably didn't even see it comin', not knowing his old dog bites back."

"Truthfully, he didn't."

But Tifa looks concerned, even upset. "Well, we can't celebrate for long. More drones are landing, and these are probably sending all sorts of data back to Shinra as we speak."

She's right. Cloud kicks at one of the robots. It's surprisingly lightweight and tumbles off the ledge into the canyon below.

Nanaki and Aerith arrive with Bugenhagen. The town is fully awake, and a crowd is gathering, anxious and wary.

"More are at the gates," Nanaki says. "Blocking the way out."

"We have to leave," Cloud says. "The longer we stay the more people we put at risk. They weren't harming any townspeople this time, but they will if pressed."

"Agreed," Bugenhagen says. "There's a cave system under the observatory that leads out of Cosmo Canyon. It's been sealed for years and not many know about it."

"But our ride is parked out there!" Barret says, pointing at the gates.

Too risky. Drones are swarming it, and stray bullets could claim casualties. Cloud doesn't like running, but these hunter-killers are a new breed of Shinra weaponry he doesn't know much about.

Bugenhagen leads through the observatory to a cavern sealed with a mighty door. Nanaki sniffs the air, puzzled.

"Grandfather, how do I not know about this?"

The old man rummages in a chest nearby. He dusts off a circular collar reminiscent of a headdress. There is a silver mythril clip attached in which shines two green materia.

"This," he says, presenting it to Nanaki, "was your mother's. It seems the time has come for you to have it, albeit earlier than I anticipated."

Nanaki blinks, speechless. The beautiful ornament is simple yet fitting. The faded colors accent the shades of his coat. Bugenhagen places it on Nanaki.

"I-I don't know what to say. This is…was my mother's?"

It's a touching moment, but Barret and Tifa look anxious, and Yuffie keeps spinning her shuriken, watching the path behind them. This is no time for sentiments. Bugenhagen nods and releases a mechanism that cranks up the heavy door. A breeze of musty air sweeps out of the dark opening.

The old man enters, clicking on a flashlight, and the rest follow. The caves are tight and winding, spiraling into a dry cold, and the subtle scent of decay wafts.

"This used to be the only way in or out of Cosmo Canyon forty-five years ago," Bugenhagen explains. "But the Gi Tribe, a jealous neighboring clan, waged war on us. First, it was small infiltrators, but over the years, contentions escalated. Then the Gi led a full-scale attack through these tunnels, sending all of their warriors through."

A whistle of wind blows. It's an eerie high-pitched sound.

"The Gi had the power to possess others through their spirit force," Bugenhagen continues. "A very disturbing ability they employed against us. The ghosts of the dead Gi linger here, it is believed."

A shudder passes through Aerith, like hands brushing her face.

The caves twist into a spacious area. Moonlight shines through a circular gap in the formations above, illuminating hundreds of rotting skeletons in an undulating bluish haze. Everyone pauses, taking in the frozen battlefield.

"Nanaki… There is something you must see here," Bugenhagen says. The flashlight travels up the cavern wall.

Atop a high ledge is a stone likeness of a creature that looks like Nanaki, except its body is punctured with arrows. The statue looks down in a protective stance, haunches coiled to pounce.

Nanaki leaps up next to it, peering at its pallid markings.

"That is Seto," Bugenhagen says. "Your father."

Nanaki snorts. "No, my father was a coward. He left the village. He…"

"No, Nanaki. He saved our village."

The fiery tail twitches.

"The Gi threw everything at us," Bugenhagen says. "Your father held their forces here, at this bottleneck. He was fierce and valiant. A true warrior and protector of the Canyon. But the Gi's enchanted arrows turned him to stone. There were so few survivors… We agreed to seal up the cave. Too much death and despair, and the Gi's powers held superstition over this place. This cave couldn't be known to new travelers. Seto's disappearance was never spoken of. Many assumed he'd left when the fighting started."

"But you never told me this. Why?" Nanaki demands, flitting next to his father.

"Your mother perished from a slow-acting Gi poison sometime later. And you were but a cub. I always planned to tell you the truth, but it seemed safer to keep this cave a secret until we were certain the Gi were extinguished."

"You could've told me. You could've spared me the anguish whenever I thought of my ancestry!"

"I'm sorry, Nanaki. As the years passed, so, too, did my courage. I knew this day would come, and I am ashamed for not telling you earlier."

Nanaki regards the petrified form. "So my father was a great warrior."

"Indeed. The finest," Bugenhagen says.

A noise thunders from the sky, echoing into the cavern.

"We must hurry," Bugenhagen implores. "I wish this wasn't the way you learn about your father, but I want you to understand how important you are and how proud I am. How proud you should be, too."

The rest of the group had been watching in silence, but it's time to get moving. Nanaki bows to his father then rejoins the others with, maybe, a stronger stride in his step.

They progress through narrow walkways, and Cait Sith has to be wedged free twice. Each cavern is littered with corpses of the Gi, and a peculiar howling persists. It's no wonder the survivors wanted this all buried; this place is a mass grave.

At last, the tunnels terminate at a sealed door which Bugenhagen opens. A hiss breathes into moonlight and mountains. They are at the edge of the canyons, far from the village.

Everyone exits except Bugenhagen. The group fans out, happy to be free of the caverns.

"Can't believe we had to leave our ride behind," Barret mumbles.

"You can always return when it is safe," Bugenhagen answers.

"Yes, you are all welcome here," Nananki says.

The old man rubs a hand across his bald head. "Nanaki, you must journey with these friends of yours. I feel your role is not just protector of our town, but a guardian of our Planet."

"Hmm, you are right in that I cannot stay," Nanaki says. "I don't wish to bring any trouble to Cosmo Canyon while Shinra is searching for us."

Bugenhagen crouches to give Nanaki a hug. Farewells are said, and Bugenhagen waves as the team journeys into the mountains beyond.

The air is mild and pleasant, and the lights of Cosmo Canyon become distant.

"Hey, Red," Yuffie asks. "What sorta materia did you get?"

Nanaki examines the clip. "Fire and Earth."

"Oh, how fitting."

He smiles. "Yes, I suppose so. But I feel it may be best if we share the offensive-type materia."

Yuffie's eyes light up. "I couldn't agree more!"

"Aerith," Nanaki says, inclining his nose to her. "Why don't you take the Earth materia?"

The brunette graciously accepts custody of Nanaki's materia after a little protesting and slots it into her staff.

Ahead are jagged black peaks, the tallest mountains they've encountered yet. Everyone is weary yet alert, watching the skies and listening for drones. Cloud hopes Shinra's lost the trail for now, especially as they weave into the forested valleys. Something different is itching at his mind. Something about these surroundings…

He brushes it off. Nanaki takes point, leading the way with his fiery tail, as the mountains cluster around them.