The old Wutai helicopter sets down on the uppermost platform of the Gold Saucer in the dry heat of early evening. The sky is pink and striped with pale violet. Cid had finished work on the carrier earlier than anticipated, scarcely sleeping, happier than anyone's ever seen him, and once it was ready, Aerith and Cloud told of their idea to return to the Saucer.

"Shinra won't expect us to backtrack," Cloud had said. "And really, it's the last clue we have."

The last place the man in the black cape was spotted.

Barret positively absolutely did not want to go to the Gold Saucer.

"Don't worry," Cait Sith had said. "I cleared your names. Remember? I'm tight with the big boss. He got all of his good fortune because of me."

Nobody quite believes this, but there are no requests for elaboration.

Once they arrive, Cloud and Aerith head straight to the Battle Square. The massacre is gone, the coliseum now open. Patrons crowd the main hall, eager to test their mettle. The museum to the side is quiet and forgotten.

Cait says he's going to meet with Dio, the owner, to go over security camera feeds to determine where the black cape could've gone after Cloud's encounter. The others are eager to search for clues in other Squares. Now that the panic and bloodshed of Dyne's attacks are yesterday's news, they can explore with care.

Cloud enters the museum and leads to the deserted aisle where he'd seen Sephiroth. The displays are fossils and immature materia. Nothing interesting.

Aerith taps the cases. "Hmm, so he was after something like a rock?"

She starts poking around the other displays, walking down each aisle. Cloud does the same, though he isn't sure what he's looking for. They do this twice, then three times. Aerith keeps circling to one particular cabinet of meteorites.

"Anything there?" Cloud asks.

Aerith is concentrating. "I don't know…" She's fixated on a chunk of iridescent metal.

She closes her eyes. Cloud examines the case and pops open the hinges. The noise startles her but doesn't draw any attention. A few milling tourists ignore them.

"What are you doing?" Aerith whispers in alarm.

He hands her the meteorite within. "Here. Do you sense anything from it? Any words from… the Planet?"

He feels foolish talking like he understands her abilities, but he figures whatever drew her here might require tactile confirmation.

She glances around, then presses her palms against the metal. Cloud reads the plaque. These meteorites were found across the globe, but that one Aerith is holding fell at an unknown time and location. It is the oldest in Dio's collection, and he obtained it from a traveling salesman in Gongaga, who claims they found it at an archaeological dig near the Bone Village to the north, who estimates that—

"Ah!" Aerith exclaims softly. "This is it."

The meteorite shimmers in her hands. Every time Cloud blinks it seems to exude a different color. A subtle shade. Like a trick of the light.

"I see it," she says. "This is what Sephiroth wanted but couldn't find. He was looking in the wrong spot. He thought the keystone was from the earth, but it's not. It's from the sky!"

"Keystone?"

She nods and holds it up. "Yes. The ancient temple that Bugenhagen said was sealed… I hear the voices of the Cetra. They are whispering to me. The temple isn't sealed. It's locked. And this is the key."

The conviction in her tone keeps him nodding along. They should take it, though Aerith doesn't like the idea of stealing.

"We'll talk to Dio," she says. "I bet he'll realize how important this is to us."

"Or to him. If he only cares about money, he won't want the key to the most valuable piece of uncharted Cetra history walking off," Cloud says.

"Let's ask the others." Aerith is sure Tifa would agree with her, and Cloud seems to respect Tifa quite a lot.

She pockets the artifact for now, and Cloud phones Barret.

The group reconvenes at the central security desk, near the top of the Saucer's spire. Circular windows overlook the entire amusement park. The desert is dark in all directions. After a hurried explanation of Aerith's epiphany, consensus is split between just taking the damn thing or speaking with Dio so as not to appear as criminals, again.

While they speak, Cait Sith approaches.

"Dire news, friends," Cait says. "A sandstorm is kicking up. A wild one, and we won't be cleared for take-off anytime soon."

"What? How long?" Cloud asks.

"Several hours, at a minimum. Could be days."

Barret looks out the windows. "I don't see anything out there now."

"Not yet. But trust me, it's out there. The Saucer keeps tabs on these sorts of storms all the time. Safety procedures will be in place overnight. They've offered us a free stay at the hotel."

"Oh!" Yuffie raises her hand. "At the Ghost Square?"

"That's the one," Cait says. "Look, I know it's not ideal, but getting caught in a storm like this could seriously damper our journey. As in, extinguish it. Permanently."

"Yeah, no, we are not risking any damage to my new baby," Cid says. "We wait it out."

There doesn't seem to be a choice. Cloud exhales, accepting it.

Downtrodden, the group heads to the Ghost Square. The boisterous atmosphere of laughter and excitement in all other Squares is absent from this one. The Ghost Square is an enclosed dome of haunting purple skies, barren scraggly trees, a towering brick mansion of parapets and lamplit windows, and, of course, a graveyard adorning the pathway to the entrance. The tombstones serve as gateways to the other Squares.

Bats flap in the distance. Phantasmic clouds shift in flashes of lightning. Fog creeps along the ground.

"Wow," Tifa says, and her voice is lost in a crack of thunder.

There is no one else around. The intended effect of isolation is convincing.

"This is so cool!" Yuffie says, sprinting towards the hotel.

Nanaki paws at a tombstone, watching as the ground opens to expose an escalator. Vincent nods his approval at the set design. Cid yawns. Cait Sith ambles forward, and Cloud still can't believe they are stuck here for a full night.

The lobby of the ghost hotel is vivid red carpet and eerie animal skulls on walls. A misty projection of two ghosts engage in an eternal chess game, and a winding staircase leads between demonic statues into the room suites.

"Really committed to the theme here," Barret mutters.

Cait Sith speaks with the hangman who staffs the reception desk and passes unique currency across, name-dropping Dio. The hangman hands over nine keys, one for each of them.

Cid plops into a dusty winged armchair. The rest gather around Cloud after Cait hands out the room keys.

"Okay," Cloud says, keeping his voice down. "So we've got this keystone. In the morning, we fly to this ancient temple and figure out a way inside. From there… I guess we can figure out how to acquire the Black Materia."

"The what?" Cid says.

"Ancient temple?" Vincent repeats.

"Ah, don't worry about it," Barret says. "I been here since the beginning, and I still barely know what the hell's going on. Basically, we followin' the trail of Sephiroth, who should be dead but isn't. And this guy—" he points at Cloud "—shoulda killed him, but hadn't. And this lady—" he points at Aerith "—is the last of the Cetra, and Shinra wanted her for some experiments with this guy—" he points at Nanaki "—who is also the last of his species. And Sephiroth is after something called the Black Materia which this guy—" pointing back at Cloud "—heard him talk about in this very Saucer in the Battle Square. So we traveled to Cosmo Canyon, and heard from the grandfather of this guy—" back to Nanaki "—that the Black Materia could be linked to an ancient temple in an island to the southeast which is a Cetra relic that archaeologists couldn't crack. An' we met this...cat…" now pointing at Cait Sith "...at the Gold Saucer because Cloud got some sorta fortune or somethin' from him and now he's obsessed with following us." Barret looks around the room. "Oh, and you both already met Yuffie and her fucked-up family. No offense, Yuf, we all have 'em."

"None taken."

"Mmhm. So I think that brings us to where we are now. Oh, and Shinra's been crawling all over our ass since figurin' out we survived the Sector Seven plate drop. Which, by the way, was their scummy-ass decision and ain't had nothing to do with Avalanche so don't believe that shit!"

"Right on," Yuffie says.

"They really want us dead for some reason," Barret goes on, then points at Cloud. "I blame him. Because he saw some crazy-ass shit in the top-secret Shinra labs. A headless motherfucker out for blood, which this dead General supposedly carted out of the Shinra Tower in Midgar, which we been followin' ever since."

"Headless, eh?" Cid says and lights up a cigarette.

"It might got a head now, from what these three said." Barret's hand fans to Cloud, Aerith, and Nanaki. "Mutating or adapting or some shit. Who knows? We still tryin' to figure out how that thing works into all this nonsense, and why the General is carryin' it around. He thinks it's his mother."

Vincent stirs. "His mother…"

"Yeah, but who the hell knows. Cloud's the only one with a lot of this info, and his memory's kinda garbage from what Shinra did to him. No offense, Cloud."

"Yeah…" Cloud responds, not so happy to have Cid and Vincent suddenly aware of this fault.

"Uh-huh," Cid says, nodding and inhaling. "And what about her?" He motions to Tifa.

Barret grunts approval in her direction. "Only the best damn martial artist on the planet. Also, apparently, Cloud's childhood friend. What are the odds of that? Sephiroth burnt down their hometown five or seven or whatever years ago, and they both the only survivors. Tifa thought Cloud was dead. Cloud thought Tifa was dead. Then Tifa and I were tryin' to disable a Reactor in Midgar. And this fuckin' asshole SOLDIER shows up, all cocky and irritating, and guess who the fuck that was?"

Cid waits, expecting the story to continue, but Barret wants him to actually guess.

"Uh, Cloud?"

Barret smacks hand to thigh. "Hell yeah. Shinra sicced this motherfucker after us, and I nearly killed him. Ain't that right, Cloud?"

Cloud gives Tifa a silent plea. To Barret he says, "Yeah, sure."

"We all friendly now, though."

Vincent glances at Cloud. "Why can't we trust his memories?"

"Coma or somethin' messed up his head. Hey, this is all news he openly shared. It's not like I'm divulging personal secrets or something."

Cloud feels those crimson eyes staring, but when he looks at Vincent, the ex-Turk has already turned away.

"Well, I think that about covers it," Barret says. "Did I forget anything, Cloud? Aerith? Tifa?"

It was as precise a retelling as any of them could muster. The knowledge Barret shares is the limit of what Cloud understands and their current mission. All his misgivings about Jenova, the cells squirming in his own body, and Aerith's lineage are not formulated enough for group opinion.

"Damn," Cid says. "That is one crazy story. I can't believe I got swept up in this. Shinra is firing me for sure."

"Oh yeah," Yuffie says. "For sure."

Cid lets out an exhausted sigh, then realizes he hasn't heard about Vincent. "I'm way too tired to ask what your story is. I'm goin' to bed. Hope they have a mini-bar in the room."

Cid ascends the staircase and disappears into the narrow corridors above. Vincent shrugs and does likewise, finding his own room in the opposite direction. Nanaki thanks Barret for the ambitious recap and retires as well. Cait Sith wishes everyone a goodnight. Yuffie says she wants to check out the rest of the hotel— "and the gift shop!"—and departs.

Tifa, Barret, Aerith, and Cloud remain in the deserted lobby. Somewhere far off, a wolf howls. A recording of one, at any rate.

"Thanks, Barret," Tifa says. "That was nice of you to keep Cid and Vincent in the loop. I hadn't realized just how much we've all been through together."

Barret knuckles her shoulder. "Ain't no gettin' offa this train we on."

"That's right." She smiles.

Aerith shivers. "I-I need to get some rest, too."

The last of them disperse to their rooms. Cloud finds his on the top floor of the hotel. The room is narrow and brimming with creepy details. The mini-bar is fashioned after an iron maiden torture device, and lightning streaks outside the window at regular intervals. A candelabra hangs on iron rungs. He sits on the bed. At least this is soft and pliant.

Of course, he can't sleep. Jenova isn't keeping him awake, it's the anxiety of their next steps: reaching the ancient temple and uncovering the Black Materia before Sephiroth. Aerith seems to agree with Bugenhagen that this Black Materia could cleanse the planet and rejuvenate the Lifestream, though why Sephiroth would want to bolster the Lifestream is unclear. That infatuation with Mother seems paramount. There's something Cloud's missing in all this.

Suddenly, there's a knock on his door. He ignores it at first, but the knocking persists, rapid and desperate. He creaks the door a sliver.

Yuffie stands in the hallway, glancing both ways, nervously rocking on her toes. Then she notices him.

"Oh, hey, Cloud. You're awake."

He rubs a hand through his hair. "Well, yeah, you were banging on the door. Everything okay?"

"Kinda. Maybe. Not really. Can we talk?"

He leans against the doorframe, attempting to discern her intentions. A subtle smile curves her cheeks. Mischief glints ever-present in her eyes.

"Oh no, did you steal something from me again?" he asks.

Her smile bursts into a laugh. "No, no. I mean. Maybe." She drops into an imposed seriousness so sudden it makes him laugh, too. He shakes his head.

"Come on, let's go talk," she says and grabs his arm, hauling him out of his room.

They leave the hotel. Yuffie descends the escalator towards the central hub.

Time is meaningless at the Saucer. There are no clocks because the party is twenty-four seven. The daytime families are replaced with nocturnal warriors. The music is louder, the drinks are stronger, and the Squares are crowded and noisy. In the main junction, a sign overhead proclaims that tonight all attractions are free. It's Enchantment Night. What luck.

Yuffie surveys the congestion and pushes through a group of tipsy patrons to reach the path to the Chocobo Square.

"Free, eh? Maybe that means first bets are free at the races," she says.

The Chocobo Square is hopping. The racetrack is neon and black lights. Fireworks sparkle in the ebony sky. Balloons and streamers are everywhere. Eager spectators pack the area. Yuffie runs to the booking counter.

Indeed, the first bets are free tonight. She makes Cloud pick a chocobo. Then they settle into the stands.

"So are we going to talk about it?" she asks.

He isn't sure what she means. She makes a stabbing gesture.

"I mean, that was weird, what happened between us," she says. "You never told anyone."

"Why would I?" It never seemed like his story to tell, all that raw anger he'd unwittingly exposed in her.

She is silent. The conversation around them builds into cheers as the jockeys come onto the track.

"I… I betrayed you all," she says. "And you let me go. You didn't fight me."

"Because you aren't the enemy."

"Oh? And do SOLDIERs only fight the enemy?"

He looks at her. "That's right."

The chocobos trot to their positions. A few jockeys wave at the cameras.

Yuffie keeps eyes forward. "Things don't have to be weird between us."

"You're the one making it weird," he says.

"No, you're the one behaving like nothing happened after being stabbed by a friend."

"Oh, we're friends now?"

She looks over. He's smirking. She puffs a breath out, floating a strand of bangs from her face.

"I don't know if I wanna be friends with a weirdo like you," she says, but there's a playful edge to it.

The starting gun fires, and the chocobos are off. Applause thunders. A man in front of Yuffie nearly spills booze on her shoes. She cranes her neck to spot their bird, a sleek blue charging past. Once the animals are out of sight, the massive telescreens keep the action going, showing the jockeys navigating the far end of the track.

"So you really aren't going to tell anyone?" Yuffie asks.

The chocobos clamor past in a wave of dust.

"I know it was nothing personal," Cloud replies. "I know what I represent. I just didn't realize what it meant to you."

"...I wish you would've fought me."

"Why?"

"Because then I could hate you."

An upset swells through the stands as the blue chocobo pulls ahead, dethroning the media favorite. It pulls Cloud's attention, all this noise and ruckus. He doesn't notice Yuffie until she's too close. She's leaning in from her seat.

She plants a single kiss on his cheek. Then she sits back and stares at him with a satisfied smile.

The chocobos cross the finish line. Everyone stands and cheers or jeers, claps or boos. Cloud is motionless, staring back at her.

"I just felt like doing that," she says.

He continues to stare. Isn't she sixteen or something? And isn't he… how old was he again? Twenty-one. Yes, that's right. He wasn't expecting this. It never occurred to him that Yuffie—

"Well?" She blinks at him.

He blinks back. The race is over. The stands are emptying as people flock to collect earnings or discuss losses.

"Say something," she prompts. "Anything!"

He doesn't. He can't. All he's actually thinking about is Tifa. Somehow he's worried.

Yuffie huffs and finally breaks eye contact. "Ugh, forget it. You really are a weirdo. Let's just go. I think we won."

She hurries to the booking counter and collects a fat sum of winnings. Their bet was a lucky longshot. With fists full of gil, Yuffie leaves the Square. She heads back to the ghost hotel. Cloud doesn't know what to say. Yuffie is her old jovial self and seems to have forgotten about the kiss and the troubles for which she sought his companionship tonight. The forest of Wutai is behind them.

He follows her all the way to the door of his hotel room. She's dropping him off as if nothing in the world happened.

"Thanks, Cloud," she says, by way of farewell. "I needed that. You really aren't half-bad."

Then she disappears down the hall.

He goes into his room and shuts the door. Yuffie clearly deals with stress much differently than the others. And after meeting her father and seeing how he wanted to settle an argument with battle, Cloud thinks he understands Yuffie a little bit better. He touches the cheekbone where she'd kissed him. Unexpected. That's her default setting. She's got guts, though, confronting him and then throwing this in his face. On his face.

There's a knock on his door. He nearly jumps. It must be Yuffie, wanting… something more. No, he can't answer that door. But the knocking persists, a gentle rap of knuckles. Unlike Yuffie's pattern.

Warily, he answers.

It's Tifa. Cloud nearly hugs her in joy because he'd been dreading the alternative.

"Oh, Cloud."

Her eyes sparkle light umber in the dreary lighting.

"Hey Tifa," he tries breathing out. "What's up?"

There's a pause. She's collecting her thoughts. Perhaps she didn't think he would actually answer the door.

"I-I just was thinking… We should have a little fun. Wanna explore the games with me? I can't really sleep."

It's the best thing he's heard all night. Yes, he agrees readily (but not too readily).

Without a moment lost, they are leaving the hotel. Wolves howl and bat flicker by, and the gravestones open up in the courtyard. Tifa wants to go to the Wonder Square.

"We should have a night off," she says.

Just the two of them, yes.

"No Sephiroth or Nibelheim or Shinra. A worry-free hour or two. Don't we deserve that?"

Sure, he says. Of course, he'd likely agree with anything she suggests at this point, her rescue is such bliss. He does, for a moment, forget about the General and Jenova and the drones in the skies. He notices her hands. She isn't wearing gloves for once, and her knuckles are calloused. She periodically clenches fists at her side like a nervous twitch.

The Wonder Square is buzzing with arcade games and excitement. Lights are low, music thrums. Drinks are aplenty. Tifa takes them to the bar.

The bartender comes right over. What'll they be drinking tonight? Tifa asks about a cocktail Cloud's never heard of. She tells the bartender how to make it, making small talk, and, after tasting the finished product poured from the mixer, she orders one for Cloud, too.

She hands him a lowball of bronze liquid and they clink glasses.

"Cheers!" She downs most of the drink in one go.

It's bitter and delicious. She parades them to the gaming cabinets. There's a snowboarding game and a racing game and a shooting game, and they spend the next hour taking turns or competing head-to-head as the playstyle allows. Tifa refills their drinks twice more. At one point, Cloud is mashing down on the controls for a fighting game, desperate to somehow win, when she points out that he's about to break the damn thing.

He relaxes. Takes another drink. She laughs and so does he. Because she's somehow just as good at virtual combat as actual combat against real killer robots. The drones are so far away, though. He'll let his future self worry about that. Right now, all he's concentrating on is her.

This is the most fun he's had. Perhaps ever. And isn't that a little sad, he thinks. Maybe he had fun at the academy. Maybe there was a friend or two in his past, but everything is cloudy and Tifa remains the pure light expelling the shroud. The only light. He catches himself staring at her as she feverishly deploys a sequence of button-tapping to defeat the boss that had totally wrecked him.

One more drink. Things are getting hazy. Time has no measure.

They exit the Wonder Square. Tifa wants to try the Speed Square, but somehow a roller coaster doesn't sound like a great idea right now. They head up to the Event Square, which is an open-air theater perched on the highest branch of the Saucer. The production tonight is a love story, but the lead hero doesn't seem to remember his lines and the princess seems genuinely upset with him the entire time.

Afterward, Cloud gets brave. Maybe it's the four (five?) drinks or maybe it's the cheesy love tale they just sat through. He takes Tifa's hand. He feels the callouses on her knuckles. She doesn't pull away. Instead, her hand fits perfectly into his. A giddy lightness presses his lungs.

The Round Square, Tifa decides next. They get tickets for two for the gondola ride.

This time, it's only them inside the small space. He doesn't mind that their knees are touching as she sits across from him.

Quiet settles as the gondola proceeds on its track. The blur of noise from the other Squares fades away. Up above, the air is calm. The lights are colorful dots amidst the gold. They pass over each Square, suspended and secluded.

"You know," Tifa says, "I've been thinking all night how to say it to you."

His heart races. The Saucer recedes in focus.

"I guess we're just really lucky we found each other. After all these years…" she says.

Fireworks pop next to the gondola. Blossoms of crackling reds and blues disintegrate into shimmering motes.

"Oh, how pretty… Look, Cloud."

He does. At her. Another firework illuminates her features in resounding purple. Electric-white shimmers in her sleek dark hair.

She goes on, "At first, I thought it was just the sheer joy of finding another survivor. I wanted so badly to share all those awful experiences with someone. Anyone."

When she looks into him, he sees her very clearly. A woman who's survived tragedy and carries it inside her.

"To acknowledge those memories were real," she says. "Somehow I always thought that would help."

Fireworks sparkle all around the gondola now, departing an ethereal atmosphere.

"But I think what I feel with you is more than that…"

She leans towards him. He feels her close. The warmth of her body attunes every atom under his skin. Her hands grasp his.

He kisses her. That last micrometer he takes. Her lips press apart. He touches her jaw, pulls her closer. It feels ecstatic, going from nothing to everything, and it's overwhelming him. All his senses wrap around her. The world has shut off. Nothing else is relevant or meaningful. Time stops. This is happening, he suddenly realizes, kissing her further and longer. She tastes sweet. She's mixing with the liquor in his head.

The gondola swings into the exit platform.

The ride attendant makes a loud coughing noise, to which Tifa startles and pulls herself off Cloud's lap. She brushes a strand of hair from her face.

"Sorry," she says to the attendant, blushing and averting her gaze. She takes Cloud's hand. He can barely stand.

Breathless, they exit the queue.

"It's been a while for me," she admits. "I...I'm glad you aren't upset."

"Upset?" Like that's the craziest thing he's heard.

Her blush deepens. Did she really not think he felt the same? This burning connection that surpassed the mere childhood they barely shared, the silly promise on an old water tower, the crux of devastation which forged them both?

"Tifa, I…" But it's all lost. He has no idea what to say. He just wants to kiss her more.

"Let's go back," she says. "It's late."

Or early, depending on perspective. The Saucer is winding down somewhat. The main junction is settling into a lowkey version of its former self. Music shifts into ambient beats. Other visitors are stumbling towards the Ghost Square.

"I had a really fun time tonight," Tifa says, all smiles.

Then something catches Cloud's eye. A large white moogle appears from the Ghost Square escalator in the central hub. Tifa notices Cloud's gaze shifting behind her. She turns.

"Isn't that Cait Sith?" she says.

Between the crowds, the moogle hasn't spotted them. The cat is carrying a shiny object in its paws.

Cloud squints. "Hey, isn't that…the keystone?"

All desire evaporates. That is definitely the keystone in Cait Sith's clutches. The iridescent strangeness is unmistakable.

"Where does he think he's going?" Cloud mutters. He starts to head over.

Cait Sith saunters to the central escalator with a furtive glance and vanishes up. Tifa exchanges a doubtful look with Cloud, and they pursue.

At the top of the spire, Cait Sith heads to the private helipads. The open air is hot, and a chopper is approaching.

"Hey!" Cloud shouts across the rooftop. They are the only three up here.

Cait Sith turns in shock, but the moogle does not halt. Darkness surrounds the landing platform. A black helicopter cuts into view from below, blowing dust all over. The Shinra logo shines in red.

"Shit! What the hell are you doing?!" Cloud yells over the noise.

He and Tifa run full-speed to catch up as the door to the helicopter opens and Tseng leans out. Cait Sith tosses the keystone up. Tseng catches it with one hand.

"No!" Tifa says. "Give that back!"

Cloud stops in his tracks, hand poised over the empty space on his back. The helicopter is already lifting off, too far for him to jump.

"Oh," Tseng comments over the blades. "It's you. The MP."

The pilot is another Turk, Rude, who nods at Tifa glowering up at him.

"For what it's worth, I never approved of Hojo's practices," Tseng says to Cloud.

The helicopter takes off, and the Turks along with it. Their keystone is lost. Cloud curses. He turns all his anger to Cait Sith. The moogle is stepping away. The cat holds his empty paws up in surrender.

"What the hell?!" Cloud says, coming at him. "Why would you do that? Why would you help the enemy?"

He grabs the cat and kicks the moogle aside. The fluffy white body, already riddled with bullet holes from Cosmo Canyon, acquires a new dent from Cloud's boot. He tightens a fist around the cat. The crown falls off Cait's head.

"Ow, ow," the cat meows, scratching at Cloud's hands. "Okay, it's true. I'm a spy. I work for Shinra."

Everything goes red. Cloud throws Cait to the floor. His blood is seething. He can barely breathe.

"I knew it! I fucking knew it. From the very beginning, I should've never trusted you!"

Cait holds steady. "Look, I may work for Shinra, but that doesn't make us enemies."

"Save it," Cloud says. "That's exactly what it makes us."

The timing of the drone attacks, the Turks arriving in Nibelheim, even the damn sandstorm.

"You lied about everything."

"W-wait a minute," Cait says, edging backward. "What are you planning to do? It's not like you can harm me. My real body is at Shinra HQ. This is just a toy. A puppet I'm controlling remotely."

"Who are you?" Tifa says.

"I can't tell you my real name…" Cait says. "I wouldn't be a very good spy if I did that."

Cloud's heard enough. It's a toy, a useless sack of circuitry and emitters. He picks up the cat and hurls it off the edge of the Saucer. Its protests die as it plummets to the rocky base beyond the branches of the Squares below. The moogle sputters and goes dark without its partner.

Cloud screams in frustration. "That conniving piece of work. Shinra HQ, huh? I'm going to find him… I'll go right back to Midgar and track—"

"The keystone," Tifa interrupts. "They must already know about the ancient temple. Cait Sith probably told them all about it. We have to get there!"

He forcibly settles his anger. She's right. There's no time to figure out who Cait Sith really is at Shinra, though there aren't many who would have access to such advanced technology as that Cait Sith model.

Tifa touches his shoulder. "Come on, we have to wake the others."

Cloud and Tifa rush to the Ghost Square. There may be time to salvage things, though Cloud isn't sure how. It's pure hope he's running on now because everything else is unrestrained anger. Bleak and endless. But Tifa… he glances at her. She's still the light. And he can still feel her kisses on his lips.