Vesta looked about with a doleful expression as the adults prepared for their journey. Cloud was teaching Corent how to properly sharpen the edge of his spear with a whetstone, and Dilys was preparing their parents' backpack and knapsack with needed items. They would be stowed away on the small wagon they had procured from the bandit camp. That woman, Tifa, was whispering something to Elder Nanaki; they both looked tense.

Tifa stopped her conversation, stared at Cloud, then looked back at Elder Nanaki to speak again. She looked so stern to Vesta. Did Cloud upset her so? The blonde haired girl decided to sweep a bit. She wondered when Yuffie would get back, she had said she was picking up a weapon from Kalev. Young Nanaki had gone out to get some air, he had claimed, and the cubs had followed him out the door while asking him questions. Elder Vincent would be back from the market soon, too.

Was he going to get Yuffie a little gift?

Elder Vincent seemed to like Yuffie a lot, she thought. Vesta felt she would miss her when she finally went back to her time. Cloud, too; her ancestor was quiet and kind, and held such a powerful aura of safety to her. She wasn't sure about Tifa yet, but if she followed Cloud all the way here, Vesta figured she cared deeply for him. Someone who would do that must be strong.

The door opened up suddenly. "Look who's back with a badass weapon!"

Tifa sighed harshly. "Yuffie!"

"What'd I do, huh?" Yuffie twirled about a strange weapon. "Looky looky!"

"That's the Yuffie I remembered," Elder Nanaki said with a chuckle.

Everyone took a look at the shuriken Kalev made for the ninja. It looked like the blades were made of a pearly substance similar to what Corent's spear was made of. Yuffie had said she had a special commission she asked of the old man and he had said he would have his apprentice work through the night to see it made. She seemed absolutely elated with her new toy.

Young Nanaki shyly scooted in with the cubs in tow. He looked mildly numb; the walk seemed to have done nothing for his mood, and perhaps it was the cubs' fault for not allowing him time alone. He glanced at his older self, tensed his jaw, then crept to the opposite wall to curl up and stare at the back door.

"Children, leave him be," Elder Nanaki commanded. They looked between them, then reluctantly trotted over to him. They immediately became curious of Tifa instead of their young grandfather, and began sniffing at her belly. "You smell funny!" Khlali remarked.

Reki agreed. "You smell a little like Dhaeja, she's—"

"Reki, Khlali. Enough."

Tifa looked down at the cubs, then sent a piercing look Cloud's way. His face was paler than usual, and he had momentarily stopped sharpening one of his swords. "We're talking before we leave, Cloud."

He gave the faintest of nods, then began sharpening his sword again with a furrowed brow.

Vincent came in a few minutes later. "I have loaded up the wagon with supplies. It should be enough to reach Junon."

"If nothin' happens between then and there," Corent remarked.

"Are you sure we can't go, grandfather?"

Elder Nanaki nodded. "This is a terribly dangerous journey."

Reki scoffed. "We made it here with you, what's so bad about going to the other continent? We traveled from there!"

"What do you think, Young Gramps?" Khlali looked over at Young Nanaki.

He lifted his head and looked between the three. "I...I don't know," he began. "If you stay here, we'll come back..."

"But what if the bandit leader comes back?!"

Elder Nanaki huffed. "We have no safe place to hide you besides here and Cosmo Canyon, children. Perhaps if you were older, it would not be a problem."

We're old enough," Reki insisted.

"You are both barely seventeen."

Young Nanaki did his best impression of a shrug. "Well...If...If one of us takes them to Cosmo Canyon, it would be alright."

The cubs' eyes brightened. "Yeah!"

"Oh. But I'd be here by myself," Vesta pouted.

Reki looked at her, then at Elder Nanaki. "She can stay at Cosmo Canyon! We like her."

Elder Nanaki cringed. "No, no...It would not be wise. Maybe we should just take you two to Cosmo Canyon."

Young Nanaki frowned at his older counterpart as Vesta looked down at her feet. "It would be best to keep the young ones together, you know."

"I don't think so. No, little Vesta should stay where her people can keep an eye on her."

"And what if something happens here, or we cannot make it back to Aruni? She would be alone for possibly months!"

"I trust Nanaki...both of you, to protect a little girl," Tifa said shortly.

"She needs to stay here, where it's safe," Cloud protested.

Tifa snapped her head towards him and narrowed her eyes. "She'll be safe with us and she'll be safe in Cosmo Canyon."

Elder Nanaki groaned quietly. "Are you serious, Tifa? It's such a long journey, and the cubs..."

"If you're alright with them going, why not her?"

Cloud motioned towards Tifa with his hand. "I still think you should stay here and watch over Vesta."

He immediately thought that was the wrong thing to say as a murderous glare cut into his soul. Yuffie let out an "oh snap" as she watched the drama unfold in a careful dance that only Cloud and Tifa could do. The house became quiet but for the crackling of the dying fire.

Tifa pointed at the back door. "Let's talk now."

Cloud nodded, then turned his head to speak to Corent. "Get everything ready. We're gonna leave afterwards."

The two entered the backyard, the tension thickly clinging to both. They stood facing each other but neither eyes looking the other in the face. The soothing sounds of the chickens, village and sea were in contrast to how tense the situation was between them, the sun warming their skin.

"You knew I was pregnant," she said quietly.

Cloud pursed his lips and dared to look at her. "I did."

Tifa looked into those blue wells that were his eyes. "Why didn't you say something?"

"I didn't know you knew already. I...it doesn't matter." He let out a long sigh. "Tifa, you have to stay here and watch Vesta. I don't want you fighting Jenova of all things right now."

It wasn't that his protest was unreasonable, it was that she knew she was capable even if she was two months pregnant, and she wanted to fight by his side again. "I can do it, Cloud. I can still fight."

"But you shouldn't," he retorted. "You're putting the baby at risk like this!"

She shook her head. "It's not that far along. You're going to need all the help you can get!"

"I have plenty of help," he said as he turned away from her. "At this point I'd be worrying about you instead of focusing on killing Jenova." His head turned a little, though his bangs blocked his eyes from her sight. "You understand that, right?"

Tifa crossed her arms. "So when we confronted Sephiroth, you weren't worrying over me then?"

His head sunk down, and all she could see were his soft yellow spikes again. "Of course I was. But this is different."

"How is it any different?"

He let out a short and sharp sigh. "Because of the baby, Teef. You have a responsibility to that baby of ours, and so do I."

Tifa put her hands on her hips and leaned forward a little. "We do, and one of those responsibilities is to get home safe and sound after this is all over. There's a better chance of that if we fight together."

"If I lose either of you—"

"I'm going, Cloud. You know that I was always going to fight by your side...and if you fail, it won't matter if I'm here in Aruni or with you. We will all die."

She saw him nod, then fidget with his hands a little as his arms moved subtly. He was probably rubbing his thumbs together like he always did when he thought on something in an argument. "So, that's how it is."

Tifa snorted. "It's always been like that."

"Right." He slowly turned around, his eyes filled with a dread determination. In a very quiet voice, he said, "Tifa, you know...you know I love you, right?"

A shy smile grew on her face. "I do. And you know I love you, too."

"Yeah." He came close, very close, and put an arm around her waist as he faced her. "You're so stubborn."

Tifa leaned her head into his chest and let out a short chuckle as he nuzzled the crown of her head. "Aren't we both?"

"Heh, yeah. So I hope you can forgive me."

She looked up with a raised brow. "For what?"

"Doing what I have to do." He looked down at her, and his eyes shimmered jade for an instant. "Sleep."

Nothing happened.

Tifa blinked at him, then her face became warped with rage as his paled. His wide eyes shifted side to side, and then he remembered her Ribbon. "Teef—"

She shoved him away and into the wall of the house, the back of his head bouncing off the stone. "You son of a bitch!"

"Tifa, please!"

He didn't get to say anything else as Tifa lunged at him, her fist slamming into his head with all the rage she could muster at the moment. He slumped to the ground as she let out an angry growl. "How's that for a sleep spell, Cloud?! You absolute asshole!"

She thought about leaving him there so he knew what it felt like to be left behind, but thought better of it. Like her, he was needed. Tifa picked him up, holding him like a fainted bride, then kicked the door open before crossing through and into the house.

Everyone watched in a bewildered silence until Yuffie spoke up, "so I guess Spike tried to pull a fast one on ya, huh?"

Tifa turned her head slowly, she couldn't get that spinning feeling right now. She had to look and be strong. "We're leaving."

She left the house and went up to the wagon, two chocobos warbling at the front of it and waiting to take off. Tifa dumped Cloud into the back near a sack of food and gave a stern stare to her unconscious partner, a welt forming on his forehead where she had decked him. "Reno was right, you are heavy."

The pugilist sat herself on the wagon next to his splayed out form, taking in several deep breaths as she centered herself. Tifa watched as Yuffie came out of the house, followed by Vincent and Dilys. As she finished calming herself she let out a harsh sigh. It was a bitter beginning to a long journey.