Chapter Two

Cloud didn't need to wake up. He didn't want to wake up. For once, he didn't even have to wake up. But clearly, his phone thought that he should wake up. And Tifa elbowing him, desperate for him to answer it, really didn't help.

With a low groan, he rolled out from under the covers and sat up, ruffling back his spiky blonde hair. He glanced at the clock, and his head fell into his hands. Six thirty; much to early to be awake on a holiday.

The phone rang again, and Tifa shoved him from behind.

"Pick it up…" She moaned. Cloud didn't even have the energy to glare at her. He just stood up and walked across the room to pick up the phone.

"Hullo?" He said, rubbing blearily at his blue eyes.

Someone laughed on the other end of the line. A door slammed, and there was silence. Cloud blinked. There was only one person it could be.

"Reno?"

"Sorry, Cloud!" Reno's laughter was too lively for so early in the morning, "Got thrown out again!"

"Right…"

"Hey, listen, we've got some weird energy readings from under Nibelheim and-"

"Nibelheim?" Cloud cried, suddenly wide awake. Behind him, Tifa sat bolt upright in bed, her dark eyes wide as they turned on him. That place had been silent for the longest time…

"Yeah, there's something moving around down there. Something big. Y'know, Sephiroth big."

Cloud blinked nervously.

"Anyways, us Turks have been called out, but they wanted one of you SOLDIERs too. Y'know, for security. 'Cause you guys are the only ones who knew what was down there."

"Right…" Cloud muttered. Frowning slightly, he glanced back over his shoulder at Tifa. She looked terrified, "And you immediately thought of me."

"You're the only SOLDIER I know, buddy."

Cloud sighed, reaching up to ruffle the hair at the back of his neck. He didn't really want anything to do with it; life had just settled down again. He and Tifa were to be married soon. More trouble was exactly what he didn't need.

He had almost convinced himself that he was going to refuse when he felt his lips moving, almost without his consent.

"Where should I meet you?"

"Nibelheim, naturally!"

Cloud rolled his eyes, "Who'll be there?"

"Rude and I."

"So it's just the three of us?"

"Unless Vincent decides he wants to show afterall." Reno agreed, "Which, y'know, he could do."

"Right…" Cloud sighed again, turning back to Tifa and shrugging, "I guess I'll see you there."

"Great! See ya, Cloud!"

The phone went dead.

He blinked slowly, staring at the buzzing machine in silence. Behind him, the bed groaned as Tifa swung off of it and came to stand at his side. She put one hand on his shoulder, and he tilted his head slightly to look at it.

"Nibelheim?" She whispered. There was a slight quaver to her voice.

"Yeah," He agreed, leaning down to slide the phone back onto its stand. Then he turned and faced her, careful to keep all feeling out of his sky-blue eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"They've picked up some… surges… down where the tanks were." He murmured. Already his eyes were sweeping the room, hunting out what few items he might need on his venture. Chief of them all, the Buster Blade leaned against the wall to his right. Not daring to look into his fiancée's eyes, he strode across the room and hoisted it over his shoulder, "They want SOLDIER with them. And I'm the only one they know."

"But…" Tifa whispered, reaching out to try to stop him. He slipped easily between her fingers.

"I can't just let it go, Teef." Cloud murmured. He paused at the door, one hand resting on the handle, unsure, "What if it's something big… again…"

"I wish someone else would save the world." Tifa breathed.

Cloud nodded his agreement, and then slipped through the door.