The Sun was yet to rise when Vincent approached 7th Heaven. He raised his hand to knock and stopped when it almost came in contact with a face appearing at the doorway.

"Vincent?" The barmaid looked startled.

"Tifa," he said, dropping his right hand. "Good morning."

"Morning," she said, tiredness apparent in her voice. "I'll be right back."

The gunman stepped back, allowing the barmaid to pass, and she disappeared into the nearby alley, garbage bags in hand. Cloud's probably still sleeping. It is just after six. Tifa returned moments later, smiling at him. The barmaid looked like she had barely slept and Vincent suspected she had recently been crying, judging by her puffy eyes.

"Coffee?" She offered.

"Yes, thank you." He followed her inside.

"Take a seat and I'll just be a sec." She moved to the kitchen. "Cloud's sleeping. Do you want me to get him?"

Vincent looked up. "No. It's fine. I can wait." He watched her frown slightly before turning and continuing on to the kitchen.

The gunman sat back in the leather seat and placed his hands on the table. The journey back from Nibelheim seemed shorter than he previously remembered, perhaps because of his mind being occupied with what he saw in the village. Vincent was not often disturbed by what he encountered working for the WRO. After all he'd learnt during the Deepground incident, he was sure he'd seen the worst of humanity. However, for some reason, he couldn't shake his growing sense of dread.

Tifa reappeared with two cups of coffee on a tray and a selection of biscuits. She set them down and took a seat opposite the gunman. Tifa placed the red mug in front of Vincent and lifted the white, pushing the tray with the cookies to the centre of the table.

"Help yourself," she said, gesturing to the shortcakes.

They sat in silence and Vincent wondered if the martial artist was still upset; she was usually the one who would initiate their conversations. The clock sounded quietly, signalling it was now half past the hour. The barmaid glanced upwards and caught his eye. She returned her gaze to the untouched coffee mug. Vincent watched as she raised the teaspoon and began absentmindedly stirring the contents, which he was sure was cold by now. He flexed his metal arm and the metallic sound seemed to echo across the room.

"Is something wrong Tifa?"

"Hm?" She looked up.

"We've been sitting here for the past twenty minutes in silence."

"I'm sorry," she spoke softly. "How are you? It's been a while."

"It has. I have been…well."

"That's…good, Vincent. I'm glad." Tifa looked at the silver spoon in her left hand and sighed.

"Tifa. If I've done something to offend you…"

"What? No. Vincent it's not that. I mean…" She trailed off.

"I consider you a friend, Tifa. If there is something… You can talk to me." He looked at her sincerely. She didn't meet his gaze. Vincent was not usually one for offering support, but seeing the martial artist this despondent unsettled him. He remembered a certain ninja saying he was a "sucker for emo girls".

"Yuffie," she said quietly.

The gunman narrowed his eyes at the mention of her name. "Tifa?"

"How is she…at work?" She asked slowly.

"Fine."

"How has it been at the WRO recently?"

"Things have been busy, as per usual," he answered noncommittally. She still wouldn't meet his eye. "Why do you ask?"

The barmaid met his gaze and quickly looked away. "I… Just curious is all," she replied. Tifa stood up suddenly and Vincent saw the expression on her face.

"Cloud asked me the same when I spoke to him yesterday." He clenched his left hand slightly.

Tifa looked straight at him then. "I'm worried about her Vincent," she admitted, sitting back down. "She's…not been herself lately. I know she isn't sleeping much and I rarely see her eat."

She closed her eyes. "The other night… Cloud and I, we saw her. It must have been such a vivid drea- nightmare." She shook her head. "She told me before that Reeve put her on sabbatical. She said he was reassigning her to a new division he was setting up."

Vincent quirked his eyebrow at this, but said nothing.

"I think…she called it the Wutaianese Task Force," she almost whispered. Tifa wiped her moist eyes and fixed Vincent with a stare. "I think that's what's bothering her…"

The gunman returned her gaze. "Tifa…"

"Did something happen Vincent? Why would Reeve reassign her?" What happened to her back?

"I'm sorry," he said, shaking his head. "You would have to ask Yuffie."

The martial artist gave him a quizzical look. "Wh-"

She was stopped by the sound of footsteps on the stairs and she glanced behind her as Cloud entered the bar.

"Morning," she said, rising and walking to the kitchen. "I'll get you a coffee."

Yuffie rose slowly and looked around the room. Light was streaming in through the parting in the curtains, heating her feet on the floor. Her head was throbbing and she could taste the bile in her mouth. The ninja tried to stand, but her legs wouldn't cooperate and she fell back down with a painful thud. After trying and failing twice more, she groaned in frustration; tears filling her eyes. Yuffie slowly moved her hand to massage her aching back and withdrew it quickly when she felt a wet sensation. Gingerly, she brought her hand to her face. When she saw the bright red, the ninja felt her stomach jerk.

Yuffie tried desperately to move to the bathroom, but before she could reach the door, her stomach lurched again and she knew what was coming next. The ninja watched as she emptied the contents of her stomach onto the floor. Her throat burned and hot tears trickled down her cheeks. She wiped her mouth and tried not to retch again when she smelt the blood on her fingers. Slowly she pushed herself to the bathroom and grabbed onto the door handle. The ninja pulled her body into a standing position. She glanced behind her and felt the bile rising again. She turned her face away quickly.

This is bad. Yuffie felt her body shaking and it took all of her remaining strength not to collapse. Her back hadn't bled like this in weeks. She could still feel the oozing and it scared her. Why is this happening? The ninja rested her head against the door and listened to the thumping in her chest. Her eyes fluttered closed. The ninja felt her body sway and she eased over to the bath. She reached for the tap and turned the knob. Yuffie gently climbed in the bath and lay down. The icy cold water stung and she hissed in pain. She looked at the ceiling, trying to ignore the red colouring the bath water.

Tifa was quiet while Cloud recounted his conversation with Barret in Kalm. The blonde was surprised she didn't react to hearing about Barret taking Marlene in the mine after the men went missing. The barmaid seemed distracted and he was sure he caught her glancing over at Vincent as he spoke. The gunman's face was unreadable, but he seemed to be aware of Tifa's unusual silence, as he looked at her more than he normally would.

"Reeve thinks they ran off with the gold they took. Barret confirmed that some of it was still missing."

When neither of the brunettes responded, Cloud frowned. What is going on with these two?

Sensing his uncertainty, Vincent looked at him. "That is likely."

Tifa remained silent and stared at her second cup full of cold coffee.

"Did you find out anything about the gold?"

"Nothing," the gunman supplied.

"Well… Is that good or bad?" Cloud looked over at the sullen brunette as he spoke.

"Neither. It simply means we don't know who hid the gold there or why." Vincent followed the blonde's gaze.

"Barret said you found something with Yuffie and the two of you were looking into it." The blonde remembered.

"Yes," the gunman replied. "It turned out to be a red herring."

The two men were quiet as they looked at the martial artist.

Feeling their eyes on her, Tifa looked up. "Why did you come?"

The question seemed to hang in the air, before the gunman realised it had been directed at him. He glanced at Cloud and saw his puzzled face. He opened his mouth to speak.

"I spoke to the mayor in Nibelheim," he began, looking at Cloud. "He told me what he saw before the explosion."

Tifa faced him, her expression unreadable. "What did he say?"

"They were holding the annual Spring Equinox festival and during the procession a blue mist appeared above the village."

"Blue mist?" The previous Nibelheim residents said in unison.

"Yes," he replied. "They were all surprised at first, until it started changing shape." He paused, glancing at Tifa. "The mayor said it formed a large golden flower. The villagers were amazed and assumed it was part of the celebrations, though I'm not sure why."

"Hibiscus," Tifa offered. "It's our- their symbol of Nibelheim. The golden hibiscus only grows in the Nibel mountains."

"I see. Well that would explain their reaction." The ex Turk paused. "It then changed into a large body of water, that flowed like a river."

"A river?" Cloud directed this at Tifa, who stared blankly back at him.

"Yes, according to the mayor."

"What happened next, Vincent?" The barmaid inquired.

"The river then became a raven. It swooped down on them, before dissipating into specks that glinted like gold. He said they were then plunged into complete darkness." The gunman looked at Cloud. "That's the moment the explosion went off."

"How many?" Tifa whispered.

He paused. "When I left, it was sixty."

The two men watched as the female stood and walked over to the bar. She proceeded to open a bottle of wine and pour herself a generous glass.

Turning back to Vincent, the blonde asked: "Are there any leads on who's responsible?"

"There's been no reported suspicious activity. The only clue was the unused explosive equipment, found on the outskirts of the village."

"Was it a terrorist attack?" They looked up at the barmaid as she poured her second glass.

"It's not clear what their motive was."

"Is there anything we can do?"

Vincent was silent and Cloud understood. There's nothing any of us can do if there are no leads. The gunman looked at the clock.

"I should go," he said, rising. "With Reeve gone-"

"Have you heard from him?" The barmaid looked pained for a second. "Did he say anything about Yuf- what I asked about?"

"He…received your message." Vincent said plainly.

Tifa opened her mouth to reply, but stopped as she looked in the gunman's eyes. "You would have to ask Yuffie." She folded her arms across her chest.

Cloud looked from the two brunettes and sighed.

"Thank you for the coffee." Vincent walked over to the door. "I'll keep you informed. Goodbye."

"Take care Vincent." The gunman left the bar.

"Ti-" Cloud stopped himself when he noticed that the barmaid was no longer in the room. What the hell was that about? He knew Tifa was still upset; he had seen it in her face, when he came down to the bar and found her speaking with Vincent. Did the gunman know what was going on?

Finding Tifa so distraught last night was the last thing Cloud expected to see when he walked in. After carrying her to bed, he returned downstairs to clean up. The barmaid had polished off a bottle of wine along with three beers. She wasn't normally much of a drinker, but Cloud had noticed her tendency to drink more when she was feeling unhappy. He wondered if she had argued with Yuffie. I thought they talked it over.

Cloud was certain Yuffie had made up the story about being reassigned; Vincent's responses told him as much. Why would Reeve put her on leave? Though she was, at times, cocky and over confident, the ninja was more than a competent fighter; she was also an excellent espionage agent, Reeve told him. The blonde couldn't imagine Yuffie doing anything stupid enough to make Reeve suspend her; she loved her job. Cloud wondered if Tifa knew Yuffie was pretending to be on sabbatical. He could understand why she wouldn't want to say anything, but the blonde thought the lie had gone on long enough, especially with Vincent stopping by. It was only a matter of time before she was found out.

The events in Nibelheim were hard for Cloud to take in. He was sure Tifa also found it difficult to believe. There was no reason he could think of that made their hometown a target. It had always been a peaceful village. The Nibelheim Incident had been the only exception, until now. The thought of so many dead and countless more injured, took him back to that day nine years ago. He wondered if his mother had survived, but he knew that if she had… Don't go there. Cloud wanted to speak to Tifa, but with her current mood, he didn't want to cause her any more upset.

He walked to the stairs, deciding to return to his room and rest. The blonde hadn't slept much last night. Cloud paused on the landing and looked to the door at the far end of the corridor. It was after ten and he was sure she hadn't yet left her room. The blonde sighed. What is it with the women in this house? He walked past Marlene's room and saw her drawing a picture. She glanced up at him and held up a small finger, signalling for him to be quiet, and she looked over at the bed. Cloud followed her gaze and saw Tifa fast asleep. The little girl winked at him and returned to her drawing. He smiled.

Well at least one of them seems fine. Cloud walked to his room and shut the door. As he eased into bed, the blonde made a mental note to call a family meeting later, and get to the bottom of whatever was going on. He turned on his side and closed his eyes, allowing sleep to take him.

Yuffie sat on the steps and hugged herself tightly. The ninja knew that her recent behaviour had been unusual and she hated fighting with Tifa; she really didn't know how much longer she could keep this up. She heard Tifa almost say her name. The martial artist had called Reeve to ask about her, and now Vincent knew about it. How could she?

Yuffie sat back and winced in pain. She hoped her wound had stopped bleeding. After her bloodbath, the ninja had examined her back in the mirror and was horrified to see the scar replaced with what appeared to be a fresh cut; the sight made Yuffie want to retch again but thankfully, she had no more to bring up. The ninja had bandaged her back as best she could, though she suspected she would have to see a doctor. The wound was much longer than she remembered it being before; it looked like someone had tried to slice open her back.

Listening to the others talk about the gold, Barret and his team found in the mines of Kalm, was a painful reminder of her last mission. She felt the tears sting her eyes and she shakily rose to her feet. I need to get out of here. Yuffie made her way carefully down the stairs and walked past the cellar and on to the basement door. She unlocked it swiftly and stepped outside. She looked up at the cloudless sky and inhaled deeply. Holding onto the rickety railings, the ninja ascended the stairs and made her way along the side street behind 7th Heaven.

Edge was still very much a work in progress; it was currently a massive building site. Large cranes stood out in the distance. At least Junon is more colourful. The people seemed more hopeful and new stores were popping up across the city, selling anything from hardware and musical instruments, to fancy dress costumes and sex toys.

She walked past a small café and saw the owner serving a table full of giggling women, the ninja assumed were out for brunch. Yuffie didn't stop; she wasn't in the mood for small talk. Johnny was nice, he truly was, but his over eagerness regarding a certain busty barmaid really grated the ninja at times. The guy couldn't take a hint: Tifa wasn't interested. She laughed to herself. The martial artist tried to pretend that she didn't see how into her Johnny was, as if it would suddenly go away. Why can't we just go back to being like that: laughing and joking? Yuffie knew the answer; things had changed.

The ninja neared the familiar building and felt herself relax slightly. She walked into the church and saw it was empty, as per usual. Though she was glad the people of Edge had rebuilt the beautiful church, part of her wondered why they had, since no one seemed to use it; she visited regularly and had rarely seen anyone else. There was no active religious organisation worshipping in the building, to her knowledge, and the people of Edge were hardly spiritual. In Wutai, the shrines and temples were presided over by priests and shamans, and they were regularly attended by the townspeople.

She took a seat near the altar and looked up at the stained glass image of Gaia. Yuffie closed her eyes. The only solace she had found, over the past two months, was visiting the church and talking to her. The ninja imagined the woman listening to the pain in her heart and washing all her feelings of despair, guilt and shame away. It didn't matter how many years had passed since she returned to the Lifestream; Yuffie still missed her like it was only yesterday. She felt the pink ribbon on her left arm and allowed the tears to fall freely. I miss you so much.

The ninja was so lost in her silent prayer, that she didn't hear the door to the church open and shut quietly. A man stood for a moment, watching the sobbing Wutaianese woman and he shook his head. Removing his tan cap, he made his way to the front of the church. He took a seat behind the front pew. The young woman was still weeping softly. The man cleared his throat and frowned when she made no reaction, apparently not hearing him behind her.

"Yuffie," he spoke gently.

The ninja immediately stopped sobbing and wheeled round to face him. "Wha- Abe?"

"You've been crying," he deadpanned.

"I-" Yuffie hurriedly wiped her eyes. "Hayfever, you know…" She trailed off, seeing the look on his face.

"You've had me worried since you ran off the other day."

"…sorry. I was just…"

"Scared," he finished.

The ninja looked away at this. She nodded slowly.

"Did I do something to frighten you?"

She turned to face him. "Of course not! I like talking to you," she stated truthfully. "I had a nice time with you in the memorial gardens." She smiled.

"It was good to have someone listening to me prattling on," he chuckled. "My wife liked churches, but ever since… It's just not the same now she's gone."

"Yeah," she agreed.

They were quiet for a while and Yuffie almost forgot Abe was seated behind her, until she heard him sigh. The ninja looked at him.

"Talk to Tifa," he said simply.

Anger flashed across her face at the memory of seeing him leaving the bar yesterday. She turned to face the altar again, folding her arms.

"She's cares about you deeply, Yuffie."

"Don't you think I know that?" She said, still facing the front.

"So why don't you talk to her?"

She stood suddenly, causing Abe to sit back at the motion. "It's not that simple!" Yuffie looked at him then. "I don't need you checking up on me, Abe. You're not my father." She instantly regretted her words when she saw the change in his face; it was brief, but she saw the hurt in his eyes.

"I know I'm not," he said evenly.

"I'm sor-" She stopped when he held his hand up, shaking his head.

"A problem shared is a problem halved. Let Tifa help you, please."

"…no one can help me," she almost whispered.

"Try her," he said, replacing his cap. "Don't underestimate the power of love to heal any wound."

The ninja turned to face him again, tears glistening in her eyes. Could she really tell her? She fingered the white rose pendant at her chest. Abe moved to stand beside her and rested a hand on her shoulder. Yuffie touched his hand, closing her eyes.

"Thank you."

The ninja glanced at the door and took a deep, steadying breath. She knew it would be difficult, but Yuffie realised there was no one left in the world she trusted more.

Vincent stood outside the Genesis hotel and waited. He's late, again. Training new recruits was his least favourite part of the job and he would readily admit: he preferred working alone. The recent additions to the WRO were very green and often had no combat experience. Though they were eager, the gunman found their skills lacking. He would usually not be in charge of 'breaking them in', but with Yuffie on leave for the next few months, he was left covering her responsibilities on top of his own. Vincent wondered how the ninja could be so cheerful about training so many incompetent recruits. They would never had made it into the Turks, but then again, they do have Reno now…

The gunman thought the WRO chief was too soft; letting anyone over the age of eighteen join was too basic an entry requirement. If what he had seen over the past year was anything to go by, any boy of age, looking to make a quick buck, had signed up; with little to no idea of what they were getting themselves into. Vincent had not envisaged teaching children how to stand straight, to tie their shoelaces or why being punctual was important. He looked at his watch. If this grunt doesn't get here in…

The gunman's thoughts were interrupted by the sight of a young Wutaianese princess walking, or more accurately, drifting along the street heading in the direction of 7th Heaven. Her head was down and she seemed to be lost in her own world. The ex Turk had never seen her so dejected and it shocked him so much, he questioned whether it really was the same person he was working with only a week ago. A feeling he couldn't name stirred in his chest. Glancing once more at the hotel behind him, Vincent moved towards the woman.

Yuffie didn't notice the tall man approach her, and she continued at her slow, reluctant pace, back to the bar. When she heard a voice call her name, she jumped, turning to face the source of the noise. Recognising the owner, she turned away and continued walking. Vincent walked beside her, undeterred.

"Yuffie," he tried again, more softly.

The ninja said nothing in reply. The gunman sighed. It's been months now and she's still behaving like this.

"I didn't see you at the bar this morning."

He watched the ninja stop suddenly and was surprised when she turned to face him.

"What do you want?" The gunman could see she was on edge.

"Yuffie." She bristled at her name. "How have you been?"

The ninja looked incredulously at him. "Is that a joke?"

He paused. Vincent could see the anger in her eyes. He didn't want to agitate her further.

"I am sorry about what happened-"

"Sorry?!" She moved closer to him. "Because of you and that assface playing tattletale I'm-I…" I'm off work.

"You haven't been yourself. It was best that you-"

"Didn't endanger the success of any more missions? I knew it was you!" She fumed.

"Look at the way you're behaving."

"You're walking on thin ice, Vincent," she spat. "Don't tell me about my behaviour."

Vincent heard her warning tone. He was silent for a minute and saw the ninja's chest rise and fall in rapid succession.

"Cloud and Tifa are concerned about you," he said slowly. "As am I," he finished quietly.

"You don't get to say that," she said, her voice filled with anger. "You've ruined everything. I hate you! You really are a monster!"

Yuffie tried to run, but Vincent caught her arm easily. The ninja squirmed and kicked, trying to break free from his hold. She screamed a string of obscenities at him. Struggling to contain the girl, he turned her to face him.

"Yuffie, what is this about? Did something happen?"

Immediately, the ninja went limp in his arms and ceased her movement. Her eyes glazed over and the anger in her features vanished, replaced with a faraway expression. He eased his grip on her arms.

"Yuffie?" Her sudden change in demeanour was beginning to unnerve him.

Vincent watched the ninja suddenly begin to tremble violently, her eyes closing slowly. She held her chest as the tears spilled from her eyes. He barely heard her speak.

"I c-can't, not h-here…"

He took a step towards her but she backed away, shaking her head vehemently. Yuffie tried to catch her breath and the gunman realised that she was struggling to breathe. Vincent then watched in alarm as she swayed slightly, before collapsing on the pavement. He was by her side in seconds. Yuffie…

Cloud lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He hadn't slept much; thoughts of Nibelheim played on his mind, preventing the blonde from resting. What was the mist: an illusion? Vincent hadn't elaborated on what the WRO thought caused the villagers to see the images in the sky. Cloud wondered what they meant.

He remembered his mother mentioning a rare flower that grew in the Nibel mountains, but he didn't recall seeing it. Tifa seemed to be familiar with it. Cloud knew that the barmaid frequented the mountains often as a child. The water and the raven were a mystery to the blonde. Turning on his side, he concluded they were likely meaningless; the elaborate display was simply a distraction.

He thought about the martial artist. Cloud figured that her distress last night was related to the ninja. What were they talking about before I walked in? Tifa's odd behaviour didn't go unnoticed; her question to Vincent had been rude. Cloud wondered if the barmaid was just tired; she looked like she had gotten less sleep than he had. The blonde knew he arrived well after 1 am, and he went down to the bar just before 7. It wouldn't be the first time lack of sleep caused her to be less than social. Cloud was surprised the barmaid was silent when he told them about his trip to Kalm. He was so sure the barmaid would question him further about Barret and what the large man had to say for himself.

I'm definitely missing something here. He sat up and looked around his room. His eyes settled on the pin board by his desk. He would be back to work tomorrow. There was another small parcel to deliver to the warehouse in Junon. Cloud remembered seeing the woman with the distinctive laugh as he was leaving Kalm with Marlene. He hadn't seen her face in the warehouse. She was surprisingly beautiful; the blonde expected someone with a laugh like that to be less appealing. An unwelcome image appeared in his mind. Mentally shaking himself, he stood and walked over to his desk.

As he approached the table, his phone began vibrating. He lifted it from the desk and looked at the screen. Unknown. Slowly, he pressed the answer button. Unsurprisingly, there was silence on the other end.

"Who is this?" He wasn't in the mood to be polite.

He grit his teeth when his reply was more silence. Was this a game to them? Cloud was far from amused.

"I asked you a question. Tell me who you are. I'm no-"

Laughter rang in his ear suddenly.

"You think this is funny?"

The laughter stopped and he was sure he could hear a faint sound in the background. Cloud strained his ear to try and make out what it was. Whispering…? The line then went dead.

"Damn it!" He shouted, throwing the phone on his table.

He moved to sit back on his bed. Cloud looked up and noticed Tifa standing in the doorway. Her brows were furrowed. The blonde sighed and patted the space beside him. The martial artist walked into the room and joined him on the bed.

"So that's why you asked who else I gave your cell number to," she stated.

Cloud was silent.

"Maybe," she started. "You should just change your number."

The blonde met her gaze. He wished it were that simple. Cloud wanted to know who it was; something told him it was important, though he couldn't put his finger on why. He knew it wasn't a prank call; they were trying to get to him. I just wish I knew why. He felt movement on the bed and saw the barmaid rising. Cloud followed her line of sight.

"Marlene?"

The little girl looked nervously at her feet. Cloud stood next to Tifa.

"Is something wrong?" He inquired.

"It's…" Her voice was small. "Yuffie. She's not in her room and…"

Tifa moved over to Marlene and bent down to look at her. She stroked her face.

"It's okay sweetie. You can tell us."

Marlene nodded and slowly raised her head. "There was a funny smell, I think it was sick and I saw…" She looked Tifa directly in the eyes. "Blood."

The barmaid hugged her and looked over at Cloud. This was bad and they both knew it.

The gunman walked into his office and saw his phone dancing on the table. He considered ignoring it, but he felt it was important that he answer it this time.

"Hello." He spoke calmly.

"Finally!" She sounded exasperated.

"Tifa? Is somethin-"

"Have you seen Yuffie?" He sensed the urgency in her voice.

"Isn't she at the bar?"

The barmaid paused and exhaled slowly, almost as if she was holding back tears. "No."

"I saw her earlier," he hesitated. "We had a confrontation."

Tifa groaned. "When was this?"

"Just after lunch time." He sat down. "Tifa, I saw her going to the bar."

"Well she's not here and we found- what kind of confrontation?"

"I think that's something Yuffie should tell you herself."

"She's not here for me to ask. I told you she's not been herself. I can tell you know something."

Vincent looked up as a young man walked into the office.

"Did…something happen, on your last mission?"

The gunman quirked an eyebrow at the question. An impatient sigh drew his attention.

"Why do you as-" He was interrupted by a deafening sound and the gunman rose quickly, abandoning the phone.

Tifa sat on the bed holding a blood stained shirt. Her eyes hurt from crying so much, but she couldn't seem to stop the tears from flowing. The thought of Yuffie being hurt crushed her. When she smelt the sick as soon as she stepped inside her room, she knew something was seriously wrong. Thoughts of the ninja making herself sick filled her mind and she shook her head. Yuffie wouldn't do that, I know… Tifa felt like she didn't even know her anymore. The ninja had changed so much over the past couple of months. Yuffie wasn't the same carefree, happy go lucky, adolescent anymore.

The ninja had left her phone in the bathroom and the martial artist found the bloodied shirt stuffed in the clothes hamper. Tifa thought back to what she saw last night. That scar, how did she get it? Tifa hoped to the Gods that Yuffie hadn't cut herself. "No. I do know her. Yuffie's been…" The barmaid tried to think of an explanation. The ninja hadn't complained about being injured on a mission. She was a capable fighter. They had trained together countless times and Yuffie was no pushover; their fights often ended in a draw. She smiled at the memory of them practicing their moves.

Tifa stood, dropping the shirt. Making up her mind, she dried her eyes. The martial artist glanced round the room once more before she left. On her way downstairs, she passed Marlene's room. She heard the sound of a familiar fairytale. The barmaid was grateful that Cloud had volunteered to put the little girl to bed. She just couldn't put on a brave face while she knew Yuffie was out there, hurt and alone.

Tifa proceeded down the stairs. She looked at the clock. It was almost 9 pm. She took a heavy breath and headed for the door. She was going to find her.

Tifa had been searching for almost three hours. If it wasn't for the fact that she knew the ninja had left her phone in her room, she would've rung her non stop until she answered. The martial artist didn't want to admit it, but she was getting desperate. Edge wasn't without its dangers. She tried not to think of what could happen to a young girl wondering the streets alone at night. Please be okay Yuffie, please.

She had been circling the block for a while now, hoping against hope that Yuffie would just come walking down the street, with a goofy grin on her face; saying she'd just lost track of time. Tifa wanted that to happen so much, but she knew as she glanced up at the Moon, that wasn't going to happen; not this time.

Tifa decided to take a different route. She would search all night if she had to. Cloud had called her suggesting that they wait until morning and try looking together. The barmaid told the blonde to let her know straightaway if Yuffie returned to the bar and ended the call angrily. There was no way she was sleeping tonight, not until she had Yuffie back home, safe and well.

She heard a catcall from behind her and it took all her willpower to not look back and tell the guy where to go. The barmaid neared the park and stood by the entrance. It was deserted, just like it had been on all the occasions she'd checked before. Hot tears ran down her cheeks. Where is she?! She turned quickly and almost tripped.

"Woah, careful there," a familiar voice spoke.

"Johnny?" Tifa steadied herself.

"What are you- what's wrong?" He saw the tears in her eyes.

Feeling his gaze, she wiped her face. "Have you seen Yuffie?"

"No, I'm sorry." He shook his head sadly.

"She's…" Tifa couldn't bring herself to say it.

"I'll help you look."

"No." She saw the surprise in his face. "I… I have to speak to her." She took a deep breath. "Will you call me if you see her, please?"

"Of course, Tifa, you don't even have to ask."

"Thanks. I should get back to… Bye."

She quickly left the park. The martial artist rubbed her left arm as she felt a slight breeze. Why didn't I bring my coat? Her fingers lightly brushed the pink ribbon and she stopped. Tifa looked up at the Moon again and closed her eyes, sending out a silent prayer.

The ninja stirred and slowly opened her eyes. She was in complete darkness. Panic prickled in her chest and she sat up quickly. Not again, please. Looking forward, she saw something glowing in the distance. Thinking it was just her imagination, Yuffie rubbed her eyes, but when she looked again, it was still there. As she continued staring at it, the light seemed to grow brighter. The ninja slowly got to her feet. She could still feel the fear spiking in her body, but it didn't prevent her from walking towards the light. It was as if it were calling to her. As she walked, Yuffie felt the anxiety begin to fade away. When she reached the doorway, she gasped.

Yuffie stepped outside and followed the path leading to the courtyard. The pool of water was sparkling and the ninja was certain there were more fireflies than she could count. She stood there transfixed by the sight. Yuffie slowly reached a hand out to touch them and felt the energy in her fingertips. It's so warm. The fireflies rose suddenly, and seemed to pause, before they began circling the ninja. She felt the heat radiating from their small bodies and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She watched as they flew higher and eventually became a large swirl of bright lights. The ninja closed her eyes, imagining herself flying along with them.

Sensing movement, she opened her eyes and turning, she saw Tifa standing in the doorway. Tifa walked towards her slowly. The fireflies spread out, allowing the martial artist entry. She stood in front of Yuffie and looked in her eyes. The two women stood quietly for a second, watching one another, while the fireflies continued swirling around them. The ninja took a nervous step towards the barmaid.

"Tifa, I'm sorry-" She broke into sobs.

"Yuffie," she said, taking the girl's face in her hands. "You have nothing to apologise for, okay?"

The ninja didn't resist when the martial artist pulled her into a hug. Yuffie cried into her chest, hugging her tightly. Tifa held her tenderly, stroking her hair. The fireflies seemed to grow brighter then, and both women felt the electricity in the air. After a while, Tifa pulled back and Yuffie looked up at her, puzzled.

"Let's go home," she whispered.

"Yeah." She smiled through her tears.

Tifa held out her hand and Yuffie took it. At that moment, the fireflies separated and slowly began ascending. The barmaid squeezed the ninja's hand and felt a head on her shoulder. After watching the lights finally disappear, they made their way out of the church. The martial artist looked back at the face in the stained glass window, above the entrance. Thank you.