FORTY-SIX

The next day, we went over to Cid's house a little before 1:00. Shera greeted us with a smile and beckoned us inside, inviting us to sit at the table like we'd done yesterday. Cid was already there, grumbling sourly to himself with one foot propped up on the table. He nodded to us and sighed, no doubt anxious for Rufus to show up.

"Figured you'd show up," he grunted. "Go on and sit down, I guess. I ain't much for manners. If that bothers ya, tough!"

"It doesn't," Cloud assured him.

Cid nodded. "Fine. So, Jessie, did you get done whatever it was you needed to do out in the hangar yesterday?"

I sat down with the others. "Yeah, got my gear all fixed up."

"Good, good," he said. Then he glanced at Shera. "The hell are you doin', Shera? We got guests! Serve 'em some tea already!"

"Sorry!" she gasped, rushing to the cabinet.

Cloud blinked. "It's okay, don't worry about us…"

That only seemed to make Cid angrier, though. "Did I ask ya? Jus' sit your asses down and have some goddamn tea! Damn, Rufus is late! Pissin' me off already. His chopper ain't even flown in yet. The hell's he thinkin' makin' me wait around like this!?"

I frowned, feeling my own temper start to rise. "I get that, Cid, but it's still no excuse for lashing out at Shera or us! It's easy to get mad, it's something I've had problems with myself. But trust me, if you don't get a grip on it, you can bet it'll bite you in the ass sooner or later. It did to me. Almost cost me my life. Don't make the same mistake. I don't want what happened to me to happen to you and Shera."

Cid grunted, his eyes widening a little. He hadn't expected anyone to call him out on his temper, but I knew all too well how dangerous it could be. Mine had nearly killed me in the pillar. I'd been so mad at my father and so determined to beat him that I'd ignored my friends when they'd warned me that the console was about to explode. My stubborn pride and blazing temper had blinded me to the danger I'd been in, and as I result, I'd been badly hurt when the console blew up in my face and ripped into me with fire and blasts of electricity.

The fall fifteen stories to the ground after being thrown across the platform had only made things worse, adding to my injuries even more and leaving me buried under tons of rubble, dying and alone. I knew it was only because of Cloud, Aerith, and the others that I was alive now, and I didn't want to see Cid and Shera hurt the way I'd been. So I really hoped he'd try to cool off and deal with his anger. I knew how terrible it was to have your dreams shattered—Scarlet had torn mine to pieces, and I hated her for it—but Shera wasn't like her.

"I'll be in the back tunin' up Tiny Bronco 'till Rufus gets here," Cid sighed, standing up. "Get everyone some tea, Shera."

"Alright," she said.

Once Cid had headed down the hall and out the back door, Tifa let out a breath and looked at Shera. "Are you okay?"

Shera nodded. "Yes, thank you. Cid just… has his moods."

"And they suck!" Yuffie grimaced.

"Yuffie!" Tifa admonished her with an irritated glare. "We're guests in this house! At least try to be polite, would you?"

She shrugged. "Whatever."

"Sorry," Cloud apologize to Shera. "This is our fault."

As she stirred the tea, she shook her head. "No, Cloud, it isn't. He's like this often, although not usually to this extent. The possibility of his dream getting another chance has him excited, but at the same time, he can't help worrying about being disappointed again. So the anxiety and not knowing tend to make him rather upset."

Tifa looked cautiously at her. "Has he ever…?"

"Hit me?" Shera finished. "No. Never. He's a much better man than that. And although he sometimes does yell at me, he always finds some way to make it up to me later. Thoughtful little things he does for me. I think it's his way of apologizing. He's not very good at talking about his feelings, so he lets his actions speak for him."

"What kind of things?" I wondered.

She smiled. "Well, last week, after he'd gotten a little upset with me for taking too long to finish up my inspection reports of the newest set of repairs to the rocket, he fixed my telescope without even telling me. I just found it on the back porch later that day with the lenses not only repaired but in even better condition than before."

I chuckled. "That's sweet."

"Yes," Shera chuckled. "He does have a softer side, hard as it might be to believe. Another time, after he complained his tea was too cold, I just walked into the kitchen later that night to start making dinner and found a new teapot on the stove. And in my favorite color, no less. Last year I was sick for a week, and he never left my side. He told me he just didn't want to lose time on repairs to the rocket, but… he couldn't hide how worried he was about me, even though he tried."

Just then, we all looked up at the sound of a Shinra chopper flying in low and landing in the airfield behind the house. Cid came back in a moment later, joining us in the kitchen and waiting expectantly, a glare on his stubbled face that wasn't directed at any of us. His gloved hands were on his hips as he looked out the nearby window.

"About fuckin' time," he muttered. Then he looked over at us. "Hey, uh… about that flight you wanted. Once things cool down and I've had a little chat with the president, I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks," Cloud replied.

A minute or two later, there was a knock on the door. Shera took a deep breath, a mix of anxiety and hope in her eyes, and shared a glance with Cid. I watched them, seeing an unmistakable flicker of tenderness in his for a moment as he gazed at her. This was a moment they'd been waiting years for. Shera's hand found his, squeezing it gently, and while he didn't acknowledge it, he didn't let go at first, either.

"Good luck, Cid," she murmured.

He nodded. "See to our guests, Shera. Still need to make 'em tea."

She gave him a soft smile. "Of course."

When Cid moved to the door and opened it, an overweight guy in a brown business suit bounded in, balding and gray. Palmer. Although I'd never met him during my Shinra days, I'd seen the hologram in that disgusting museum while I'd been there and knew who he was. He was a short, squat, and useless bureaucrat who looked to be in his sixties or so. He didn't seem to recognize us, though.

"Well, hello there, Cid!" he grinned, as if he and Cid were a pair of old friends. "It's been a long time. How've you been?"

Cid scowled. "Cut the bullshit, Palmer. You're late."

Palmer gulped. "Sorry about that. Unavoidable delays, you see. We had to get everything in order for… well, we're here now!"

"Delays, my ass!" Cid grunted. "So, is the space program gonna be restarted? How long until we launch? The rocket's more or less ready to go, I just need to make a few more adjustments."

Palmer shrugged. "I don't know, Cid. You should ask the president, he's right outside. He can tell you all that."

"Useless piece of shit," Cid muttered, brushing past him.

Once he was out the door, Palmer went over to Shera, ignoring us for the time being. "Why, hello, there! Tea? My, my, such good timing! Is it ready? Make sure there's plenty of sugar and honey. And of course, don't forget the lard! That's the best part!"

Shera's expression of disgust mirrored my own as she stirred a dash of sugar into the pitcher of tea and tried to ignore him. But then a gasp suddenly flew out out of her mouth when Palmer, pretending to watch as she worked, grabbed her bottom with one hand and gave it a greedy squeeze. Cloud and I were on our feet in an instant, Tifa and the others right behind us as Shera's hazel eyes widened.

"D-Director!" she stammered.

Cloud roughly took Palmer by the shoulder and spun him around to face him only inches away. "Back off, asshole. Now."

Palmer blinked. "Hmm? Do I know you?"

"We've met," Cloud growled.

Tifa cracked her knuckles. "Try that little stunt again, Palmer, and you'll be limping out of here. After I rip them off."

Palmer gulped, sweating furiously. "Oh, ah… m-my mistake!"

"Bastard," I spat. "Get out!"

"I, uh… I'll just be leaving now," he agreed. "Out the back door. I… I have things to do, places to go. Bye, now!"

Yuffie grimaced after he left. "What a sicko…"

"You okay, Shera?" I asked.

"Yes, thank you, Jessie," she said, visibly shaken. "I had no idea he'd do such a thing. Cid is not going to be happy."

I didn't doubt it. "He'll be pissed."

"And he's got every right to be," Tifa added.

"I wonder what's taking him so long, though?" Shera murmured as she went back to making tea. Her hands shook as she worked, though. "Sorry I don't have this ready yet, by the way."

Tifa gently guided her to the table. "Don't worry about that, Shera. Come over here and have a seat for a minute."

"Look after her, Tifa," Cloud said. "I'm going outside."

"Of course," she nodded.

I turned to Cloud. "I'm going with you."

"Alright," he agreed. "Vincent, Yuffie, stay close to Shera."

"Understood," Vincent said, Cerberus in hand. "If Palmer returns, it will be the last mistake he ever makes."

Yuffie clenched her fist. "He'll get a shuriken up his ass."

Knowing she and the others had things under control, Cloud and I slipped quietly out the front door. Cid was at the end of the paved little path in front of us that led from the house to the gate in the fence. Just past it stood Rufus with two Shinra troopers flanking him, his flawless white coat gleaming in the early afternoon sun.

"What the…!?" Cid sputtered in barely controlled rage. "You went and got me all worked up for nothin'!? Then what the hell did ya come all the way out here for, anyway!? What's goin' on!?"

"You've heard the rumors of Sephiroth's return?" Rufus asked.

Cid grunted. "Yeah. So what?"

Rufus went on. "We've figured out where he's going—an old temple somewhere in the southern islands. But to get there from up here, we'll require the Tiny Bronco. It can fly further before needing to refuel than our choppers, which will make the long trip over the ocean easier than it would be otherwise, and it can land on water. Given how remote the island is, I doubt we'll find an airfield out there."

"Shit!" Cid spat. "First the Highwind, then the rocket, and now the Tiny Bronco. Shinra went and took outer space away from me and now you're gonna take the damn sky away from me, too!?"

Rufus slid a hand through his strawberry blond hair, his eyes cold. "In case you've forgotten, it was because of Shinra that you were able to fly in the first place. We can take it away just as easily."

Cid stared at him in disbelief. "What!? Are you shittin' me!?"

Just then, Tifa and Shera opened the front door and hurried to join us while Cid continued to argue loudly with Rufus. Shera was worried, her eyes going first to Cid and then back to us as Tifa stood nearby. But before either of them could say anything, the unmistakable rumble of an airplane engine starting up suddenly filled the air. It was coming from behind the house. And then I understood.

"Cid!" Shera called. "Palmer's trying to steal the Tiny Bronco! I was concerned after he went out back, so I followed him. He's got to have a master key! It's the only way he could've started the plane!"

He whirled around, his eyes wide. "Shit!"

I threw open the door. "We've gotta stop him! Come on!"

"Well, well…" Rufus raised an eyebrow when he saw us. "We meet again. You've proven most troublesome lately."

Cloud glared at him. "Good. We'll deal with you later."

Rufus just smirked. "I look forward to it."

We raced through the house and out the back door. Vincent and Yuffie were already outside, rushing across the yard toward the runway where the Tiny Bronco was still parked but on. At the portside door, which was open, Palmer checked his watch and muttered to himself. It didn't look like he'd even realized were there yet, and as we got closer, I could hear him grumbling over the engines.

"Why do I have to do this?" he complained. "I'm the director of the Space Exploration Division, not some lowly trooper!"

Cid pointed at him. "Get your sorry ass down here!"

Palmer's eyes widened. "Oh! C-Cid! I thought you were still talking to the president. I knew that diversion wouldn't work!"

"What the fuck are you doin' with my plane!?" Cid roared.

"Why, taking it, of course," Palmer snickered.

Cloud drew Buster. "Not happening."

In answer, Palmer pulled a materia-powered handgun from out of his coat and fired. It was a different model than the ones Lena had, but it worked the same as hers, enhancing the bullets with magical energy. Lucky for us, though, Palmer was a terrible shot. He wasn't even close. I pulled out one of my blaze talons and fired a warning blast of my own at him. The plasma bolts struck the Tiny Bronco's hull right next to him but didn't damage it as they dissipated once they hit the metal. Palmer yelped, shot at us again, and ran under one wing.

"Get back here, ya little shit!" Cid charged after him.

"Where's he think he's going?" Yuffie blinked.

Tifa pointed. "Look! On the airfield!"

We all saw it at once. A huge Gelnika-class cargo plane had landed on the airfield not that far away, big enough to hold the Tiny Bronco in its hold if someone were to drive it in, and its bay doors were open and waiting for it. A Shinra troop carrier drove out of the plane and headed straight for us. Muscle to back up Palmer's theft.

Still trying to get away from Cid, he tripped over one of the yellow parking blocks that had been wedged into the landing gear, knocking it loose, and the Tiny Bronco started to move on its own. Apparently he'd forgotten to engage the emergency brake when he'd first turned on the plane. Cid hadn't noticed this yet, intent as he was on kicking Palmer's considerable ass, but I did and beckoned to the others as I raced up the rolling stairs to the open door as fast as I could.

"It's moving!" I shouted. "Come on, guys, get aboard! Hurry!"

Then I rushed inside and slid into the pilot's seat as Cloud took the co-pilot's chair next to me and the others got buckled into the handful of passenger seats behind us. There were eight in all, four on each side. And what looked like a million little buttons on the console in front of me amidst a cluster of dials and blinking lights.

"Can you fly this thing, Jessie?" Cloud asked.

I took the throttle. "No idea!"

The plane kept moving, picking up speed as I desperately searched for the brakes. What the hell had Palmer done in here? When I looked out the forward window, I saw him running toward the airfield. But he was so intent on getting away from Cid that he ran right out in front of the troop carrier. It slammed into him with a squeal of brakes, hurling him halfway across the tarmac. He didn't get up.

Cid laughed, then hurried back toward the Tiny Bronco. But about half a dozen Shinra soldiers jumped out of the troop carrier after him, firing their rifles as they went. Cid ran, knowing he was outnumbered, but both the soldiers and the truck were right behind him. Shera, who had stayed in the backyard watching the whole time, started to rush to him, but he yelled at her to get back in the house.

"Cloud, take over!" I said, getting up from the seat.

As he did, I sped to the open door, talon in hand, and shot back at the soldiers to give Cid cover. Three of them fell in seconds, burned by the plasma bolts as they tore right through them. Cid was close enough now that I could reach him, but the Tiny Bronco was moving faster, and I barely dodged return fire from the remaining soldiers.

Then Vincent was there beside me. "Get Cid. I'll cover you."

"Right!" I nodded.

After squeezing off one final shot that took down another soldier, I quickly holstered my weapon and dropped into a crouch while Vincent fired Cerberus at the two remaining soldiers and the troop carrier that was now speeding alongside us down the runway. As I held firmly onto the door, I reached out with my other hand toward Cid.

"Grab on!" I called, my hair tumbling around me in the breeze.

We'd left the ladder behind, so the only way he could get on board now was for me to pull him in before the plane went too fast for him to keep up. I held onto the door frame with one hand to avoid falling out and reached out as far as I could with the other. Cid took it in his, but I couldn't pull him in with just one hand no matter how hard I tried. He started to slip, but just as I thought I was gonna lose him, someone else suddenly knelt beside me and grabbed Cid's other arm.

I looked to my right. "Tifa!"

"Right here with you, Jessie!" she said.

Balancing skillfully in the open doorway despite the wind blowing just outside from the plane's acceleration, Tifa held onto Cid with both hands and helped me pull him safely inside. Vincent quickly closed the door once Cid was in and turned the lock. Just in time, too. He'd barely finished when we suddenly felt the Tiny Bronco's nose start to leave the ground as we began charging down the runway.

"Oh, shit!" Yuffie groaned, her face green. "Are we taking off!?"

Tifa slid into the nearest seat on the starboard side and glanced out the window. "I think so. We're going really fast."

Cid swore. "Damn! Belt in, everyone!"

Then he rushed into the cockpit. I followed right behind him while Vincent and Yuffie sat down near Tifa and fastened their safety belts as she did the same. Cloud got up immediately to let Cid take over while I buckled myself securely into the co-pilot's seat.

"Are you gonna fly us outta here, Cid?" Cloud asked.

Cid nodded as he grabbed the throttle. "Not much choice. Head on back, take a seat, and strap yourself in. We're goin' up!"

Less than a minute later, just after Cloud had sat down in the front row, we were airborne. Cid banked the Tiny Bronco to port, and it flew low over the airfield a few hundred feet above the ground and rising. I watched it all through the cockpit window, my breath taken away at the feeling of actually being in the air. It was incredible.

"Wow…" I breathed.

Cid grinned. "You ain't seen nothin' yet!"

We flew over town, the buildings getting smaller by the second and looking almost like toys from this height. But then there was a series of rapid thuds against the side of the hull, and the Tiny Bronco shook like a dog with a chill. Something was hitting us, and when I looked out the window to my right, I saw at once what it was.

"It's Shinra, they're shooting at us!" I said as I spotted them. "More soldiers. I can just barely see them from here."

Cid glanced to his left through his window. "I see 'em, Jessie. We'll be outta range of their weapons in a few seconds, though. Then I'll see about charting us a course to take us somewhere safe."

"Any ideas?" I wondered.

"Well, you guys were wantin' to go south, right?" he said, watching his instruments. "Whereabouts did you have in mind?"

I thought for a moment. "The Gold Saucer. That's where the rest of our friends are. We're trying to stop Sephiroth, but we've also gotta get something important before Shinra does, so that's why we split up for a while. Think you can you get us there, Cid?"

"It's a long way, but doable," he nodded, scratching his chin. "We'll probably have to stop and refuel in Cosmo Canyon on the way, but that shouldn't take long. I'll bring us around once we're out over the ocean. Air currents are easier to navigate over water."

"How was the plane able to reach takeoff speed by itself in the first place, though?" I wondered as we flew.

Cid grunted. "Fuckin' Palmer started the autopilot without knowin' it when he turned on the Bronco. The guy had shit for brains, so I think he just started pressin' buttons. Lucky we caught his ass when we did or it would've crashed right there in town and hurt a lot of people. So I'm glad you guys showed up at the house today."

Just then, there was a sudden jolt that shook the whole plane, and several warning lights flashed on the console in front of Cid as we soon left Rocket Town behind and soared northwest over the grassy plains. I quickly looked out my window again and gasped.

"Cid, there's smoke!" I told him.

He nodded, not looking away from the controls. "Looks like one of them Shinra punks back there got lucky. Hang on!"

"Are we gonna crash!?" Yuffie gulped from behind us.

"Hell no!" Cid barked. "Know who you're talkin' to, kid!? I'll get us down. No way we can make it to Cosmo Canyon like this, though. The tail's been hit. I can keep us in the air for a little while, but not too long. We've gotta find someplace closer to set down."

I looked at him. "Like what?"

"Let's see here…" Cid checked his navigational charts as the blue of the ocean unrolled underneath us. "Rocket Town's no good, not as long as Shinra's around. Nibelheim's up in the mountains, nowhere for us to land, and we can't change course too much anyway with the tail shot to hell. So that just leaves Wutai. It's almost dead ahead and close enough by now that we oughta be able to make it there."

"Really?" Yuffie exclaimed.

I turned in my seat to grin at her over my shoulder. "I guess you're going home, Yuffie! You'll have to give us the full tour."

She nodded. "Sure, Jessie. It's a great place! We'll… urp!"

"You okay?" Tifa asked.

"Ugh… just my motion sickness," Yuffie groaned, her face green. "I knew riding on this thing would be a mistake…"

Cid snorted. "Hmph! Grow yourself a stronger stomach, kid."

"Or you could try not flying like a maniac," she grumbled, holding her stomach with both hands. "Why's the plane still shaking? Ohh… I really hate flying. Please… don't make me… hurl…"

"Just some light turbulence," Cid explained. "Nothin' to get worked up about. I've got some bags under the seat if you're gonna get sick. But if you make a mess, kid, you're cleanin' it."

Yuffie sighed. "Yeah, yeah…"

"How long can we stay up here?" Cloud wondered.

"Fifteen minutes, tops," Cid said. "Then we're goin' down. But I can land us in the water and we'll coast the rest of the way."

I chuckled. "Like a giant motorboat!"

"Great…" Yuffie muttered. "Just what I needed. But on the upside, I'll be home soon. I just hope Dad and the rest of the Wusheng haven't let things go to hell over there since I've been gone."

Tifa looked curiously at her. "What do you mean?"

"It's complicated," Yuffie replied, still hunched over in her seat and clutching herself. "Our people have had some… differences of opinion about our culture and traditions since the end of the war. And not just polite disagreements, either. I'm afraid it'll get ugly."

"Civil war?" Cloud looked at her.

Yuffie grimaced. "I hope not, but… it's possible."

I thought about what she had told me back when we had first met. "To become more modern like Shinra or not… I can see how that kind of thing would divide people. We'll help if we can."

"Thanks, Jessie, but… it's my problem, not yours," she said.

"Friends back each other up," I insisted.

Yuffie smiled a little, though her face was still a bit green. "Means a lot to me. Still, we've got bigger things to worry about."

We flew on for another ten minutes or so in silence after that, with only the steady thrumming of the engines filling the air. I couldn't help wondering what we would find in Wutai when we finally got there and what kind of homecoming Yuffie would receive, returning the way she was with a bunch of foreigners instead of her partner. I gazed ahead of us through the cockpit windows and worried about her.

Then I heard Vincent as the plane shifted. "We're descending."

I leaned forward a little and saw he was right. The rolling waves far underneath us were getting steadily closer by the minute. Cid had kept the Tiny Bronco airborne for as long as possible, but it had flown as far it could and now it was quickly dropping out of the sky.

"Uh-oh…" Yuffie gulped.

"What's our altitude?" Cloud asked.

Cid checked the readout. "Five thousand feet and fallin' like a rock. We've got enough fuel to get to Wutai once we land, but we're comin' in hard, so it's gonna be a big splash! Jessie, get the landing gear down and locked into place. It's that big switch in front of you."

"Got it, Captain!" I nodded, pressing the button he'd indicated.

There was a slight thud from below as the pontoons lowered from the plane's undercarriage and slid into position. I didn't touch the other switch that would've extended the wheels from them, though. No need for them out on the water. Then I made sure my safety belt was secure as we continued our descent toward the ocean.

Cid gripped the throttle, his eyes firmly on his instruments. "Okay, now keep readin' out our altitude as we go. I'm gonna level our descent if I can. We don't want this baby turnin' into a bitch."

I watched the round altitude gauge intently as the plane shuddered with more turbulence. "Right! Four thousand feet… three thousand… two thousand feet… one thousand… five hundred…"

"Alright, everyone, this is it!" Cid called out as we neared the water. "Hold onto your drawers and don't piss in 'em!"

Just seconds later, we finally hit the water with a jolt. It splashed up everywhere around us, spraying across the hull and the windows as we touched down. The pontoons kept us afloat, though, and soon we were coasting lightly along the waves heading northwest with the sun ahead of us and a little to our left as it slowly made its way across the sky. For a minute, none of us said anything, too relieved that we'd made it down in one piece after everything that had just happened.

Cid leaned back in his seat with a long, weary sigh. "Not one of my best landings, but it'll do. Everyone okay back there?"

"We're fine," Cloud assured him.

"Did we make it?" Yuffie asked, still not quite believing it.

Tifa nodded. "We've landed… sort of."

"So what'll you do now, Cid?" Cloud asked, glancing at him. "After you get us to our friends, that is. You don't have to stick around with us after that if you don't want to. Sorry for the trouble."

He waved it off. "Nah, you're good, Cloud. Got me outta that town, at least for a while. No way I can go back to Shinra after this, either. As if I'd want to. Damn bastards took everything from me."

"What about Shera?" I wondered. "Isn't she your wife?"

Cid blinked, caught off guard by the question and seemingly not as sure about how to answer it at first as he'd thought. I knew he cared for her, even if he was too stubborn to admit it. I'd seen it in his eyes easily enough whenever he'd looked at her back in Rocket Town. I just hoped he'd be able to deal with the pain of his lost dreams someday and work things out with her. They'd make a cute couple if he did.

"Wife?" he shuddered, although I could definitely tell it was wasn't as real as he made it out to be. "Don't scare me like that, Jessie. Shera's a good woman, but I ain't jumpin' off that bridge just yet."

I decided not to press him about it, at least for now. I'd had success helping some of my other friends get together—Tifa and Biggs, Wedge and Lena, Esther and Joe—but it looked like Cid and Shera were going to be a bit more of a challenge. I didn't mind, though. It just needed to be done carefully. Those two had a lot to deal with.

"As Jessie told you earlier, we're going after Sephiroth," Cloud said. "And we'll have to do something about Rufus, too. Both of them pose a serious threat to the planet and everyone on it."

Cid shrugged. "I ain't got a clue about all that, but if you're plannin' to stick it to Shinra, then… what the hell? Count me in!"

"What do you guys think?" Cloud looked at the rest of us.

"Yeah!" I grinned. "He's got my vote!"

Tifa nodded. "Of course! It's not a problem."

"Do as you wish," Vincent said.

Yuffie groaned, still queasy as we rode across the water. "Whatever. As long as we make it to land, I don't care…"

"Ha! Glad to be aboard, numbskulls!" Cid chuckled.

"Numbskulls?" she stared at him.

He nodded. "Yep! Anyone crazy enough to fight Shinra these days has gotta be a numbskull. I like it! You all have got guts, I'll give ya that. Anyway, what's this old temple that Rufus was goin' on about? He said it's somewhere in the southern islands far from here."

"The temple of the Ancients," Cloud answered quietly.

I thought of Materia's warning about that place and shivered. "I'm not so sure I like the idea of going there, but… it looks like that's gonna be our next stop after we meet up with the others and get the keystone. Cid, are those islands on your navigational charts?"

He nodded. "Yeah, Jessie, but there's a whole bunch of 'em. And we don't know which one the temple's on or where it's at."

"Rufus probably does," Tifa thought aloud. "He's got all of Shinra's resources at his disposal to help him track it down. But I doubt he'll tell us. We'll just have to find out where it is ourselves."

"How long 'till we reach Wutai?" Cloud looked at Cid.

He checked his instruments. "A few hours, give or take. We oughta make it to shore by the time it gets dark."

"Thank the Water God!" Yuffie breathed. "I'm glad I won't have to spend the night in this thing. By the way, when we get to land, we need to head north. The capital's in that direction. It's also called Wutai, just like the country. Confusing, I know. Sorry about that."

"It's fine," I assured her with a smile. "Thanks for the advice."

She managed a grin despite her nausea. "Anytime."

Then I leaned back in my seat as my gaze drifted forward through the cockpit windows, thinking uneasily about the old temple. Once you go there, nothing will be the same again. Materia's words lingered in my mind. What had she meant by that? What was waiting for us in there? I didn't know. All I could do for now was worry and wonder as the Tiny Bronco sped northwest across the water toward Wutai.