A/N: Feels weird to finally move onto another chapter. This one is shorter (I hope). Last one almost tripled in length an almost complete rewrite.

Heavy Edits Completed: April 15, 2017

Final Fantasy VII – Remembrance

Chapter 6 – Condolences

Tifa woke feeling warm and comfortable. Her heart still ached for the loss of Aerith, but somehow, she felt safe. Her eyelids fluttered open as she took in her surroundings. Nearby, Vincent still slept, a small patch of morning light illuminating his features. She recalled the events of the previous night and felt her face heat up slightly. At the time, she hadn't given much thought to the man's personal space, merely wanting some sort of human contact. Now she struggled with how to get up without disturbing the resting man. Instead, she settled for checking him for further injuries using her limited mobility. As he had predicted, the bruising around his chest from Jenova-LIFE had faded overnight and his skin looked marginally less pale than it did after the battle. She unconsciously prodded the bandages around Vincent's torso, causing him to shift slightly. The man inhaled sleepily as he awoke.

"Sorry," Tifa mumbled. "Didn't mean to wake you."

Vincent blinked at her before pushing himself up. Tifa moved slightly to let him stand as she remained seated on the bed. She watched him as he stretched, working out the stiffness in his muscles.

"Are you alright?" He asked instead of answering.

Tifa was taken aback by the sudden question.

"I… er… yes…" she stammered. "Sorry about last night… you know…"

The man waved off her apology as he looked outside through a small window set in the shell house. Tifa frowned at his behavior.

"Are you alright?" She retorted. "You lost a lot of blood. Should you really be up and about?"

The ex-Turk stared at her curiously before responding.

"I'm fine," he said quietly. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop Sephiroth from…"

He trailed off. Tifa shook her head in response.

"We'll avenger her death… we'll save the Planet," Tifa said firmly, her hands clenched in her lap.

Vincent nodded slightly but stayed silent for some time, staring out into the empty City.

"Have you spoken with the others yet?" He asked after a while.

Tifa shook her head.

"I just woke up myself," she replied. "Everyone found beds in nearby buildings last night. Cloud… I think he laid Aerith to rest last night."

"We should regroup and head out," Vincent said after more thought. "To be honest, I almost want to keep Cloud away from Sephiroth as much as possible, but we both know how he would take that."

"I suppose you're right," Tifa chuckled weakly.

The girl stared sadly at her hands, lost in though.

"Vincent?" She asked after a moment. "Cloud… Cloud's not alright, is he?"

The man was silent. She didn't push further, his silence was confirmation enough. Vincent picked up his travel bag and made to leave the building.

"Vincent?" Tifa called out once more just before he left.

The man half-turned looking back at the girl who was still sitting on the bed.

"Please, don't die."

Vincent blinked, unsure if he heard her correctly. The fighter sat there, her hands clenched in her lap and her head downturned.

"Tifa, I'm not going to – "

"I know you want to change things, but you keep putting yourself at risk," the girl interrupted in a trembling voice. "I mean, the first thing you did when we met was almost kill yourself saving me!"

"Tifa, I have – "

"Your transformations don't give you an excuse to be so reckless!" Tifa choked out. "Promise me you'll be more careful. I don't know what's going on with Cloud… I can't lose you as well!"

Vincent swallowed hard. Wine-colored eyes bore into him, daring him to refuse.

"I… Tifa, the future isn't so easily changed," he tried. "I can't just…"

"Promise me!" She demanded again, unshed tears gleaming in her eyes.

The silence between the two dragged on for an eternity before Vincent finally relented.

"Fine… I'll be more careful," he sighed.

Tifa nodded as she stood, rubbing her eyes roughly.

"Good. Let's get the others then," she said as she picked up her own bag and joined Vincent at the door.

The two of them walked out along the stone path and found Yuffie sitting on a rock alongside Cait Sith and Nanaki. The young Wutain princess was staring blankly at the road, her blood-shot eyes puffy from crying and a lack of sleep. Nanaki sat to the side, looking out into the City with a mournful expression on his feline features. Even Cait Sith was subdued, making Vincent wonder how Reeve was handling Aerith's death. They perked up a bit when they noticed Vincent approaching.

"Are you alright?" Nanaki asked calmly.

"Yeah," Cait Sith added. "You looked pretty bad last night after…"

He trailed off and an awkward silence descended on the group.

"Stupid toy, Vinnie can't die," Yuffie said in a forced cheer. "Right, Vinnie?"

Vincent watched the young ninja carefully, noting her decidedly worried look despite her stilted banter.

"I'm fine. I apologize for making you all worry," he replied.

Yuffie nodded once before turning away from them. She wiped at her eyes quickly when she thought no one was looking.

"Has anyone seen Cloud?" Tifa asked looking around.

"I think he's been at the lake since last night," Barret sighed as he approached the group.

Tifa frowned and she dropped her bag near Vincent.

"I'll go get him," she said with a sad sigh before running off down the path.

The depressive silence persisted as they waited for their leader to return. After ten minutes or so, Cid finally exited one of the buildings and came over to join them in waiting.

"Shit, that's one hell of a body you've got there," the pilot grumbled. "You had broken ribs and everything."

Vincent shrugged lightly.

"The beasts within my body are a small price to pay if it gets us through this alive," Vincent said quietly.

After a while, Yuffie piped up again.

"Is that… is that why you fought so much to save… to save…" the girl couldn't continue.

Vincent nodded.

"When she left, she told me she knew what was coming and was prepared for it. I disagreed with her, which was why you found me incapacitated outside Gonagaga."

Cid swore under his breath.

"I'll never figure out what that girl was thinking," he sighed.

"The only thing we can do now is trust that the Cetra, and by extension Aerith, know what they were doing," Nanaki intoned. "No doubt Aerith was following what she thought was the best course to save the Planet."

Barret gave an exasperated sigh.

"She's just that kinda person," he said as he idly checked his gun-arm. "I just hope Spike can see that."

No one could fathom what their leader was currently going through. Vincent hoped that the man wouldn't lock himself away and open himself up further towards Sephiroth's machinations.

…

Tifa found Cloud sitting by the edge of the lake near the prayer building. He sat on the sandy bank with his knees drawn up to his chest. The lake, she noticed, was crystal clear, but held no trace of their former companion. Curiously, she approached the seated figure, almost cautiously.

"Cloud?" She called out gently.

He jumped. It seemed that he was so lost in his own thoughts that he hadn't even heard her approaching. This worried Tifa slightly since the City of the Ancients was hardly a monster-free zone. Bewildered, the blonde looked up at her. At that moment, Tifa's heart broke all over again. Cloud looked more like a lost child than their steadfast leader in that moment, with his blue eyes hazy and unfocused.

"Tifa…?" He mumbled. "What… what are you doing here?"

Sighing sadly, the fighter stood by his side. He looked up at her, not even making an effort to get up.

"I came looking for you," she explained. "We're going after Sephiroth if you still want to follow through with that plan."

At the mention of his nemesis, Cloud's face darkened.

"What's the point," he spat. "We don't have any advantage against him now."

"We can't just sit here and let him destroy the world with the Black Materia," Tifa countered.

Cloud glared up at her and while there was anger in his eyes, there was a hopelessness hiding just underneath.

"And what happens when I lose control again?" He demanded. "You saw what happened at the altar! If Vincent hadn't stopped me, I would've… I would've…"

He stared down at his hands.

"I couldn't live with myself if I hurt one of you…" he whispered as his head sank back to staring at the ground.

Tifa shuffled her feet awkwardly, unsure of what to say. She had no idea what Cloud was going through. Vincent had hinted at her friend's mental instability, but she couldn't understand why he was so affected by Sephiroth. There was another long stretch of silence as Tifa waited patiently for Cloud to collect himself.

"Why did she have to leave?" Cloud choked out at last.

"Cloud…" Tifa started.

"Why… why did she have to die?"

Tifa licked her lips, trying to think of some response that wouldn't seem disingenuous or unrealistic.

"Cloud, sometimes… sometimes some things are set in stone…" she tried.

"How would you know that?" He growled angrily. "She had her whole life ahead of her! Maybe…"

He drew a shuddering sob.

"Maybe even with me…" he whispered, his words barely audible.

Tifa knelt, drawing Cloud into an embrace. She was surprised that the jealousy that had burned so fiercely earlier that week was practically nonexistent. She wondered if it had to do with the shock of Aerith's death or perhaps she had simply accepted that Cloud simply didn't see her in any romantic light. Those thoughts let her comfort the broken man in his time of need.

"When Vincent noticed Aerith trying to leave Gongaga, he tried to get me to help," she started. "I… I barely spoke two words to her before she put me to sleep. You know what she said to me?"

Cloud looked helplessly into Tifa's eyes, searching for any kind of answer to the events that had transpired.

"She told me it was something she needed to do," the fighter said heavily. "I think she knew what would happen if she came here to pray for the Planet's help against Sephiroth. I think… I think she knew she would die here…"

Tifa held Cloud at arm's length.

"And yet, she came anyway," Tifa said firmly. "Gods above, she must've been terrified, but the idea of Sephiroth using the Black Materia against the Planet scared her more than death itself."

She shook her head.

"She sacrificed herself for everyone, even those like Shinra who actively harm the Planet through their Mako reactors."

Tifa stood up.

"I don't know about you, but I don't want to let her sacrifice be in vain. I'm going to fight until I can't. Anything to stop Sephiroth from destroying the Planet."

She held out a hand.

"So. Do you want to help stop Sephiroth or not?"

Cloud looked up at the determined woman can couldn't help but let out a watery laugh. He face broke into a crooked grin. Though he still emanated sadness, there was a spark of his former resolve in that smile. He grabbed her hand and stood carefully, wincing as his legs protested the movement.

"I'll go," he said at last.

Tifa nodded once before turning and heading back up the path back towards the others. When she noticed he wasn't following, she turned.

"Cloud?" She called out.

"Just… give me a moment. I'll join you guys in a bit. I… I want to say some final words to Aerith," he said rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

Tifa smiled kindly.

"Be careful then," she said. "This place is not completely safe."

Cloud nodded as Tifa turned and left the clearing. A few minutes later and she found the rest of AVALANCHE, who were now looking rather impatient to get moving.

"Well?" Cid prompted when it was clear their leader hadn't returned yet.

"I think he's doing better," Tifa said hesitantly. "He said he'd only be a minute."

But as fifteen minutes passed, Tifa was starting to fidget. Yuffie was looking around anxiously while Cid was starting to pace.

"Isn't he taking a little too long?" Yuffie asked as she swung her legs idly from where she sat.

"Don't tell me he got lost," Cid groaned. "Who knows how far behind Sephiroth we are at this point…"

"He… he said he wanted a few final words with Aerith," Tifa said unsurely as she stared back down the path towards the building that housed the altar.

"I'll go look for him," Barret grumbled. "Mebbe he really did get lost."

The black man stomped off.

…

Cloud meandered slowly away from lake in which Aerith lay. Each step was taken in agonizing deliberation. His mind knew what he needed to do, but his legs didn't seem to want to move. Even though Tifa's words had comforted him somewhat, his mind continued to replay Aerith's final moments, taunting his inability to do anything but watch as she bled out on the pristine altar. The memory of the warmth of Aerith's blood as he attempted to staunch the fatal wound made his hands shake. Even now, that thought caused him to stumble, leaning heavily into a nearby tree. He squeezed his eyes shut, remembering their last words.

"Aerith! Stay with me dammit! You can't die here!"

Her skin was bone white from the blood loss, but she still smiled weakly up at him. A petite hand caressed his face.

"Cloud… Don't cry… It's okay. Thank you… for everything…"

"Yo! Spike!"

Cloud jumped in surprise, eyes darting wildly around until they found Barret standing a few feet away.

"Oh… hey, Barret," he greeted moodily. "What's up?"

The one-handed gunner frowned at the unenthusiastic response.

"People are waitin' on you! That's what!" He snapped irritably. "Move it!"

Cloud wordlessly walked past Barret at that same slow pace. The black man clicked his teeth in frustration.

"You ain't the only one who's hurtin', ya know?" He growled.

Cloud paused without turning to look at Barret.

"I know," he said quietly.

"An' yer still blamin' yerself?"

"Of course I blame myself," Cloud bit out. "If I wasn't so weak… maybe I could've helped Vincent or…"

Barret stomped up to the motionless man and grabbed his shoulder.

"We were all helpless, man," the bigger man snarled. "Aerith… she was like a daughter to me, ya know?"

"But…" Cloud started.

"You ain't the only one who cared 'bout her!"

"I know that!" The blonde shouted defensively.

"Then get off your spiky ass and help us beat that silver-haired bastard! Or are you just gonna let her death be in vain?"

Cloud paused with a strange expression on his face. Then he let out a weak chuckle.

"What the hell's so funny?" Barret growled. "You goin' loopy again?"

Cloud held up a hand in protest.

"No… it's just, Tifa said the same thing earlier…"

"An' she's damn right," Barret declared with a nod. "Now move it or I'll drag you back instead!"

Barret stormed off back towards the meeting place. Cloud turned slightly and gave the distant lake one last glance before turning and jogging slightly to catch up to the other man. The entire reunion remained a tense affair, though, with only subdued greetings as the AVALANCHE leader returned.

"Sorry for the wait. Let's head north," was all Cloud said before they set out.

Eager to leave the City behind, Yuffie took the lead while the others trailed behind her. However, as they finally reached the edge of the City, Cloud turned once again to stare out into the magnificent yet abandoned husk of what was once the Cetra's biggest settlement. Vincent noticed the man was lagging again and gestured to the others to continue as he waited for Cloud to gather his thoughts. Painstakingly, the blond swordsman turned and trudged up the trail out of the City. He looked curiously up at the cloaked man but didn't say anything. Vincent coughed uncomfortably.

"I'm sorry I was not able to do anything," he finally said softly.

Cloud blinked in confusion as if he had forgotten the ex-Turk's involvement in their rush to find Aerith.

"I… I don't blame you, Vincent," the man sighed.

Vincent shook his head.

"I knew something was bothering her, but she wouldn't let me help," he explained.

Cloud's eyes regained a bit of their focus.

"You talked to her after Tifa was knocked out?" He asked with a hint of desperation.

The other man nodded.

"She was convinced it was something she had to do," Vincent continued. "She… she told me everything would work out."

"Why…" Cloud muttered in confusion.

"She had a unique connection with the Planet. Perhaps she saw the possible futures and took the best path," Vincent shrugged. "I can only believe in her decision and hope that we're on the best path now."

Cloud sighed.

"I wish she didn't have to die," he repeated for what seemed to be the millionth time. "But… all we can do now is believe in Aerith, huh?"

The man continued walking, unknowingly under the wary eye of Vincent.

…

Climbing out of the valley that held the City of the Ancients turned out to be easier than expected. Time and tectonic activity had caused the rock face to split near the bottom leaving behind cracks that were just wide enough for even Nanaki to climb up. Things got marginally easier as they reached an old but sturdy ladder that lead up and out of the valley. Away from the sheltered climate of the valley, they were immediately assaulted by the icy winds of the North.

"Forecasts say there's a blizzard coming in," Cait Sith piped up as they trekked across the icy landscape.

"Let's pick up the pace," Cloud responded.

No one complained as they picked sped up to an almost uncomfortably fast pace. Nobody wanted to be caught in the frozen wasteland when the blizzard finally hit. The winds got fiercer as they travelled as visibility grew increasingly worse. They reached the small town of Icicle Inn just as the storm finally hit. Everybody in town had already holed up for the night, but fortunately the inn still had plenty of rooms. It appeared to be off-season for the snowboarding resort and the owner seemed genuinely happy that they needed rooms. Half-frozen and exhausted from the trip, they huddled near the inn's fireplace as they listened to the howling winds outside. Eventually, they recovered enough to move to the bar for dinner. It was a quiet affair as there were only a few customers getting drunk to forget about the blizzard. One by one, the members of AVALANCHE finished their meals and headed off to bed. Cloud found himself idly pushing the remnants of his meal around on his plate, lost in thought. He looked up as someone cleared their throat.

"How are you doing?" Nanaki asked, his single golden eye reflecting the candlelight.

"I'm… doing better I think," Cloud replied tentatively. "I did a lot of thinking on the way here."

"Aerith was kind to me from the very moment I met her. Even in Hojo's lab, she remained happy and strong," the feline said. "I want to believe that whatever reason she had for running off, it was well justified, even if we don't accept it."

Cloud nodded.

"Vincent and Tifa said she said as much before she left. It's… it's just hard, you know?" He sighed.

"The death of a loved one always is," Nanaki replied pragmatically.

Cloud stayed silent at this.

"Try to get some rest, Cloud," Nanaki directed. "You look like you could use it."

"Yeah," Cloud muttered as Nanaki began walking away before calling out again. "Hey, Red?"

Nanaki paused and turned back.

"Yes?"

"You know a lot about Lifestream right? You studied it in Cosmo Canyon?" Cloud asked.

Nanaki's tail swished idly as he considered the question.

"I did learn a bit from the Elders, though my own knowledge of it is limited."

Cloud swallowed hard before continuing.

"When someone dies… where… I mean… how exactly does Lifestream work?"

The feline sat there thinking for a while.

"I honestly don't know," Nanaki finally replied. "It is said that everything returns to the Planet, humans included, and that humans will one day be reborn. If you're wondering about Aerith, I couldn't tell you. Being a Cetra means different rules may apply. At the same time, everything we think we know about the Lifestream may be completely false."

Cloud frowned at the ambiguous answer. Seeing this, Nanaki continued.

"If it is true, however, I imagine it could easily take years if not centuries for someone to be reborn. And even then, it seems unreasonably optimistic to think that an individual will retain memories of a past life."

"I guess that makes sense," Cloud agreed reluctantly.

Nanaki watched the man as he went back to idly scraping his plate.

"When we face Sephiroth, we will defeat him," Nanaki said as he stood. "He has done too much to harm the Planet. He cannot triumph."

Having said his part, the feline left the room. With a heavy sigh, Cloud heaved himself to his feet and returned to the room he had rented.

…

In the end they spent several days in Icicle Inn due to the ongoing storm. The residents of the town remained indoors and it was only when someone mentioned Aerith's birthmother Ifalna that AVALANCHE braved the treacherous winds to traverse the short distance to the abandoned home Ifalna and Gast once stayed in. As Cloud, Tifa, and Barret investigated Gast's old notes and whatever research remained after Shinra pillaged his house, the others gathered information about their upcoming journey. Fortunately, there was a pretty complete map of the area, albeit one that detailed the different slopes available for vacationers and had significantly less information on the surrounding terrain. It was, however, enough for them to plot a rough path towards a cabin in the woods. This small lodge was typically reserved for tthe most extreme thrill-seekers who wanted to climb the sheer cliff face up towards the cusp of North Crater. The innkeeper tried to talk them out of climbing the dangerous wall, citing multiple deaths in the past despite the multiple safety checkpoints that had been painstakingly created by the first two men who braved it. But Vincent merely thanked the man and told him they knew what they were getting into.

While they waited for Cloud, Barret, and Tifa to return, the remaining members of the team purchased what they could from the local shops to restock their diminished supplies. After that, all they could really do was wait until the blizzard died down and allowed them to set out. Tifa and Barret returned from their information gathering mission first. They appeared exhausted and, after some prodding, explained that they found out a lot more about the Planet, its natural defenses, and Jenova. Cloud had wanted to stay so the pair had returned without him. Several members volunteered to wait for Cloud as Tifa and Barret turned in for the night. Cid was first to see Cloud as he sat by the fire smoking a cigarette.

"Hey, Cloud. How're you doing?" He asked the snow-covered man.

Cloud took off his coat and shook out his hair before moving to join Cid at the fire.

"Tired," he said. "There was a lot of information left behind by Shinra in that house, but a lot of it was well hidden. We spent most of the afternoon looking for any information the professor left behind."

Cid frowned.

"I wasn't asking about that, kid," he grunted. "I meant… you know… about Aerith."

Cloud sighed.

"We found a few videos of Gast and Ifalna, it was a little surreal," he said. "I can see why Vincent hates Hojo so much now. The man only sees humans as test subjects."

"Shit…" Cid cursed. "We're taking that asshole out as well, right?"

Cloud shrugged.

"From what we've seen of Shinra, it seems like a lot of them have to pay for," he replied. "But our mission is Sephiroth. The Planet comes first, then we'll deal with Shinra. Who knows, maybe Reeve will even help."

Cid scoffed at this.

"You really trust that guy?"

Cloud stared into the fire for a while.

"I think so," he finally answered. "Cait Sith has been nothing but helpful on our mission."

"Except giving the Keystone to Shinra," Cid muttered.

"Either way, we need all the allies we can get and Reeve seemed genuine. I think I actually heard him when we were infiltrating Shinra early on. He actually thinks about the people of Midgar. All of them, not just the ones living on the upper city."

Cid grunted as he flicked a cigarette butt into the flames. He stood and stretched tiredly.

"I'm turning in, can't stay up as late as I used to," he complained.

As he made to leave, he turned back to Cloud.

"For what it's worth, Spike," he said. "I trust you to make the right decisions. We'll end Sephiroth and save the Planet like Aerith wanted us to."

Cloud smiled faintly.

"Thanks, Cid," he said gratefully. "That means a lot to me."

The older man waved a hand and left the room. With a sigh, Cloud decided to head back to his room as well. He hoisted himself out of the comfortable leather chair and headed for the stairs. On the way out, he bumped into Cait Sith, who was bouncing lightly near the stairs.

"Hey, Cait Sith," Cloud greeted. "What's up?"

The cat looked a bit nervous.

"I just wanna say… thanks for believing in me," the cat mumbled. "I know you didn't have to, but…"

"I know you were under orders, but you've helped us out a lot already. Just… don't do it again," Cloud replied tiredly.

"Reeve says he's sorry he couldn't do anything to stop Sephiroth either," the tiny robot continued. "Maybe if we had diverted some Shinra troops over…"

Cloud sighed.

"That would've just caused more thoughtless deaths," the man reasoned. "And more problems for us. We're all still wanted, you know?"

"Oh…" the cat sighed looking glum.

There was an awkward silence as Cait Sith fidgeted on top of his mog robot.

"We'll take down Sephiroth in her memory," Cloud finally said. "I hope I can count on you?"

"Oh! Yeah!" The cat said happily, cheering up in an instant. "We'll kick Sephiroth's butt!"

Cloud patted the small cat on the head before returning to his room. Yawning, he sat down near the window and looked outside. The wind had subsided somewhat and he could see a bit of the sky through the clouds. According to the forecasts, the storm would let up before dawn, giving the team previous time to reach North Crater before the weather worsened again. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, lulled by the light breeze outside. He was just on the verge of sleep when there was a light knock. Blinking blearily, Cloud looked around in confusion before focusing on the door. Apparently he was taking too long because the knob jiggled slightly and the door swung open. Cloud stared at as Yuffie snuck into the room only to freeze when she realized he was in the room. She had a piece of paper in her hand which she promptly shoved into her back pocket as she straightened up.

"Oh! H-Hey, Cloud. Fancy to see you awake…" she laughed nervously.

Cloud stared back blandly with one eyebrow raised.

"Sorry, I wanted to…" she began before stopping. "Well, it doesn't matter anymore. Whatcha up to?"

Cloud marveled at how the young girl could shrug off her obvious attempt at breaking and entering in favor of small talk.

"I was trying to sleep," he said mildly. "Why did you knock if you were going to pick the lock?"

Yuffie's eyes darted nervously away from his.

"Er… well, I wanted to give you something…. Never mind that! I've been meaning to ask, what's all that weirdness that goes on when that silver-haired jerk is around you?"

Cloud blinked as the mood in the room shifted suddenly.

"I…" he paused.

It wasn't something he had been keen on investigating as every time whatever it was happened, he felt like he was losing a bit more of his own self.

"I'm not sure," he finally said. "I hear this voice and then my mind goes blank."

Yuffie looked unimpressed at the answer.

"Can't you just, I dunno, ignore it?" She asked in annoyance. "It doesn't seem like it's doing you any favors."

The man was quiet for some time after Yuffie's outburst.

"I don't know if I can," he admitted. "I don't even notice when I lose control of my own body. If I can't fight it off, I'd do more harm than good while fighting Sephiroth."

Yuffie watched with an angry expression on her face, unnoticed by Cloud. The swordsman ran a hand across his face in frustration.

"If I lose control again, I need you guys to stop me before I can hurt anyone else. Kill me if you have to."

A slap echoed in the small room.

"Don't you dare say that!" Yuffie hissed with tears in her eyes. "You're the heart of this team! We're not just going to abandon you!"

"And what if I hurt someone?" Cloud argued back. "If I'm not in control of my body, who knows what could happen! I couldn't forgive myself if I hurt one of you and didn't even remember it!"

"We're not going to kill you and that's final!" Yuffie huffed. "I'll just have to slap sense into you until you come back to us!"

Her anger bled away as she stared at the first person who had ever defended her.

"After all, we're friends, right?" She asked quietly. "Friends don't abandon friends."

Cloud smiled as he rubbed his stinging cheek idly.

"No, I guess they don't, do they?" He mused.

He stared off into the distance again, thinking on what they needed to do. After a moment, he noticed Yuffie shuffling uncomfortably in front of him.

"Was there something else?" He asked. "Did you want to give me that paper or something?"

Yuffie's blushed lightly in embarrassment as she remembered why she had broken into his room in the first place.

"No!" She denied. "Good night!"

With that, she fled the room leaving a puzzled Cloud behind. With a confused shrug, Cloud relocked his door got into bed. As he drifted off to sleep, his last thoughts were a silent promise to Aerith that they would defeat Sephiroth, even if he needed to die to do so.

…

Cloud surveyed the happy scene before him. Everyone was bundled up in cold weather gear and was carrying snowboards or skis. After a brief talk in the morning, they had decided the easiest way to make up the time they lost during the blizzard was to snowboard down into the flatlands below Icicle Inn before travelling the rest of the way on foot. They would return the rented gear at the mountain climbing lodge and the man who owned the house would see the equipment returned.

"Woo! Snowboarding!" Yuffie shouted as she ran around brandishing her rented board.

Cloud smiled. At the very least some people appeared to be having fun. He was glad the young girl wasn't thinking too hard about the impending fight against Sephiroth. A part of him wished that she hadn't gotten caught up in their mess. After all, what did a renegade Wutain princess have to do with saving the Planet.

"You look better," Tifa commented as she stepped beside Cloud.

"I'm feeling a bit better," he replied before waving at the others to gather around him.

"Everyone, we're going after Sephiroth," he began solemnly.

"No shit, Spike!" Cid shouted back.

Cloud frowned but continued nevertheless.

"He's an opponent like no other. Like it or not, we may not all survive this fight."

A tense silence descended on the group. Cloud clenched a fist and raise it in front of him.

"But even if I have to die, I'm going to take Sephiroth down with me!"

Barret and Cid yelled out their approval. Nanaki growled as his muscles tensed, awaiting the day's journey. The others merely continued to watch him.

"Something happens when Sephiroth is near me," he continued. "I don't know what it is, but I think he's somehow able to control me."

He looked out at the group.

"If that happens, I want you to stop me. If killing me is the only way, then so be it. That's my order as the leader of this group," he finished.

Yuffie looked upset about this but didn't say anything. Cloud winced internally, wishing he had something else to say to the girl. The rest of the group nodded and they prepared to head out. However, as they moved towards the slopes, a familiar voice rang out.

"Oh, no you don't!"

To their surprise, a tired Elena rushed out into the middle of the path, blocking their way. Two soldiers seemed to be reluctantly following her.

"What do you want, Elena?" Cloud sighed as he unsheathed his sword in anticipation of battle.

The petite blonde faltered at the sight of his weapon but pushed forward nevertheless.

"My orders are to bring you back to Shinra!" She declared. "Or did you think you could just get away with beating up Tseng like that!"

Cloud looked curiously at her.

"You know Aerith and Vincent saved his life right…?" He asked curiously.

"H-Huh?" Elena stammered. "Really? Wait… I mean…"

The woman stumbled over her words as she got visibly more agitated.

"GAH! Dammit don't you mock me!" She finally yelled as she took a swing at Cloud.

Unfortunately, Elena was hardly proficient at hand-to-hand combat and her attack was very easily dodged. She lost her footing due to poor balance and, letting out a shrill shriek, tumbled to the group, rolling out of town due to the hill they were on. The soldiers escorting her sighed and ran off after her.

"That was… weird," Yuffie said idly.

"Elena is a bit of a ditz," Cait Sith piped up.

Cloud shook his head and tried his best to ignore the angry shouts of the Turk in the distance. He turned back to the group.

"We cannot stop until Sephiroth is dead."

Everyone shouted an affirmative. With that, they grabbed their snowboards and headed off towards the Great Glacier and Gaea's Cliff, and one step closer to Sephiroth.

…

A/N: Did you know my original note for this chapter had me estimating about six more chapters? Yeah, I don't think that's gonna happen, especially with this being rewritten to these lengths and chapter 12 only being in Mideel.

…

Omake 6:

Tifa had decided to lead the group as Cloud was lagging behind. She saw Vincent hang back as well and decided to give them their space. With a huff, she began scaling the fissures in the cliff leading out of the City of the Ancients. It was tough, but by pressing her back against one side and using her legs, she was able to shimmy up to the next level. Encouraged by her performance, the others followed suit. She was about to start for the next ledge when she heard an odd scratching sound followed by a dull thud and a yelp of pain. Looking over the edge, she saw Nanaki laying in a crumpled heap at the bottom of the cliff.

"Do you need help?" She called out.

Clearly flustered, the feline scrambled to his feet.

"It's alright, I can do this," he responded more to himself than Tifa.

The fighter watched as the large beast began climbing the fissure. He made it up partway before his claws lost purchase on the smooth stone and he once again slid down. It seemed his claws didn't have quite the same grip as the rubber soles of her boots.

"I think I need some help," Nanaki finally said in utter embarrassment.

If anyone passed through the City of the Ancients during those few hours, they would've seen a small group of people slowly hauling a large feline up the cliff using a rope tied around his stomach.

The ridiculous amount of time spent hauling Nanaki up the cliff resulted in the group getting caught unprepared in the blizzard.

Everyone died.

Vincent woke up.