THIRTY-EIGHT

Jessie and I waited until the others had joined us on the small bluff outside Bugenhagen's observatory before going inside. He and Red—or Nanaki, that is—were already there. It was a modest home with a small kitchen and living area on the first floor and a bedroom on the second at the top of a ladder in one corner. A closed wooden door on the right led to what I figured was the actual laboratory.

Red introduced us again. "This is my grandfather, Bugenhagen. He is incredible, Cloud. He knows everything."

"Thank you again for looking after Nanaki here," Bugenhagen said, laughing heartily. "I'm certain it could not have been easy. He's actually quite young, you see. Barely more than a child."

"Grandfather, stop!" Red argued. "I'm forty-eight!"

Jessie gaped. "Huh? Really?"

Bugenhagen smiled. "Nanaki's tribe has remarkable longevity, you see. They can live for hundreds of years. So in human terms, he would really be perhaps only about fifteen or sixteen."

"A teenager?" I stared.

"Seriously!?" Yuffie grinned, doubling over in an uncontrollable fit of helpless laughter. "All this time, you had us thinking you were so old and wise, Red, but it turns out you're really just a kid!"

Barret chuckled. "Well, whaddya know…"

"I think it's cute!" Aerith giggled.

"As I'm sure you noticed, he's quiet and often serious," Bugenhagen explained. "Not bad traits, really, but I can see how that might've given you the impression he was older than he really is."

I had to agree. "Seemed that way."

Red sighed. "Grandfather, I'm almost an adult now. I really want to grow up so I can protect you and the village."

"No, Nanaki," Bugenhagen said, shaking his head. "Not yet. You're not quite ready. If you rush into it now, it will make things difficult for you in the long run. Better to take your time. When this planet is in its last days, you'll understand how little you know."

"When the planet dies?" I frowned.

Jessie folded her arms in front of her. "What do you mean?"

Bugenhagen went on. "It could be tomorrow, or perhaps a hundred years from now. But I sense it coming. It's not far."

"How?" I wondered.

"The cry of the planet," he explained. "I can hear it."

As we stood there, we could hear a low throbbing sound all around us, pulsing almost like a heartbeat. It went on, filling the house, and as I looked uncertainly at Jessie and the others, I couldn't help wondering what it was. I'd never heard anything like it before, outside or anywhere else, but here in Bugenhagen's observatory, it was clear.

Tifa blinked. "What's that?"

"The sound of the stars as they float high in the heavens above us," Bugenhagen said. "Normally, they can't be heard, but the equipment in my observatory has been designed to capture, analyze, and amplify this phenomenon so we can perceive it. While the stars burn and make this sound, planets are born, live, and eventually die."

Just then, a high, keening wail suddenly cut through the throbbing noise, and I winced involuntarily. Aerith did the same, and Jessie, Tifa, and the others didn't seem to care for it any more than we did. It felt as if something were crying out in pain. It seemed to come from above us at first, then all around us, as if it was everywhere.

"What is that?" Yuffie shuddered.

"A scream from this planet," Bugenhagen replied as he sat perched on his floating green orb. "A cry of pain and suffering."

Aerith nodded. "It's being hurt…"

"Grandfather, my friends are on a long journey to save the planet," Red said. "Perhaps you could show them your observatory? I'm certain it may help to answer some of their questions."

Bugenhagen chuckled. "Well, why not? Seems this place has gotten rather busy lately. I'd be glad to help them."

I nodded. "Thanks. We need to know all we can."

"You all go on," Red told us as he started padding toward the door. "I've seen it before, many times, and I should rest."

Bugenhagen shook his head. "No, Nanaki. Something tells me you should join us this time. Things have a way of changing when you view them again, and you may gain new insights."

Red rejoined us. "As you wish, Grandfather."

"An observatory?" Tifa said. "Sounds interesting…"

"Ugh, I hate studying!" Yuffie muttered.

Barret snorted. "Good thing you ain't in charge, then. Who knows? You might jus' learn somethin' in there."

"Aye, I cannae wait to see it!" Cait added.

We all followed Bugenhagen through the nearby door and into his observatory. It was a large, round lab with shelves full of machines and other equipment along the walls. Overhead was a wide, domed ceiling, and on the left was a large control panel. Bugenhagen floated over to it and motioned for us to move further into the room.

"Yes, that's it, gather together now," he said. "I'll be right over here. Oh, and do close the door, please. Thank you."

Once Barret had shut it behind us, Bugenhagen pressed a sequence of buttons on the control panel, and all the lights went out. Then, as we watched, we found ourselves in the middle of a holographic simulation of the solar system. Stars glittered all around us, dots of light hiding the walls and ceiling. In the middle was the sun, a bright orange ball of fire and light, and circling around it were planets.

"Wow…" Jessie breathed, her eyes wide. "This is incredible!"

I nodded. "Yeah…"

Barret gazed around him in awe. "It's really somethin'!"

"Gotta say, I'm surprised!" Yuffie admitted. "Thought we were just gonna get some boring lecture, but this is really cool!"

"It's just like the real thing!" Tifa agreed.

Aerith smiled up at the holographic stars. "So pretty…"

Cait twitched his whiskers. "Aye. Sure is…"

"I'm pleased you're enjoying my laboratory," Bugenhagen chuckled. "All the workings of space have been programmed into this interactive holographic system. It took quite a while, believe me."

"I'd love to know how you did it!" Jessie gushed. "It must've taken a really powerful computer setup to pull this off. Lots of processor power and memory, not to mention some pretty amazing programming skills. I've gotta say, Mr. Bugenhagen, I'm impressed!"

He laughed. "Ah, a fellow lover of technology, are you?"

Jessie smirked. "You could say that."

"So I noticed," Bugenhagen said, his eyes dancing. "And I would be happy to explain to you later how this all works. It's quite fascinating, I must admit. But now, let us return to the subject at hand."

"Look!" Aerith pointed.

We all followed her gaze and saw what she was talking about right away. Streaking across holographic space was a comet, blue and bright, its long tail of gassy vapor stretched out behind it. The comet flew past us in a streak of brilliant light and went deeper into space. As we stood there, I realized the floor was hidden as well.

"A shooting star!" Tifa gasped.

"It's really wonderful," Aerith added, her eyes drawn to an orbiting planet that passed right in front of her along with a moon. "Makes you feel like you're really out there, you know?"

Bugenhagen smiled. "Yes, it is quite something, isn't it? Now, then. Let's begin. All humans die. But what happens afterward? As we know, the body decomposes and returns to the planet. But then, what of their hearts and souls? They do likewise. In fact, all living things work in the same way. Humans, plants, animals… all of them."

"A cycle of life…" I murmured.

"Yes, exactly," he agreed. "The souls that return to the planet merge with one another. They roam, converge, and divide, becoming the vast wave known as the lifestream. A sea of spirit energy traveling endlessly through the planet. Never forget those words."

Aerith's gaze was distant, wondering. "Spirit energy…"

Bugenhagen went on. "When a new life is born, children are given spirit energy from the lifestream and are brought into the world. When the time comes for them to die, they and that energy once again return to the planet. There are exceptions, of course, but this is the way of the world. You'll understand better if you watch this…"

We all looked as the holographic display zoomed in close on one of the planets. Amidst a swirl of spirit energy, a man arose, walked across the surface a bit, and then vanished, dissipating back into spirit energy that flowed to the other side of the planet and formed a tree. And from there, more glowing wisps flowed back and forth across the planet in a colorful display, forming and reforming other people and animals and plants in a constant and unending cycle of life.

"Spirit energy makes all things possible," Bugenhagen said. "Trees, birds, humans… all of it. And not just living things, either. Planets, too. It's what allows them to be what they are. But what do you think would happen if all that spirit energy were to disappear?"

He answered his own question by appearing next to the planet and holding out his arm. As he did, the spirit energy drained away, leaving the planet a dead, gray husk that crumbled and fell apart. I shivered as I watched, knowing what he was getting at. The others seemed uneasy as well, no doubt catching on just as I had.

"These are the basics of planetology," Bugenhagen concluded.

I folded my arms in front of me and frowned. "If the planet's spirit energy is lost, it's dead. And so are we…"

He nodded. "Yes. Spirit energy is efficient precisely because it exists within nature. However, when it is forcefully extracted, processed, and manufactured, it can't accomplish its true purpose."

"You're talking about mako energy," Jessie realized.

"Correct," Bugenhagen agreed. "Shinra's mako reactors drain spirit energy from the planet, reducing what remains. Then it gets converted and corrupted into mako energy. In essence, all living things are being used up and thrown away, discarded as if they were nothing. Mako will only destroy the planet in the end, I'm afraid."

Barret clenched his fist. "Jus' like I've always said."

Tifa gazed at where the holographic planet had been. "We've gotta find a way to save the planet before it's too late."

"We will," I assured her.

"Hmm…" Bugenhagen chuckled. "Quite determined, I see. A good thing, too. Your task is going to be difficult, but I'll help you as much as I can. Oh, and feel free to speak with the elders if you wish. Hargo and Bugah. They may be able to offer you some insight."

Jessie smiled. "Thanks. There's something I wanted to ask you first, though. Do you know anything about… timelines?"

He scratched his beard. "Hmm… as a matter of fact, I do. I've only recently begun to study the topic, so much of it is still theory, but I can tell you what I know. You might consider this advanced planetology, if this feeling of repetition is in fact accurate."

"You too?" she blinked.

"Indeed," Bugenhagen said. "Ever since you all arrived."

I wanted to know, too. "Go on."

"From our admittedly limited point of view, we perceive the planet as only existing in terms of what we can detect with our five senses. It's a reasonable enough assumption, if a bit flawed."

"How so?" I asked.

Bugenhagen floated around us. "Consider this feeling that we've all done this before. Strong enough that none of us are able to dismiss it as a figment of our imagination. So perhaps we have done this already, at some point in another past. But that doesn't quite track, does it? Since I also feel that it isn't entirely the same as before."

Jessie nodded. "I don't feel it, at least about this, because this really is my first time being here. I never made it this far… until now. Most of this journey is new to me. So maybe it's not just about the past, but also now, and maybe what hasn't even happened yet."

"For every choice we make and everything that happens, there are also a possibly infinite number of alternatives," Bugenhagen explained. "But the planet only allows one set of these to play out… or does it? It's conceivable that these other possibilities all do occur, each in their own timeline. Or variant, if you will. That might be more accurate since this isn't merely about time but also space as well."

"Parallel… realities?" Tifa wondered.

He continued. "Yes, I believe so. It feels as if we've had this meeting before because we actually have, in other variants. And are also having it even now in still others. And in some, we haven't gotten to this point yet. And each one is different. For example, I don't have the feeling I've ever met you before now in any variant, miss…?"

"Jessie," she finished. "And yeah, I feel the same way about you. It's my first time here. I don't think I ever met you in any reality until now. Because in most of those other variants… I died."

"I see…" Bugenhagen sighed.

Jessie's hand found mine. "But I'm here now, thanks to my friends. Part of a journey I'd never gotten to experience before. It hasn't always been easy, but I'm still glad to be a part of it."

He smiled fondly. "And I'm pleased to have been able to meet you, Jessie. Now, then. Where were we? Ah, yes. A possibly infinite number of variants co-existing here on this one planet. Normally, they wouldn't be able to interact—the planet's reality would probably rip apart if they ever did—and most of the time, those within them remain unaware of the others. However, our variant may be different."

"In what way?" I asked.

"The boundaries of our variant may be thinner than those of most others," Bugenhagen said. "That might be why we're able to sense what our other selves have done and are doing, at least in a very limited way. I would imagine the Ancients were better at it."

Aerith looked thoughtfully at him. "You might be right. My people have always been closer to the planet than anyone else. And I do feel it more strongly. When I touched Cloud in Midgar, I actually saw part of what happened to Jessie in another variant."

Bugenhagen nodded. "As I thought. And that would mean that the hard journeys the Ancients made long ago to nurture the planet might have spanned more than just this one reality."

"You mean… all of them?" her green eyes widened. "The Ancients could travel from one variant to another?"

"I believe so, at least for a time. And I think that sheds new light on why some eventually chose to forgo their journeys and settle down. To choose a single variant and build a life there rather than continue from world to world. I suppose you can't blame them."

"Uh, I'm lost…" Yuffie blinked.

Barret scratched his head. "You ain't the only one…"

Cait swished his tail. "Aye. I donnae either."

"Ah, yes," Bugenhagen chuckled. "It is a lot to take in. This may be of help, however. If you'll just give me a moment…"

After taking a tablet from the pocket of his blue robe, he tapped in a few commands, then the holographic display shifted to zoom in close on another planet. Like before, a man emerged from a sparkling green swirl of spirit energy. But as he started walking forward, a second man appeared in the same place, his body translucent, and went in the other direction. A third man arose in the same moment and went left while a fourth went right and a fifth stayed where he was.

A moment later, dozens of other people appeared across the planet along with their other selves, all overlapping and doing different things as hundreds of different versions of the lifestream flowed underneath it at the same time. And the planet itself seemed to shift and change, as if countless semitransparent spheres had all been layered over each other, some of them with geography that was pretty similar to ours but also a lot of others that were completely different.

"Oh, I think I'm starting tae see now…" Cait said. "This does make it a wee bit easier for mae to catch on tae all this."

Barret shrugged. "Kinda, yeah."

Yuffie gazed blankly at the shimmering planet. "So, uh… does this mean that there are lots of me out there?"

"Talk about a nightmare…" Barret shuddered.

"Ha!" she smirked. "That just means all these timelines or variants or whatever they are have an exotic and beautiful ninja looking out for them… and grabbing some nice materia, too!"

Bugenhagen laughed. "I suppose you could say that, yes. There are many other selves for each of us, as you can see."

Red padded over to him. "So what else do you know, Grandfather? Are all these variants basically the same world with different outcomes for each choice and event? Or is it more than that?"

"Many variants are likely similar to ours, but I believe there could also exist others that are quite different. Even the seas and land masses might be nothing like they are here. Different possibilities bring about countless different ways for each variant's version of the planet to have developed and evolved. Some might even have races that don't exist in our own reality. And those Ancients who stayed in these worlds might also have grown and changed in many ways."

"That means they might be different than the ones who lived here," Aerith said, thinking out loud. "And maybe their powers, too. I think I understand now. So that's what he meant…"

"Who?" I wondered.

She blinked, startled. "Oh! It's nothing…"

I doubted that but decided not to push her about it. I already knew Aerith had her share of secrets, probably a lot more than the rest of us. In any case, there wasn't really anything I could do about it right now. I thought about everything we'd learned and knew that if we could piece together what was really going on, Sephiroth likely already had. And it made me concerned about something else.

"Bugenhagen," I asked. "About the lifestream… is it the same in all the variants, or is it different in each one?"

He thought for a minute. "Hmm… I can't say for certain, of course, but I believe it should be different in each variant. This would be from each reality having a unique composition of spirit energy entering and leaving the lifestream to create new life. However… there may also be a compounding effect as well. If someone who was aware of the different variants entered the lifestream in any one of them, he might also sense the flow of souls in the other variants as well."

I frowned. "Sephiroth…"

"If he's gained the knowledge of his other selves," Jessie said, "then we've got a serious problem on our hands…"

"What do we do?" Tifa asked.

Bugenhagen shut off the holographic solar system display, and the room returned to normal. "You can start by telling me of your journey, how you came to be here, and where you're going. Nanaki said that you all are trying to save the planet. From Sephiroth, I'm certain. Oh, yes, I know of him. By reputation, but that's quite enough."

I nodded. "Sure. It's a long story, though…"

"No doubt," he agreed. "You all must be hungry, of course. So why don't you share your story with me over dinner? I might not look like it very much, but I'm quite the cook. Although I'm not used to having so many guests here. Still, you're most welcome."

Tifa smiled. "Thank you! I can help, if you want."

Bugenhagen opened the door. "By all means. As for the rest of you, feel free to explore the town or talk with the elders if you wish. Dinner should be ready in about half an hour or so."

"Right!" Jessie said as we followed Bugenhagen back into the living area. "Oh, yeah, and that reminds me… we'll also need to pick up some food, gas, and supplies to restock the buggy."

"I'll send word to the elders to make certain the shopkeepers have whatever you need," Bugenhagen assured us. "And that they give you a a sizable discount as well. Saving the planet is no small task, and I have a feeling you'll need all the help you can get."

She grinned. "Thanks!"

As I was getting ready to head outside with the others, I thought of something Red had said earlier. "Red, what's the deal with your father? You mentioned him running away, but I feel like there's more to it than that. So what happened between you two?"

"Wait, what's this?" Bugenhagen said, his bushy gray brows coming together. "Your father a coward, Nanaki? Is that really what you think? So you've believed that for all this time…"

"I… yes," Nanaki sighed.

Bugenhagen shook his head. "This is not good. I need to think on this and determine what to do. It may be time…"

"Time for what?" Red asked.

"Nothing for you to concern yourself with right now," Bugenhagen replied. "And not something to be dealt with on an empty stomach. Go on now, Nanaki. We'll address this matter later."

We headed outside except for Tifa, who stayed to help Bugenhagen with dinner. My mind was still trying to make sense of everything we'd learned in the observatory. It was definitely a lot to take in, but I didn't doubt Bugenhagen or what he'd told us. It fit with our own experiences and made sense, even if it was a little strange. Alternate timelines, even completely different worlds, somehow coexisting together on the same planet. And I had no doubt Sephiroth was after them. Not just our own variant this time, but all the others as well.

Saving the planet had just become a lot more complicated.

Later that night after dinner, we were all sitting around the Cosmo Candle except for Grandfather, who had remained in his observatory. I couldn't help feeling uneasy about what he'd said earlier, that there was more to what had happened with my father than I believed. But I knew my memories, what I'd seen. My father, Seto, running into the caves as the Gi tribe had attacked us from outside. He'd raced out of sight while Mother had fought alongide the villagers, and I'd never seen him again. The old hate rose up in me again, and I growled.

"You okay, Red?" Jessie, who was on my left, wondered.

I relaxed. "Yes. I think so…"

Yuffie yawned as she stretched out. "Gawd, this place is boring. We really should go look for some materia!"

Of course, I saw right through her flimsy pretense and understood what was behind it. I would miss her as well. Memories of our chase in Kalm where we'd first met rose up in my mind. I'd grown rather fond of her during the course of our journey together in spite of her brash and irrepressible nature. She felt the same, though she'd rarely said it. I saw in Yuffie a bit of myself as I'd once been and perhaps in some ways still was. I suppose we both had much yet to learn.

"Cosmo Canyon…" Barret sighed as he gazed at the crackling fire, then at Jessie. "It's where Avalanche began. An' even though things are different now an' you, Biggs, an' Wedge are alive, Jessie, I still can't help thinkin' 'bout all those other worlds, realities, variants, or whatever the hell they are where you guys didn't make it…"

"Barret…" Jessie murmured.

He went on. "I always promised ya we'd come here, remember? An' here we are. At least, this time. But in those other places, you three was long gone. Gave your lives for the planet… or at least that's what I told myself, I'm guessin'. An' now… I ain't sure I did such a good job as your leader. Led ya straight into your goddamn graves. So, Jessie… I need to know… can you an' the guys ever forgive me?"

Jessie smiled gently. "Of course, Barret. We never blamed you. Not once. We all knew what we were signing up for, where it could go. And I'll never forget how hard you fought to save me when I was dying after the plate fell. I heard you when I was in that coma."

"Ya did?" Barret's face lit up.

"Oh, yeah," Jessie nodded. "Urging me to hold on, telling me that I wasn't going to die… and that you were going to make sure of that. You were there for me when I needed you, Barret. And whatever happened in those other variants, I know you did your best for us. So don't blame yourself, okay? We don't. And we never have."

He grinned and relaxed. "Thanks, Jessie… didn't realize how much I needed that 'till now. Or all of you."

"You're stuck with us, big guy," she teased.

"Ain't no better place to be!" Barret laughed. "Still gonna do all that I can to save the planet, but now I'm gonna look out for you three, too. Gonna make sure y'all get to have the good, long lives you never did in them other places. An' that's a promise. 'Cause Avalanche ain't jus' bout protectin' the planet anymore. Now it's about protectin' you. An' all the rest of ya, too. Guess ya might say it's reborn!"

Jessie grinned. "We'll protect each other. Always."

"Exactly," Tifa agreed. Then she looked at Cloud, who sat between her and Jessie. "Cloud, you know… bonfires have a way of making you remember things sometimes, don't you think?"

"I suppose," he shrugged.

She went on. "There's something I wanted to know. It's been on my mind for a long time now. Five years ago…"

"What is it?" Cloud asked.

"No, nevermind," Tifa shook her head. "It's nothing."

Cloud didn't seem convinced. "You sure?"

"Yeah," she replied, looking away. "Forget I asked. I don't think I'm as ready to talk about it as I thought."

"When you are, you know where to find me," he said.

She smiled. "Thanks, Cloud."

"Made you a promise," he replied.

"I spoke with the elders earlier," Aerith murmured. "While you and Bugenhagen were making dinner, Tifa. They told me a lot, and I found out more about the planet, the Cetra, and myself. And that Jenova was never an Ancient. Shinra only thought she was one."

"She wasn't?" Jessie blinked, startled.

Aerith shook her head. "No. Dr. Gast, the scientist who discovered her, was a friend of Elder Bugah and used to visit here a lot. He ran the Science Division before Hojo took over. Elder Bugah also told me that Dr. Gast left Shinra after he realized he'd made a mistake about Jenova and that she wasn't really an Ancient after all."

Tifa glanced at her. "What happened to him?"

"No one really knows," Aerith sighed. "He made one last visit here just before he quit Shinra, and then he disappeared. From everything I heard from the elders, Dr. Gast seemed like a decent man. He didn't get along with Hojo, which is a definite plus for me. I really wish I could've met him, though. I'm sure there's a lot he'd have shared with me. Bugah also said he was fond of… but no, it couldn't be…"

"What do you mean?" Tifa asked.

Aerith went on. "Well, Dr. Gast used to have drinks with Bugah at the bar, and he mentioned a woman he'd come to care about. He never said her name, only that she was one of a kind and in Shinra's custody. So he always kept his feelings to himself while working with her. Until he quit and disappeared. Elder Bugah said Dr. Gast told him during his last visit here that he was getting her out."

Cloud looked thoughtfully at her. "He must have. She wasn't there when we saved you in the Shinra Building, and if she was as important as Dr. Gast thought she was, Shinra would have still had her there even after all this time. But where did they go after that?"

"No idea," Aerith shrugged. Then she gazed pensively into the fire, her hands in her lap. "But… could it be? Was it her?"

"Who?" Tifa wondered.

Aerith leaned forward. "My mother. My real mother, that is. Shinra had her for a long time. I remember her telling me that when I was just a little girl and we were still in the lab together."

I suddenly I understood where this was going. "And she could very well be said to be one of a kind—the last of the Cetra. And if she is the woman Dr. Gast spoke of, then he could be…"

"My father…" Aerith finished.

"What do you remember about him?" Cloud asked.

She smiled sadly. "Just images, really. Feelings. I was only a baby at the time. But he made me feel safe. Mom never spoke of him whenever I'd hear from her in Midgar, but I could feel how much he meant to her and that he cared about me as much as she did. I think she wanted me to know and understand how much they both loved me."

"I'm sure they did," Tifa agreed.

"Still, I'm alone…" Aerith sighed. "I'm the last of the Cetra. Well… in this variant, at least. There's no one else."

Cloud looked at her. "We can still help, can't we?"

She shook her head. "It's not the same…"

I had no doubt that was true. Aerith was the only one of her people who still lived, much as I was. And I wondered again if remaining here was truly the right decision for me. I wanted to help her and the others, and yet I also had my duty. Also, hearing about how the man who was likely Aerith's father had loved her made me feel bitter about my own. I hated him yet found myself doubting what I felt.

"Being here sure brings back memories," Cait said, looking around. "How many years has it been since then, I wonder?"

"Thought this was your first time, cat," Barret grunted.

Cait adjusted his little gold crown as he sat atop his moogle mount. "Aye ahn nae. It's a wee bit complicated, ye see."

Jessie smirked knowingly at him. "I think I understand."

"Aye, lass. I thought ye would," Cait nodded.

"Long ago…" I began, unable to keep it to myself any longer. Being here brought it all back. "My family and I were sitting here around this same fire one night, very much as we all are now—myself, my parents, Grandfather, and a few others—when the attack began."

Cloud looked at me. "What happened?"

"As I said, this concerns my parents," I explained. "When I speak of my mother, I am full of pride and joy, as I should be. But when I think of my father, I can't help but hate him. I feel such rage…"

Just then, Grandfather floated down to us from the second level on that shimmering green orb of his. "You can't forgive him?"

I growled, hate in my heart. "Never! He left Mother and I for dead! When the Gi tribe struck, he ran for the caves like a coward, leaving us and the people of the canyon to fend for ourselves!"

"It's worse than I thought," Grandfather sighed. Then he beckoned to me. "Come, Nanaki. There's something you must see."

"What is it?" I wondered.

He shook his head. "Better shown than told. Cloud, would you and a few others come with us? It may be dangerous."

Cloud nodded and stood up. "Sure."

"I'll go," Aerith volunteered. "Red helped me out of a real jam back in Midgar. And I want to do the same for him."

"Thank you," I said.

Yuffie rose and brushed herself off. "Ah, what the hell? It'll be a lot more exciting than just sitting around here. And maybe we'll find some special materia wherever we're going. So I'm in."

I knew the real reason she wanted to accompany us, and I was very grateful. Her friendship was important to me. "Very well, Yuffie. I hope you'll at least try to stay out of trouble, however."

"Ha! As if!" she smirked.

"Be careful, guys," Jessie urged us.

Cloud waved to her. "We will. Be back soon."

Then we left, heading across the main plateau and up the winding stairs while Grandfather floated ahead of us. I wondered where he was leading us and what he wanted to show me but knew better than to ask any further about it. Once we had entered the main passageway on the second level, Grandfather led us to far end and the sealed door. I wasn't surprised. It had been shut and locked for as long as I could remember, and he had never once told me what lay beyond it.

"Well, now, are we all set?" Grandfather asked us.

Cloud nodded. "Yeah. Ready to go."

Grandfather touched a few buttons on a control panel mounted on the wall nearby, and the thick steel door slid open. "Very well, then. It's time to be off, so go ahead and go inside."

"You're not coming, Grandfather?" I blinked.

"What, are you nuts?" he grimaced. "This place is dangerous. I told you that earlier, didn't I? You think an old man like me should go first? I'll be right behind you, Nanaki, so don't worry."

Uncertain of what to expect, I entered the old cave.