FORTY-SEVEN

Well, looks like it's finally my turn to do some talkin' for a while. It ain't easy relivin' all the shit we went through back then, but it's for the best. Can't be lettin' the past dog ya forever. Somethin' I learned durin' our long journey to stop Sephiroth and Shinra. I didn't treat Shera near as well as I should've back then, ain't gonna lie. Had my head up my ass about the launch and took it out on her. She never deserved it, though. Girl's a saint for puttin' up with my crap for so long. And I'm damned lucky to have her. Just wanted that on the record.

She's with me here around that big bonfire in Cosmo Canyon with the others while we're recordin' our story, her and our little Cal—that's Calista to you. Just a few months old and the prettiest thing I ever saw. I'm doin' this for her as much as for me and Shera, to give my little girl a better world and a better future than what we started with. So I s'pose I oughta get my ass in gear and get started, eh?

We made it to shore three hours after I'd landed the Tiny Bronco in the middle of the ocean. Jessie was still next to me in the copilot's seat, so once them rocky shoals came into view, I had her extend the wheels from the pontoons. I felt 'em thump down and lock into place after she hit the button as the plane skated across the water. Soon as we got close enough, I drove us right outta the ocean and onto dry land. More rock than sand here, but still passable. I didn't go far, though. Just enough to get off the shore and into a nearby grassy field.

"We're here," I grunted onced I'd parked the Tiny Bronco. "Though this baby'll need repairs before she'll fly again."

Jessie smiled. "Need a hand, Cid?"

"That'd be great, thanks," I nodded, switchin' off the engines. Then I glanced at the others over my shoulder. "Everyone okay?"

"We're fine," Cloud answered.

That kid Yuffie slowly lifted her head and looked around the cabin as if she wasn't sure we'd stopped. "Did we make it?"

"Safe and sound," Tifa assured her.

"Thank Leviathan…" Yuffie breathed as she finally relaxed.

I snorted as I unfastened my safety harness and stood up. "Told ya I'd get ya down safe, kid. Ain't no better pilot than me!"

"So what's the plan?" Jessie asked as she did the same.

"Let's get off the plane first," Cloud decided. "Then we'll figure out where we are and which way we need to go."

Yuffie grinned. "I'll be the guide! Just leave it to me!"

"Alright," he nodded. "Let's mosey."

I blinked. "Mosey? The hell's that? Either say it like a man or don't say it at all. You sound like a goddamn sissy."

"It is kinda funny, Cloud," Jessie laughed helplessly.

He shrugged. "Move out, everyone."

There was a small hatch in the floor just behind the cockpit. Once I pulled it open and unrolled the rope ladder attached to it, we climbed down to the ground outside under the Tiny Bronco's nose. There was a light breeze puffin' past us as the sun sank slowly behind a line of high, rocky hills to the west. I hefted the spear I'd brought with me from the plane and tucked it snugly into the loop Shera had sewn for me on the back of my leather jacket years ago to hold it.

"Can you fight?" Cloud asked me.

I nodded. "If need be. Served in the Shinra military for a few years when I was younger and learned how to use this thing. That was before I got into piloting and fell in love with the sky."

Jessie chuckled. "I can see how it pulled you in, Cid. Being up there was really fun, you know? Exhilarating!"

"Ain't nothin' like it," I laughed, knowin' exactly how she felt.

"So, Yuffie, do you know where we are?" Tifa asked.

Yuffie looked around and frowned in concentration. "Hmm… let's see… looks like we're in the northern part of the island. Fort Tamblin's a ways to the south. That means the capital's north of here, about three days on foot. The terrain's pretty rough, too."

"Ain't gonna get far today," I noted. "Sun's goin' down."

Cloud followed my gaze. "Yeah. Better find a place to camp for the night. Then we'll get moving early in the morning."

So we all headed out, makin' our way north across the field toward a cluster of trees at the far end. I doubted anyone would try to take the Tiny Bronco while we were gone. Wouldn't do 'em any good since I was the only one left who knew the startup code now that Palmer'd had his sorry ass run over by that troop carrier back home.

A line of low hills rose up past the woods, and we were just headin' up that way through the trees a while later, searchin' for a good place to camp for the night, when about a half a dozen soldiers came marchin' out from behind a low rise just ahead of us. Although they were clearly Wutaian, they wore the dark blue uniforms and shiny metal helmets of Shinra soldiers. They had short, slender swords with small round hilts instead of rifles, though. Wakizashi, I think they're called. The soldiers drew 'em as they closed in on us from all sides.

"There they are!" one of 'em shouted. "Seize them!"

Yuffie's eyes blazed as she pulled out her shuriken. "Fuck that, you bastards! You've betrayed Leviathan and Da-chao! Our ancestors! How could you do that to them and forget who we are?"

"Wutai's changing, girl!" the soldier said. "It's time to put aside the old legends. Shinra and mako are the future."

"The hell they are!" Yuffie snarled.

The soldier pointed his sword at her. "Godo's a fool if he thinks he can stop what's happening. And so are you for supporting him. Shinra won't let him do as he wishes here for much longer."

Yuffie infused her shuriken with a burst of fire magic. "They're not gonna lay a finger on my dad! And neither are you!"

"The Turks are already en route," the soldier boasted.

"No…" she breathed. "They wouldn't!"

Jessie was at her side, blaze talons lit. "We'll stop them, Yuffie."

I pulled out my spear and fell into formation. "Damn straight! We got your back, kid. These jokers don't stand a chance!"

Tifa raised her fists. "My thoughts exactly."

"We're with you, Yuffie," Cloud added, heftin' his blades.

Vincent aimed his triple-barreled shotgun at the soldiers, his voice as cold as ice as he cocked the trigger. "Leave. Now."

"Uh, sir…" one of the other soldiers said., "I don't think these guys have anything to do with our target. If they were his agents, they'd be a lot more colorful. Maybe we shouldn't piss them off."

The first one readied his weapon. "Who cares? Get them!"

As they rushed us, I focused on the green materia in my spear, and seconds later, a blast of wind slammed into 'em while Cloud and Jessie spun and slashed with their blades and Yuffie threw her shuriken. She hit three in a line just as they got back up. Two stayed down. The third got to his feet and blocked my spear at first, but then I jumped into the air and skewered him with a quick divin' thrust while Vincent took out another with his gun. The last two sheathed their swords and attacked Cloud and Jessie with a flurry of punches and kicks.

"So you know the Way, too?" Tifa frowned, her own fists up as she glared darkly at the soldiers and beckoned to 'em with her fingers. "But you don't respect it. That's going to change. Now."

Then she rushed through 'em in a blur, layin 'em out with a shower of blows one after another as she darted back and forth across the area. Without even slowin' down, she sent one soldier flyin' into a tree with a somersault kick, then grabbed the other, jumped high into the air, and threw him down again hard. He crashed into the undergrowth and lay still amidst a cloud of dust as she landed nearby.

"Not bad, Tifa," I chuckled. "Sure kicked their asses."

She smiled as she brushed off her gloves. "If there's one thing I just just can't stand, it's abusing the Way of the Fist."

Jessie holstered her talons. "I can see why. Zangan taught you well."

"He did," Tifa said fondly. "One of his first lessons was never to use what I knew unless I had to. Never flaunt your power or make it into a tool of oppression. It's meant to protect, not destroy."

"You know how to fight so you don't have to," Jessie realized.

Tifa took her shoulder. "If you can avoid a battle, do it. But if not, you have the means to keep yourself and others safe. Know how to use force, but save it as the last resort, not the first."

Jessie nodded. "Right."

Nearby, Yuffie stood apart from the rest of us, holdin' her shuriken so tightly her knuckles whitened. "Dad…"

"You okay, Yuffie?" Jessie asked, walking over to her.

She sighed. "Just worried, Jessie."

Tifa joined her. "I understand. We'll help however we can."

"I appreciate it, guys, but… this is my problem," Yuffie said. "Sorry for bringing to you into the middle of this mess."

"Didn't we go through this already with Barret?" Jessie quipped.

Tifa smirked. "It does have a familiar ring to it…"

Cloud looked at Yuffie. "We're all in this together."

"Well… alright," she shrugged. "We should get away from here and find us a place to camp for the night, then. If we head out early, we may be able to hitch a ride all the way to the capital."

"Yeah," he agreed.

Seemed like Yuffie had given in a little too easily, but since I hadn't known her very long yet, I decided not to say anything. We headed out and made our way north through the woods into the hills and found a small clearin' lined by trees and a little stream about half an hour later. I'd had some campin' gear in the Tiny Bronco, and we'd brought it along with us, so we put up our tents and settled in. Better than tryin' to find a local inn after the trouble we'd had earlier.

It was a quiet evenin', and as I took my turn on watch later, I found myself thinkin' of Shera and hopin' she was alright. It was almost funny in a way. I'd been hopin' to get outta that town for years now, outta the rut I'd been stuck in for so long and away from her. But now that I was, I found myself missin' her. Of course, thinkin' of her made me think of the launch and how my dreams had fallen apart, but even as that anger rose up in me again, I remembered what Jessie'd said about it. The way it could end up hurtin' me and Shera if I let it.

Maybe it already had. It was hard to let go of all the resentment I'd built up inside over the years, but I wondered if maybe it might be time to try. Jessie'd said that losin' control of her own temper had damn near killed her. I didn't know the details, but she'd been sincere enough. And I didn't want that happenin' to me and Shera. Guess that's why I backed down at the house instead of layin' into her again. I did care about her, I just couldn't seem to stop gettin' in my own damn way. But I decided then that when I got back home, I'd talk with her.

"It's gone!"

Tifa's surprised, angry shout woke me up with a jerk, and I quickly sat up in the tent we were sharing with Yuffie to see what was going on. Only she wasn't there. I remembered then that she'd had the last watch of the night and wondered for a moment as I shook off the last vestiges of sleep if she was still outside. It was late morning now, the sun bright in the sky as it shone through the opening of the flap, and well past the time that Yuffie should've woken the rest of us.

I frowned. "What's wrong, Tifa?"

"Your materia, Jessie! Do you still have it?" she explained while she searched through her pack. "Check your gear!"

My eyes widened when I did. "Shit! It's missing!"

"Yuffie's stuff is, too!" Tifa exclaimed. Sure enough, Yuffie's bedroll, pack, and weapon were gone. And so was she, I was willing to bet. Tifa sprang to her feet. "Why would she go and do this to us!?"

I looked up as shouts suddenly erupted from the other tent. "Looks like she stole the guys' materia, too. Damn! I caught her trying to swipe mine back when we first met, but I thought she had put all that behind her. She's been such a good friend to us since then."

"I know," she sighed. "Come on, let's go see the others."

By the time we got outside, the guys were already there, Cid's face a thundercloud as he stormed out of the other tent. Cloud followed only a step behind him, looking around for Yuffie just as we were. But as I'd thought, she wasn't there. Although Vincent appeared as calm as ever, I could see a hint of anger in his reddish-brown eyes.

"You too?" Cloud looked at me.

I nodded. "Yeah. She cleaned me and Tifa out, same as you."

"Damn!" he swore.

Cid lit a cigarette and took a long drag on it. "Thought she gave in a little easy last night after we said we'd help her deal with those Shinra punks. Should've spoken up, I guess. But I haven't really been with y'all that long yet, so I didn't think it was my place."

"You couldn't have known, Cid," Tifa assured him.

"Yeah, I s'pose you're right," he agreed. "So what now, guys?"

Vincent pointed. "We follow her."

"She had to have gone north," Cloud said. "That's where the capital is. So that's where she'll be if we don't catch her before then. Let's grab a quick bite to eat, gather our stuff, and head out."

After a light breakfast from the supplies we'd brought with us from the Tiny Bronco, we got to work gathering our things. I was just picking up my pack, still hurt and confused about what Yuffie had done, when I noticed a small scrap of paper that had been folded in half and tucked carefully under the corner of my bedroll where I'd be sure to find it. As I took it, I saw my name written on the outside.

"Guys!" I called. "She left us a note!"

Tifa followed me out of our tent again. "What's it say?"

As she and the guys all gathered around me, I opened the note and read it aloud. It explained a few things, and although I was still as upset about what had happened as the others, I thought I understood a little why Yuffie had done what she did to us. But even so, we still had to go after her and get our materia back as soon as we could.

Jessie,

Sorry for leaving you and the others in the lurch like this, but I can't stay. I've gotta break my dad out of house arrest before the Turks do him in. I know you'd all help me if I asked, but like I said, this is my problem. I didn't mean to get you all caught up in this mess. And, well, I figured if you didn't have your materia, you wouldn't come after me. I promise I'll give it back when this is all over. I just need to, um, borrow it for a while. Only temporarily, of course. So don't worry, okay?

Wutai's not exactly a safe place to visit right now with all that's going on, you see, and your materia would've been like a magnet for thugs andbandits. So I'd better hold onto it for now. With my awesome skills, I can stay ahead of them and slip through unnoticed.

You guys are probably pretty mad at me right now, and I can't really blame you. I know what I've done. But it wasn't to hurt you, I promise. I just don't want anything to happen to you. So just stay there and wait for me. I should be back in a few days if all goes well.

See you soon… I hope!

Yuffie

"She was trying to protect us," Tifa murmured.

Cloud nodded. "Seems that way. But we've still gotta go after her. I won't let her go up against the Turks alone if I can help it, and we have to help her dad and get our materia back."

I felt the same way. "Right. If it's just Reno and Rude, then we may be able to talk them into calling it off."

"Like you did in the pillar," he said. "It's worth a try."

Tifa tightened her gloves. "And if we can't, we'll convince them the other way. They'll never touch Yuffie or her dad."

"Agreed," Vincent intoned.

Cid hefted his spear. "Damn straight! But those Shinra troops were lookin' for someone else last night, thought we were with whoever it is. So we'd better keep our eyes peeled. There's a third party stirrin' shit up out there. Odds are we'll bump into 'em sooner or later."

I checked my weapons as we finished gathering our gear. "Yeah, I'd say it's a good bet, Cid. Yuffie wasn't kidding when she said there was a lot of trouble going on here. We'll have to be careful."

Once we were ready, we headed out, making our way north as fast as we could. The capital was days away on foot, but we came to a wide, winding road after about an hour or so and managed to hitch a ride. It didn't take very long for Tifa and I to flag someone down—good looks can be useful sometimes—and soon we were riding in an old truck, us up front with the driver and the guys in the back.

As we rode north, I noticed that some of the towns and villages we passed looked modern and well-developed, with cars, paved roads, and electric streetlamps on every corner. But others, especially in the fields, were different, more rustic. Dirt roads, simple buildings, not too much in the way of technology, and statues of what looked like a sea serpent set where they could be easily seen. Leviathan, most likely. People knelt in front of them at times, praying softly or meditating, and not once in any of those towns did I see anything from Shinra.

But I did notice quite a few soldiers in both kinds of places. Troops in blue Shinra uniforms patrolled the more modern towns, though like the ones who'd ambushed us back in the woods were Wutaian and were armed with short wakizashi blades and martial arts instead of guns. In the other settlements and farming villages that hadn't accepted Shinra's influence, I saw men and women training with katanas, wooden staves, and other weapons I'd never seen or heard of before when they weren't tending to their crops or going about their day.

Some of them wore what Tifa called gi robes belted at the hip with sashes of varying colors depending on the fighter's skill, and others had strange, colorful armor that completely covered them like a shell. Their domed helmets were wide and curved with eerie faces molded into the front like masks and elaborate horns mounted above them in different shapes and styles. They looked to be as much works of art as they were armor, and I couldn't help being impressed. I'd never really known very much about Wutai, and seeing this was fascinating.

"Wow…" I breathed. "They put a lot of work into those, don't they? Shinra uniforms seem so dull in comparison."

Tifa nodded. "Yeah, they do. A lot goes into those suits, Jessie. The ones wearing them are samurai. They're like Wutaian knights. Zangan told me about them once. He's from here, you know."

I smiled hopefully. "Maybe we'll run into him, then."

"I hope so," she grinned.

"So this is what Yuffie meant," I went on, gazing at the town.

Tifa sighed. "It seems that way. Half the country's gone over to the way Shinra does things while the rest are holding onto their values and traditions. And both seem to be gearing up for a fight."

"I'm surprised the driver understood us," I added as we rode on. "I thought we'd have to find someone who spoke our language instead of just Wutaian. I guess that's part of their adaptation."

"Yuffie's probably fluent in both, but we have to find her first," Tifa replied quietly. "Let's just hope others in the capital can understand us. It'll be easier if we don't need to get a translator."

Going by truck, we finally reached the capital late in the afternoon as the sun was slowly sinking into the west underneath the peaks of the mountains. The driver dropped us off in the main plaza, and for just a moment, we looked around as we stood to one side of a busy street in a light drizzle that had begun over the last hour.

Wutai was an odd mixture of modern and traditional caught in the midst of a difficult transition that not everyone seemed to want. Some roads were paved while others were barely more than dirt trails like the ones back in the Midgar slums. Many of the buildings were wood, set a little off the ground, with tiled or thatched roofs and sliding doors and screens instead of walls. Others were more like what we'd seen in Junon and Midgar, all metal and concrete. Amidst the cars and trucks driving on the roads were people riding chocobos.

We also saw numerous souvenier stands, food stalls, and gift shops along the rows of buildings, with signs posted in both Wutaian and the common language advertising their wares and pointing out local spots for sightseeing. And far above it all, a single mountain loomed over the city with five massive intertwined statues carved into its face. That had to be Da-Chao, I figured. There were also temples here and there to the water god, Leviathan. And just as many vendors selling useless trinkets with his likeness and that of the Da-Chao statues.

I shook my head. "I think I understand now why Yuffie's so pissed about what's going on here. I would be, too."

"It looks like a tourist trap," Tifa agreed sadly.

"That's exactly what it is," Cloud eyed our surroundings.

She nodded. "Zangan wouldn't like it, either. He was very proud of his heritage. I wonder what this place was like before the war? I'm sure it was very beautiful. I can see why Yuffie's upset."

"They aren't helping, either," Vincent observed quietly.

We followed his gaze and saw a scattering of Wutaian soldiers clad in blue Shinra uniforms milling about keeping order, slender blades at their hips. I would've bet a good stack of gil that there'd never been any before the war. More of Shinra's doing, no doubt.

Suddenly I spotted a familiar face. "Look! Over there!"

"Yuffie!" Tifa called, seeing her at once.

Before we could close the distance to her, though, Yuffie noticed us and ran, slipping easily away through the crowd. We followed her, Tifa and I in the lead with the others right behind, and soon made our way to the northern part of town. It was much the same here as before, but past the usual collection of homes, shops, and other assorted buildings was another large, wide plaza. At the far end, an immense, five-storied pagoda towered over the area, and in the middle, steps rose to a round platform with a large gong on an elaborate stand.

To the right sat a large compound made of several buildings in the old style, with tiled roofs and thin screens. Lush gardens surrounded it, and it might've been pleasant if not for the Wutaian soldiers patrolling outside in their blue Shinra uniforms. I wondered who lived there. Had to be someone important to be under guard like that. But Yuffie wasn't anywhere around. It was as if she'd just disappeared.

"Where'd she go?" I wondered.

Tifa shrugged. "I don't know. She could be anywhere."

Cloud folded his arms in front of him. "This is her hometown. She knows it a lot better than we do. We'd better ask around. If her dad's as powerful as she says, somebody here'll know her."

"What about the pagoda?" I suggested. "It looks important, and we might be able to find someone in there who could tell us what we need to know or at least point us in the right direction."

He nodded. "Good idea, Jessie. Let's try it."

"Let me do the talking, if it's alright," Tifa said. "There's a way to it, you see. A certain respect. Zangan taught me how."

We made our way over to the pagoda through the bustling crowds. Inside, it was surpisingly simple for such a significant place. Just a plain square dojo with a set of stairs leading upward in the back right corner. A beige mat with red highlights and a large kanji symbol carefully knit into the center in black within a thin circle covered the hardwood floor almost to the walls, which were brown with thick red crossbeams. And on the back wall hung a wide scroll with another kanji symbol, this one in ink and different from the one on the floor.

Sitting cross-legged on the floor in meditation was an older man in a pale green gi belted in black. His long hair and short, neatly-trimmed beard were both gray, and his eyes were closed as he sat so still I wasn't sure he was even awake or aware of us at all. Tentatively, Tifa went over to him, one hand outstretched, while the others and I all waited quietly near the front of the room. The man was still as a statue as she reached hesitantly for his shoulder, not budging an inch.

"I am alive," he said softly without opening his eyes.

She gasped and froze, and I felt my own heart jump in my throat at the sudden sound of his voice. She swallowed. "I'm sorry, master. I was just concerned. It looked like you weren't breathing."

The man smiled gently. "Of course I was. You are not of Wutai, but your voice speaks with respect. Greetings, child."

"How did you know?" Tifa blinked.

"I am Gorki of the Wusheng," he said, opening his eyes and gazing softly at her. They were green like jade. "It is my business to know. The voices of Wutai are different than those from abroad."

She bowed. "Of course. I meant no disrepect, master."

"None taken," Gorki assured her. "Now, how might I be of service? Normally, those not of Wutai are not permitted entry into this pagoda, but you seem familiar with our ways and have spoken kindly. You may visit here so long as you remain on the first floor."

"Thank you," Tifa replied. "My sensei was from Wutai, although he left many years ago. He taught me a little about his homeland as well as how to fight. I'm honored to finally come here."

Gorki looked curiously at her. "Hmm… you say your mentor was a Wutaian? I wonder… did he have a name?"

"Zangan," she answered.

"As I thought," he nodded, standing up to look at her more fully. "I knew him, you see. An old friend. And a rival as well, though only in a good way. We each embraced a different style of martial arts and found it enjoyable to compete against one another. But there was never any ill will between us. Only a desire to help each other grow stronger. Master Godo offered to let him join the Wusheng once, but he turned it down. Zangan preferred to teach rather than lead."

Tifa bowed again. "I was very glad to be his student."

"And what is your name, child?" he said.

"Tifa," she supplied.

Gorki smiled. "Your sensei spoke to me mostly highly of you, Tifa. He was very proud of you, prouder than you know."

"Really?" her eyes widened.

"Yes," he said. "And he left me something to give you if you should ever come here. Now that you have, it is yours."

Then he went over to a small wooden chest sitting against the wall nearby, took out a sealed letter and a bundle that had been wrapped in cloth, and carefully offered them to Tifa. She took the letter first. After reading it silently to herself for a moment, her eyes growing misty with emotion, she repeated it aloud for the rest of us.

Tifa,

What's happened to our town? Was it all just a dream, or perhaps an illusion? No, neither. It was real. Nibelheim is gone. I tried to save people from the fire, as many as I could, but I couldn't help them all. Rage filled me, and I pursued Sephiroth to the reactor, to kill him. But he was gone. You were there, though. And badly wounded. Vengeance would not have changed what happened that day, so I reluctantly set it aside. Saving you was far more important. I got you out of there, although I wished I could have also helped the two men who were with you.

They too, were hurt, but you were all I could carry. I made certain to check that they were still alive and stable, however, and I was going to go back for them once I had taken you someplace safe and had seen to your injuries. But as I left the reactor, Shinra soldiers arrived, led by a scientist who I overheard was called Hojo. He had them capture the few survivors of the disaster to use in some kind of experiment. I didn't know what that involved, but I wasn't going to let them have you.

I slipped past them and made my way out of the ruins of Nibelheim and out of the mountains, carrying you the whole way. Although I had a restore materia, my skill with it is lacking, and its magic could only do so much. So I headed south and eventually east, searching for a good doctor to treat you. A few along the way helped you as much as they could, but I didn't feel safe staying in one place for very long. Eventually I snuck onto a cargo ship bound for Junon across the ocean and went north from there through more mountains toward Midgar.

Once I finally arrived, I brought you to a clinic in the Sector 5 slums run by a Dr. Morris, who promised to do all he could for you and saw to your immediate needs. But because your injuries were so serious and his facilities limited, he had you transferred to another, larger clinic in Sector 7, where he said you could be given better care. I stayed at your side for a month until I was certain you would recover. The herbs that girl with the pink dress brought before you were moved to Sector 7 seemed to help you a great deal as well, and so did her prayers.

I left not long after that. I don't like Midgar, it's too unnatural, and I feel I must stay always on the move, always ahead of Shinra. I'm worried about you, and I think of you often. How long as it been since then? How many years since that terrible day? Have you fully recovered at last? Are you well? I hope so. You are very dear to me.

I returned to Nibelheim recently, and it's as though the massacre that day never happened. I couldn't believe it. Everything was the same aside for the strange men in black cloaks. The place stinks of Shinra, so I didn't stay. I'm not afraid of them, but after what was done to our town and to you, I'd prefer to avoid them if I can. Lately, it feels more and more to me like time is short, as if things around us are all coming together for some dark purpose that I can't even begin to imagine.

I'd like you to be ready. I'm certain, knowing what you do about me, that you'll make your way to Wutai sooner or later and find this letter. I wish I could be there to see you, but my travels have taken me away from from my homeland once again. I've left you a gift, however. Something to aid you and which I think will prove useful. Also, you may trust Gorki as you would me. He's an old friend and will help you. Be sure to hone your skills, and always remember what I taught you. Take care and fight well, Tifa. With luck, we'll see each other again one day.

Wishing you well, my greatest and most precious student.

Zangan

For a moment, Tifa just stood there, her eyes not entirely dry, and took in what Zangan had said in his letter. I was pretty stunned myself. So that was how she survived. It made me want to meet her sensei even more if I ever had the chance. And what he'd said about others there in the reactor who'd been hurt… after what she and I had discovered back on Mt. Nibel, I was sure she'd want to talk with me alone about it. And had that been Aerith who had helped her at the clinic when she was so hurt? It had to be. I wondered if she remembered. Then, Tifa's eyes met ours, glistening brightly with happy, unshed tears.

"He saved me…" she breathed, smiling wonderingly.

Cloud nodded. "I'm so glad he did…"

Tifa went on. "There's so much here… I need time to think over it all first before I can really talk about it."

Then, after folding the letter in half and carefully sliping it into her pocket, Tifa took the bundle from Gorki and unwrapped it. Nestled in the soft cloth was a thick, leatherbound book and a pair of tough, black leather fighting gloves studded with small, glittering chips of diamond on the knuckles. She gasped at the sight of them.

"These are for me?" she breathed.

Gorki nodded. "It was Zangan's wish that you have them. While he was still here, he had the gloves specially made for you, that you might have a formidable defense against the darkness he sensed was coming. Wear them with pride, Tifa, and know he is with you."

"I will," she promised.

After taking off her mythril claws and carefully putting them away in her pack, Tifa put on her new diamond knuckles. She flexed her fists experimentally a few times to get the feel of the new gloves, then threw a few quick punches in the air, grinning as she did. Then she looked at the book, opening it and turning the pages. They were old but in good condition and filled with writing and diagrams.

"Study it well," Gorki said. "It will take time, but if you are patient, you will learn a new technique to aid you when you must fight. Zangan believed you capable of using it, and so do I."

"Thank you, master," Tifa beamed, closing the book and holding it to her. Then she took me by the hand and introduced me. "I'd also like you to meet my good friend Jessie. I've been teaching her what Zangan taught me. She's done very well and shows promise."

Gorki smiled. "Passing on what you've learned. This is good. And I am pleased to meet you, Jessie. You have a fine sensei."

"The best," I agreed wholeheartedly.

"Indeed," he said. "Now, then, what may I do for you all? You came here to the pagoda for a reason, I assume."

Tifa nodded. "Yes, master. We're looking for a friend of ours. Yuffie Kisaragi. She stole our materia last night, but we think she might be in some kind of trouble. We want to help her if we can. And get back our materia, of course. We saw her earlier, but she ran."

"Ah, yes," Gorki chuckled. "She is a spirited one, for certain. Skilled but undisciplined. I'm not surprised at what she did. Materia has been in short supply here of late, and some people have gone to great lengths to get it. But I'm afraid she hasn't been here."

"She was worried about her father," Tifa added.

He didn't seem surprised. "Given the circumstances, I can see why. They argue frequently, but they do care for one another, even if they're both far too stubborn to admit it. If Yuffie is here, sooner or later she'll visit him. She always does. Go speak with him."

"Isn't Shinra keeping him under house arrest?" she asked.

"So they believe," Gorki winked.

I blinked. "Aren't they?"

"Lord Godo is master of the Wusheng and of Wutai," he explained. "And only bound to his home so long as he chooses to be. Power must never be used as a bludgeon. So we keep ours close."

"How can we see him?" Tifa asked.

He gave her a token embossed with the same kanji symbol that had been woven into the rug under our feet. "Show this to the guards at the gate and tell them I sent you. They will let you in."

She took it and bowed respectfully. "Thank you again, master. You honor us with your help and advice. It's very appreciated."

"Think nothing of it," Gorki replied.

After bowing to him the same way Tifa did, I followed her and the others outside. We'd learned a lot, and she'd received an unexpected lift in her spirits from Gorki and Zangan. I was happy for her and knew as well as she did that Biggs wouldn't have minded her using the diamond knuckles Zangan had left for her in place of the mythril claws that he'd given her in Midgar months ago. He'd want her to.

As we went back into the wide plaza and made our way toward the guarded compound we'd seen earlier, I thought about Yuffie, what she'd said in her note, and our encounter with those Wutaian soldiers in the woods yesterday. Things were tense here, and although Gorki had said the Wusheng had immense power, I still worried for Yuffie's dad. Godo had seemingly been targeted by the Turks, so they were bound to show up sooner or later if they weren't already here.

And when they did, we would be ready for them.