Though Night May Fall

Though Night May Fall DISCLAIMER: None of these characters, except for Thorn and Seth, belong to me. They are the domain of Squaresoft. I have not and will not receive any money or compensation for this writing.

PROLOGUE

�It has to end now.�

His opponent was silent, the cold smirk that traced the lower half of his face saying all that need be said.

�The killing you have done, the chaos you�ve left behind you. It all ends here.�

For answer there came the singing of metal on rock as the all-too familiar blade rose to eye-level. He could almost see the blood that still dripped from it�the blood that, though easily wiped clean from a blade, could never be erased from his memory. Those icy green eyes stared at him from over the tip of the sword.

His own sword came up in answer, and from deep within came a primal reflex�long buried within the mires of his soul. A yell that echoed the Planet�s cries flew from his throat, and his body set itself into motion.

Before it had even begun, it was already over. His body had responded unlike it had ever done before, and he released every ounce of hatred, every fragment of vengeance, upon his foe.

Those same cold green orbs that had hitherto stared him down were now wide in shock. A thin stream of brilliant red poured down between them, and the silver-haired warrior slumped to his knees, eyes still fixed on the one who had vanquished him.

The dark one�s breath grew ragged, his eyes glazed over, and a single word escaped his lips amidst a burst of blood.

�Revenge��

He didn�t have time to watch the rest of his foe�s demise. His mind whirled as he made his escape, trying to shake off the feeling of his mortal enemy�s last word. All around him, the world was falling apart. He felt his footing go out from beneath him, and he reached out desperately. There, grasping his wrist in an instant, was his most loyal friend, by his side through every battle since the very beginning. The young woman heaved mightily, willing her own strength into him, and together they managed to haul him onto the ledge. He buried his face in her long brown hair for a moment, and then looked around for an escape route.

All around was chaos, as though his foe had reached up from the grave to take him by the foot and drag him down as well. Then, in the flash of an instant, he caught sight of their salvation. He grabbed hold of the rope that dangled before them, and she took hold of his waist. Together, they climbed to the safety of the massive airship above them.

He felt his cheek touch the solid, cool floor of the airship, and he released a long-held sigh of relief. He heard a voice, faint and distant in his ear, and he shivered.

�Revenge��

He grimaced, and the voice changed tone, shifting into something he knew, something he longed to hear.

�Cloud, are you OK?�

Cloud slowly got to his feet and nodded. He looked into the face of the woman who had risked everything to save him and smiled. �Yeah.�

She smiled back, and then her face changed to a look of shock as a crack sounded below them. The airship rocked with the impact of something, and the entire crew fell to the deck. Cloud crawled to the railing and looked out over the horizon. The green strands of the Lifestream were reaching out like tendrils from the crater below. He could see Midgar, far off in the distance, and then there was a blinding flash of light�

�And then there was silence.

Cloud awoke with a humming sound in his ear. The humming faded as he lifted his head, and he realized that it was coming from the airship�s engine. He got up onto his knees and looked around.

Barret was sitting against a bulkhead, shaking his head slowly. Yuffie was in her usual position, head hung over the railing. Red XIII was on his feet, prowling slowly toward the side of the ship. Cait Sith was trying to right himself again, having toppled over in the impact. Vincent was looking out over the horizon. Cid was crouched down beside Tifa, who was slumped against the side of the airship. Cloud stumbled over to her side.

�Is she OK?� he asked.

Cid nodded as Tifa moaned. �Yeah. Just a little cut.�

Cloud watched her face for just a moment, and then brushed a lock of hair from her eyes. Her eyelids fluttered, and she looked up at him with a smile.

�Are you all right?� he asked.

She nodded. Her smile faded. �What�s going on?�

Cloud got to his feet. �I�ll go find out.� He gave her one more quick smile before heading for the railing. He stepped up beside Vincent and looked out over the horizon. The entire sky seemed to be awash with giant tentacles of green light. Midgar seemed to be burning, far off in the distance. The entire city was bathed in a hellish haze.

�The Planet is getting its revenge for its enslavement under Midgar�s yoke,� Vincent observed.

Cloud nodded, and they lapsed into silence.

After a moment, Cid spoke up. �I can see a clearing a few kliks out. We can land there.�

Cloud and the others braced for a bumpy return to the surface. Cid gritted his teeth as he worked the controls, and his face curled into a grimace as he tasted the tobacco leaves that broke through the paper of his cigarette. After several heart-pounding moments, the Highwind settled onto the ground with a slight shudder.

The sky above rumbled with the sound of thunder as the battle-weary warriors stood in the open field, staring in wonder at the slowly fading stalks of green light that glowed through the clouds.

At long last, the rumbling stopped, and the Planet was still. The world held its breath for a moment, and then Tifa smiled as a bird sang in the distance.

�There�s hope yet,� she observed.

The others agreed with relief. A cool wind blew across the field, kissing the faces of the brave fighters.

�So, what now?� Cloud finally asked.

Barrett shrugged his massive shoulders. �I kinda thought there�d be more to it.�

�A hero�s welcome, you mean?� Red XIII inquired archly. �I�m not entirely sure how much of the world is left to greet us.�

�I�d tend to think that the Planet would protect the innocents that live upon it,� Vincent conjectured.

�There�s only one way to find out,� Yuffie declared.

Cid piped up. �Let�s go back up and see what�s left.�

Barrett spun around to face him. �Ya think we could go back to Kalm?�

There was eagerness in his voice, and Tifa knew why. Barrett was worried for his daughter. She was relieved to see that Cid had caught it as well. �Of course, Barrett,� he replied. He turned to the others. �Let�s fly.�

Barrett�s knuckles poked up against his dark skin as he gripped the railing of the Highwind tightly, his eyes staring straight out in search of some sign of life as they approached Kalm. A few wisps of smoke rose into the air from some smoldering buildings on the outskirts of the town. Tifa ran a reassuring hand down Barrett�s immense bicep. �I�m sure she�s OK,� she assured him.

Barrett took his eyes off the scene before him long enough to flash a smile at Tifa, and Cid began the approach. Barrett�s eyes locked back onto the town as they descended into the field outside the town limits. A few moments later, the Highwind touched down on the charred grass. Barrett rushed over to the gangplank as it extended and hurried down to the ground, his heavy boots thumping on the plank as he ran.

When he was halfway across the distance between the ship and the town, he heard a small voice ahead of him.

�Papa?�

�Marlene?� Barrett�s deep voice boomed in reply.

�Papa!�

Barrett�s face split into a huge grin as he saw Marlene racing out of a house at the edge of town. She ran as fast as her little legs could carry her and bounded into his waiting arms. He scooped her up and held her in his enormous embrace, squeezing her tightly. Tears of joy poured down his cheeks as he laughed.

�I think there may indeed be hope,� Vincent observed from beside Tifa. The rest of the crew were still standing on the deck, looking out at the scene below.

Tifa shook her head, her bangs flicking her forehead. �I�m sure of it now.�

CHAPTER I

Reeve looked out over the rooftops of Kalm with a smile. The sound of construction to the south filled him with a sense of pride, and he turned back to the blueprints on his desk.

When Midgar was struck by a blast of Lifestream energy, Reeve was already on his way out of the city. He had been in the lobby of the Shinra building when Diamond Weapon had opened up on them. The explosion sent him flying through the glass doors at the front of the building and left him trapped under a pile of rubble for several hours. He finally pulled himself to safety, but he had badly damaged his leg in the escape. He was limping out of the city when the Planet opened up with a reply of its own. This time, he escaped injury, but soon collapsed in the barren stretch of soil that separated Midgar from Kalm.

Several citizens of Kalm found him sometime later and brought him back to the hospital in town, where he spent the next six months recuperating from a number of injuries. His leg never completely healed, and he now walked with a limp and the aid of a cane.

It was during his recovery that he decided he would give back something to people of Kalm, who had nurtured him back to health. With his background in Urban Development, he campaigned for and won his current position in the office of Mayor.

That had been four years ago. When he looked out over the still-growing cityscape below him, he saw with pride that his oath had not been in vain. Kalm was thriving.

I almost want to rename it Busy, Reeve thought to himself with a slight chuckle. The door opened, and he turned.

Some of the members of his staff had gotten used to seeing a giant white Mog bounding through the building with a little black cat on his back. Others were still unnerved by the sight. To Reeve, it was a sight he couldn�t do without, ever since he had rewired Cait Sith to operate independently of his control. Cait Sith was his right hand when it came to running the office.

�I have the new specs for the City Hall renovations,� Cait Sith informed him cheerily.

Reeve smiled. �Great. Let�s look at them.�

Cait Sith shook his little feline head. �Nope.�

Reeve was taken aback. �No?�

Cait Sith shook his head again. �Nope. Boss, you�ve been working for twenty hours straight. You�ve got to take some time off.�

Reeve sighed. �I�m wired, Cait. I can�t sleep.�

Cait Sith shrugged both sets of shoulders. �So? Go down to the Golden Dragon and have a couple of beers. That should calm you down a bit.�

�Won�t that ruin my image?� Reeve asked, concerned. If the people of Kalm saw him tossing back brews�

Cait chuckled. �Reeve, they know you�re a hard worker. Look out that window and see for yourself.�

Reeve turned and looked out of his office window once more. The smile returned to his face, but this time it was much more weary.

�Quite frankly,� Cait spoke up from behind him, �I�d be more worried if I didn�t see you let your hair down occasionally.�

Reeve laughed softly. �You�re right, Cait. I mean, it�s not like you can�t handle it.�

Cait nodded. Reeve walked around the desk, patted the giant Mog on the back, and smiled.

�Thanks, Cait.�

Cait Sith smiled, and Reeve headed out the door.

�Another beer!�

The thin brunette behind the bar looked up at the rude man who was bellowing at her from the other end of the bar. Even with the population explosion that Mayor Reeve had been encouraging through Kalm�s steady growth, she still managed to recognize her regulars. This obnoxious blowhard looked like a tourist from Wutai. She didn�t care. She went about her business, waiting to see if he would try again in a more reasonable tone.

�Barmaid! I�m talking to you!�

Obviously not.

�I have a name,� she hollered back.

�I don�t care what it is,� he bellowed. �Just get me another beer!�

The brunette walked down to the end of the bar and glared at the man. �You�ve had six. That�s enough.�

One of her regulars, a slightly homely but well-meaning man named Neal, walked over. �You need some help with this guy, Miss Lockheart?�

Tifa shook her head. �Thanks, Neal. I�ve got it.�

Neal nodded, shrugging. He retreated to his table, where his fellow construction workers were seated. There seemed to be more and more of them every day, Tifa noted.

The loud voice of the obnoxious patron before her, accompanied by his repulsive beer breath, snapped her back to her present situation.

�I decide when I�ve had enough, not some skinny barmaid!�

Tifa grabbed the man by the shirt collars. �I don�t care who you think you are or what it is that you do where you come from, but here you will treat people with respect. Remember that you�re a guest in this town!�

The tourist grabbed Tifa�s wrists and pulled her over the bar, tossing her onto a table and splitting it in half with the impact.

�Where I come from, we beat insolent women! Let me give you a little demonstration.� He stalked closer to Tifa, his grin a mile wide.

Tifa sprang to her feet, surprising her adversary. He hesitated a moment, and Tifa took advantage of that moment, jumping forward and backhanding the large man across the jaw. He fell back, and Tifa dropped down onto one hand, jamming her foot into his abdomen and knocking him back into the bar. He hit the bar with a thump and shook his head, clearing it. He began another charge and stopped short with the impact of a heavy wooden staff across his chest. He collapsed onto his back and blinked a couple of times, trying to once again see straight.

When he focused again, he looked up at the man in the dark blue suit with shoulder length black hair and a neatly trimmed beard that stood over him, leaning on the cane that had struck him. He got to his feet slowly and stood in front of the man with the cane, glaring at him.

�I don�t believe this concerns you, cripple!� the man barked.

The door to the bar opened, and the man with the cane smiled. Without taking his eyes off the obnoxious tourist, he barked an order to the police officers that entered.

�Take this blowhard to the jail and show him some of our hospitality.�

The policemen took the tourist by his massive forearms and began to lead him away. �Yes, Mr. Mayor.�

The tourist yanked one hand away, and Reeve thrust his cane forward, jamming it into the man�s throat. The man fell back under the cane, and Reeve pinned him to the bar. The policemen took hold of the man again and restrained him with a pair of handcuffs before leading him, still cursing and screaming, out of the bar.

�You�d think somewhere along the way, he would have had the good sense to make things easier on himself and apologize,� Reeve muttered in wonder as he stared after the raving tourist.

Tifa shrugged, then hopped back over the bar. �Some people never learn.�

Reeve shook his head. �That�s enough fun for me for one day, at least.� He settled onto one of the barstools. �Can I get a beer?�

Tifa nodded, pulling a bottle of Dragon�s Breath, imported from Wutai, from the cooler. Reeve reached for his wallet, and Tifa stopped him. �Don�t be ridiculous, Reeve. It�s on the house.�

Reeve shrugged, and twisted the cap off the bottle before taking a long pull from it. He took a few more sips while Tifa waited on a few of her regulars. When she returned, he asked, �So, have you seen any of the others lately?�

Tifa nodded. �Barrett was here not too long ago. He brought Marlene for a visit.�

�She must be getting big by now,� Reeve guessed.

Tifa nodded. �She�ll be turning nine this year.�

Reeve smiled. �Where does the time go?�

�Barrett said the same thing,� Tifa agreed. �He doesn�t see as much of her as he�d like, what with his job and everything.�

�How�s that going for him?�

�He�s almost finished overseeing the conversion of the old Gongaga reactor. Next he�s on his way to Nibelheim, but he�s going to take some time off before he starts on that project.�

Reeve nodded. �Good idea. He works himself to death.�

Tifa laughed. �This coming from you?�

Reeve held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. �OK, point made.�

After another few moments, Reeve gently asked, �What about Cloud?�

Tifa paused. Cloud was still a touchy subject for her. Although they kept in touch, Cloud just wasn�t the same anymore. After the group had been in Kalm for a few days, Cloud abruptly decided to leave. He said he just had to go and create a life for himself before he could be a part of anyone else�s. Tifa supposed she could understand. Even when he had been�totally human, he had had a rough life. Once Hojo had gotten hold of him and made him a human puppet, he truly learned what it meant to be in hell.

So she had not said too much when he left, simply asking him to stay a part of her life. He had kept his promise, contacting her at least once a month, but those visits had lately turned into calls and letters, and had become more and more withdrawn in nature. It was as if he was becoming a hermit, day by day.

When she noticed Reeve�s gentle eyes upon her, she smiled a bit. �He sent me a letter last week. He�s taking the new Chocobo crossbreed to Gold Saucer to auction off to some prospective racers. He stands to make a pretty good sum from this one.�

Reeve chuckled to himself. �As opposed to the other sales? Cloud�s richer as a rancher than I�ll ever be as mayor.�

Tifa smiled more broadly, brightening. She leaned over and chucked Reeve on the arm. �I thought you were in it for the people,� she teased.

Reeve shrugged. �I am. But the pay isn�t bad.�

They laughed, and Reeve settled into his beer while Tifa waited on some more customers.

The ten hopefuls gathered in the jockey lounge, awaiting the beginning of the auction. They had been training for months, but they knew that they needed an edge. They needed something that would take them above and beyond the abilities of the more experienced racers.

Then the word got out that there would be an auction of three of the finest chocobos in the world. Although they had tried to keep the information from one another, the word leaked out. Now here they all sat, all ten of the rookie Chocobo jockeys, eyeing each other suspiciously.

Ester entered the room, and all eyes focused on her. She smiled. �From the most renowned Chocobo ranch in the world, I give you three of the world�s finest chocobos.�

The jockeys watched as a tall Chocobo with iridescent green feathers strutted into the chamber. Their eyes perused the bird�s muscular legs as Esther spoke again.

�A Class S Mountain Chocobo. Bidding starts at 50,000 gil.�

There was a timid wave of bidding, then a more solid onslaught. When the storm had passed, the Chocobo was led away by a bald rookie for 120,000 gil.

The next Chocobo was led out. It was large and powerfully built with black feathers that caught the light as it strutted to the head of the table.

�A Class S River and Mountain Chocobo, excellently trained. Bidding starts at 100,000,� Ester announced.

This time, the bidding was more enthusiastic. After about five minutes of bidding, a young rookie with a long black ponytail took the reins of the black beauty for 500,000.

Finally, there was a low wark from the corridor. Ester smiled and reached for the reins of the last Chocobo. It walked majestically to the front of the table, its golden yellow feathers nearly glowing in the light of the chamber. The eight remaining jockeys caught their breath.

�A Class S Golden Chocobo, wonderfully trained. Bidding starts at half a million.�

The high starting bid caught the rookies by surprise, but they soon recovered. What was 500,000 gil, compared to the money they would make in the races with that Gold Chocobo? There was a frenzied flurry of bids, and Esther closed out the bidding, awarding the eager blond jockey in the front the Gold Chocobo for 750,000 gil.

One by one, the rest of the jockeys filed out, and Ester headed out behind them, on her way to pay out to the owner of the chocobos.

�One million, three hundred and seventy thousand gil,� Ester announced as she deposited the money on the table in front of the Chocobo rancher.

Cloud smoothed the lapels of his jet-black suit jacket and smiled, separating some of the gil notes from the remainder of the money and sliding the rest back to Ester. �Here�s your cut,� he replied.

Ester grinned happily, taking the 370,000 gil from the table and pocketing them. �Pleasure doing business with you.�

Cloud nodded, and she departed. He finished his drink and got to his feet, heading out of the bar. As he stepped into the lobby, he caught the eye of a young man in a tight shirt and black combat trousers. The man�boy, Cloud corrected himself; he barely looked to be eighteen�approached him with an arrogant look on his face.

�You�re Cloud Strife, aren�t you?� the boy asked.

Cloud half-smiled, nodding. �Guilty as charged.�

The boy looked him up and down and sneered. �You don�t look so tough.�

Cloud shrugged. �I never claimed to be,� he conceded.

The boy brought up his fists in a challenging posture. �Let�s see if you�re worth what they say, �cause all I see is some chump in a suit.�

Cloud shook his head. �I�m not that man anymore, kid. If that�s the kind of life you want, I pity you.�

The boy looked at him curiously.

�What�s your name, kid?� Cloud asked.

The boy slowly lowered his fists. �Thorn.�

Cloud nodded. �And what do you do, Thorn?�

Thorn shrugged. �A little bit of everything.�

Cloud smiled sadly as he heard those words. He looked into the young man�s deep, dark eyes and shook his head. Did he really look like that, once upon a time?

�Does a little bit of everything pay well?� he asked.

Thorn reluctantly shook his head. �Well, you know, I make a little here, a little there��

Cloud nodded. �Of course, yes. Absolutely. Well, I�m glad to hear it. I mean, I was just going to offer you a job, but��

He began to walk away. Thorn grabbed his arm, and he looked down at the boy�s hand. Thorn yanked his arm away quickly, and Cloud smoothed out his suit.

�What kind of job?� Thorn asked.

�It�s not glamorous,� Cloud explained.

�That�s OK,� Thorn assured him.

�It�s hard work,� Cloud added.

�I�m not afraid of work,� Thorn declared with a hint of pride.

�Good,� Cloud replied. �I need a new stable hand.�

Thorn�s face fell a bit. Cloud shrugged.

�If you don�t want to make five hundred gil a month, that�s fine, but...�

Thorn�s jaw dropped. He stepped in front of Cloud as the older man tried to leave. �I�ll take it.�

Cloud smiled. �Good. You know where my farm is?�

Thorn nodded. �Everyone knows, Mr. Strife.�

�I�ll see you there tomorrow, bright and early.� Cloud looked at the boy for a moment longer, then walked past him and into the railway car, leaving Thorn alone with visions of gil floating in his head. He chuckled as the car eased into motion and descended from the Saucer. Was he ever that young?

Doctor Haverly heard the door open behind him, followed by the familiar click of high heels on the tile floor. He didn�t turn around.

�How is it going, Doctor?� the cold female voice inquired.

He chuckled to himself. �Well, it�s the same as I told you yesterday. There was a large amount of tissue damage. It�s taking a long time to repair, even with the cell replacements you�ve given me. Once again, I�d like to voice my concerns about the use of Mako energy in the cell infusion��

A strong hand whirled him around, and he blanched at the sight of the harsh blond woman�s face. Her eyes burned with intensity beneath a scar that ran just above her right eyebrow. He remembered sewing up that gash when she had first arrived, the other victim in her arms. It had taken two full hours to carefully remove the piece of metal that had embedded itself in her head. The daily pressure to succeed with the second patient, and the constant torment at his small failures, was his thanks for doing so.

�I�m not interested in your opinions, doctor,� the woman spat. �I only want to see results. Now fix him, or forfeit your life in the bargain!�

Doctor Haverly nodded. �Yes, Scarlet.�

The blond woman released him, turned on her heel, and stalked from the room. Doctor Haverly released a long-held breath of relief and turned back to his patient.

CHAPTER II

The signal was faint.

Aratak wrapped one of his tentacles around a dial on his control panel and adjusted the amplitude modulator. It had been too long since the last signal had been received, and he was starting to get worried.

The signal indicator on the far right side of his panel lit up, and he waited. After nearly five standard minutes of near silence, Aratak finally realized that there was no voice signal presence.

How is she contacting us?

His mind worked furiously to come up with an answer. In frustration, he pounded a tentacle on the panel. His eyes wandered over to the signal indicator, and he realized it was blinking. He jerked back in shock. She was using the emergency frequency!

Captain Kaladar entered the communications room, and Aratak swiveled to face him. �Captain!� he greeted his superior, �we have a signal from the scout that we sent to the class-M planet in quadrant 4!�

Kaladar�s fangs peeked out from his upturned lips. �It�s about time. What does she have to say?�

Aratak shook his head. �Nothing, sir. It�s an emergency retrieval signal. Something must have happened to her.�

�Have you triangulated her position on the planet?� Kaladar asked.

Aratak turned back to the controls. �No, sir. I�ll get that as soon as possible.�

Kaladar nodded. �Good. I�ll set a course to retrieve. Make sure you have her location by the time we arrive.�

Aratak did the math in his head. At full speed, that would take ninety-six hours. He could find her in two. He smiled to himself. �It shall be done, sir.�

Kaladar turned and headed out of the room, and Aratak went to work.

Cid rubbed his arms and stamped the ground as he shivered. �Damn it, Cloud, what�s so special about these Northern Chocobos?�

Cloud peered down from atop their snowy crest, his binoculars scanning the field below. �I told you already, Cid, they possess a certain�flair for training that�s essential to the breeding process.�

�They�ll probably do anything you say just to get out of this weather,� Cid grumbled. �Right about now, I�d take out your garbage and fetch your slippers if it meant we could get back to the Highwind.�

Cloud laughed. �It won�t be too much longer.� To take his friend�s mind off the weather, he asked, �How are Shera and Caitlin?�

Cid smiled around his ever-present cigarette. �They�re doing great. Caitlin starts preschool this fall.�

Cloud shook his head. �Where does time go?�

Cid�s smile faded a little. �Time flies when you seclude yourself from almost all your friends, Cloud.�

Cloud ignored the comment, only staring more intently through the viewfinder of his binoculars.

Cid pressed on. �How long has it been since you saw Barrett? Or Yuffie? Or Red?�

He paused a moment before adding, �Or Tifa?�

Cloud turned to glare at Cid. �It�s not fair to torture them with my problems. I�m better off on my own, and they�re better off not having to deal with me.�

Cid grabbed Cloud by the collar of his parka and pulled him closer. �Those people risked their lives for you even after you�d completely lost your mind. I know you weren�t in your right mind when you gave Sephiroth the Black Materia, but you betrayed the entire planet when you did that! We still stood by you, even then. We deserve a little more than you�ve given in return, don�t you think?�

Cloud was silent for a moment, and then looked away. �I guess you�re right, Cid. I just�� His voice trailed off, and he pointed to the northeast.

�What the hell is that?� he whispered. Cid followed his finger and froze. His jaw dropped, and his cigarette fell from his mouth and into the snow.

From within the North Crater, a massive beam of light was shooting straight up into the sky. Cloud and Cid watched in awe as it cut through the aurora of the northern lights and continued on through the atmosphere, out into space beyond.

�You don�t think that�s another of those damn Weapons, do you?� Cid asked, afraid to raise his voice above a whisper.

Cloud shook his head. �I�m not sure, but the ground isn�t shaking.�

As they watched, the beam cut off. Cloud and Cid watched with amazement as the light disappeared.

�Did you just see�?� Cid began.

Cloud nodded. �The beam was coming from space, not from the crater.�

�What do you think it means?� Cid asked.

Cloud shook his head slowly. �I don�t know, but I don�t like it.�

�I think the chocobos can wait,� Cid suggested.

Cloud nodded again. �I think you�re right.�

Nanaki stepped away from the telescope and growled in puzzlement. The beam had come from space, and appeared to be aimed at the northern pole. He went to his chart and followed with his eyes the points his assistants had marked from the past three hours.

Since this afternoon, reports had been intercepted all over the world, describing strange beams of light appearing from the sky, and then disappearing. Nanaki and his assistants began tracking them about three hours ago, and had pinpointed their locations. One report had come from Wutai, another from a tracker near the Goblin Forest, and a third from North Corel. This fourth beam seemed to have stayed longer. Whoever was sending them seemed to be trying to triangulate the position of something, but what?

Judging by his previous experience with the North Crater, he didn�t like the answer.

Doctor Haverly straightened and wiped his brow. He didn�t like the fact that the subject was being infused with Mako. He�d dealt with enough cases of Mako poisoning from his work with the reactor attendants during the reign of the Shinra administration. He knew what it could do to people, and this man had received more than three times that dosage. He bent to begin his work again-

-And a hand lashed out from its resting place on the table, grabbing his arm. He cried out in shock, and the patient sat up, still gripping his arm.

�You�you�you�re��

�Alive,� his patient finished for him. �Yes, I am. Thanks for noticing.�

The doors slid open behind him, and Scarlet entered. �Excellent work, Dr. Haverly. I see you have accomplished the nearly impossible.�

The patient rubbed his glowing green eyes and ran a hand down his jaw, touching the stitch work that the doctor had done. �Indeed. You�ve earned a quick death, my good doctor.�

Haverly quailed. �Death?� he squeaked.

�You didn�t think we could let you walk out of here after seeing and doing what you have, did you?� Scarlet inquired sweetly.

Haverly turned to look at her with terror in his eyes. As he did so, the patient reached out with his hands and grabbed Haverly�s head, twisting it sharply and snapping his neck. The doctor slumped to the floor, and Scarlet looked down with satisfaction.

�Have the signals been sent?� the patient asked.

Scarlet nodded. �Just as you predicted.�

�Then let us begin. Send your men to the North Crater and retrieve the specimen.�

Scarlet nodded. �Yes, Professor Hojo. Immediately.� She turned and marched out of the room, heels clicking on the tile floor.

Hojo looked down at the dead doctor�s body and began talking to it. �Soon, my good doctor, we will draw down the source of the signal and send science into the next level!� He chuckled evilly, then folded his hands behind his back and stalked out of the room, leaving the corpse alone in the cold operating room.

Cloud stooped by the mass of feathers and blood and sighed. He examined the wounds and noted the green pus that oozed from around the gaping holes in the bird�s flesh. Only one sort of creature left those kinds of bites.

Thorn approached from behind him and knelt down beside the Chocobo. �What happened?� he asked.

Cloud sighed. �A Midgar Zolom has been attacking my herd. I�ve got to go hunt it down before it gets any more.�

�Let me help,� Thorn offered.

Cloud shook his head as he headed back into his house. �You�re more useful here watching the ranch while I�m gone.�

Thorn sighed, but nodded. �Yes, Mr. Strife.�

Cloud stepped inside and headed to his room. He opened up the chest at the foot of the bed and pulled out the wide-bladed sword resting within. He examined it closely as he hefted its weight. The blue streak in the center of the blade still gleamed, and Cloud felt himself transported back to another time.

�Is that Ultima Weapon?� Thorn breathed.

Cloud nodded. �Yes.�

Thorn watched with admiration as Cloud laid the massive blade on his bed and turned to his closet. �I think it�s feeding time for the second generation,� Cloud observed.

Thorn took the hint, nodded, and left, shutting the door behind him. Cloud smiled slightly as he shook his head. The boy had potential, but he still needed more discipline before he�d make a decent warrior.

Cloud stripped out of his overalls and pulled his old SOLDIER uniform out of the closet. As he dressed, he thought of his friends, those who had died in the fight against Shinra, and what the uniform had come to represent to him through their quest. It was no longer a symbol of Shinra elitism. It had become a garment of honor. It had grown to represent Cloud himself. Of dubious background in the beginning, but slowly shown to be worth more than originally thought or even intended. He wore it with pride.

As he buckled his sheath to his back, he looked at himself in the mirror. His eyes still glowed with the Mako infusion he had received at the hands of Professor Hojo, but now they gleamed with something else. Wisdom, perhaps. Hope. He didn�t know.

All he knew was that he was wasting daylight.

He heard the unmistakable hissing from above within moments of entering the marsh. He looked above as the shadow first passed over him, and the sky darkened.

The Zolom was cruising by him, taking a first look at its prey. Cloud waited patiently for it to approach again, his hand on his sword. At last the Zolom turned leisurely and headed back toward him, then began to pick up speed. Cloud tensed, waiting for the right moment to spring. The Zolom shot down out of the sky and opened its mouth, swooping down on Cloud. Cloud waited until the last minute, and then dove aside, leaving the Zolom only moss and soil to chomp down upon as he swooped past.

The Zolom hissed in displeasure and came around quickly, landing not far from where Cloud was getting to his feet. Cloud somersaulted out of the way again as the Zolom struck once more. He stood quickly and yanked the Ultima Weapon from its sheath, holding it at the ready. The Zolom struck at him again, and he jumped aside, this time striking back with his blade. The Ultima Weapon cut through the serpent�s hood, spurting its pink blood onto the mossy ground. The Zolom hissed again, this time coming back with a stronger attack. Cloud dove out of the way for the Zolom's strike, and then fell as the Zolom shoved him to the ground with its tail. The Ultima Weapon went flying out of his hands and landed a few feet away. He moved to grab it, and the Zolom intercepted him, snapping its jaws. He evaded the attack and retreated as the Zolom advanced.

Cloud kept dodging, constantly being kept away from his weapon. Had it been this long since he had fought, that a Zolom would be the one to do him in?

A sound like thunder echoed through the marsh, and the Zolom spasmed. Cloud went for his blade as the Zolom recovered from its wound. He snatched up the Ultima Weapon as the Zolom came around again, and this time he was ready. The Zolom lurched forward, enraged at the unanticipated attack, and snapped at Cloud in a blind fury. Cloud easily sidestepped the attack and launched a Climbhazard attack, jabbing his blade into the serpent�s exposed hide and leaping straight up into the air.

As he landed, the Zolom collapsed to the ground, its upper half nearly split in two. The ground was flooded with the hot blood of the slain creature. Cloud caught his breath as he sheathed his sword, and his savior came into view.

�You looked like you could use some help,� the familiar voice stated in its usual flat tone.

Cloud smiled. �I don�t think I�ve ever been happier to see you, Vincent.�

Vincent�s eyebrow arched. �I suppose I�ll take that as a compliment.�

Cloud laughed, motioning toward the Death Penalty that was still in Vincent�s hand. �Please do.�

CHAPTER III

Thorn stole another glance at the tall, dark-haired man as he walked past the window on his way to the stables. He paused for a moment, and the man turned, glaring at him intently. Thorn turned away, his face red, and headed for the stables.

Vincent turned back to Cloud. �I see you finally hired some help. I wondered if you planned to run this entire ranch on your own forever.�

Cloud shrugged, sipping beer from the mug in his hand. He set the mug on the table with a small clank. �I figured it was time to bring some young blood into the business.� He looked up at Vincent. �How did you know I was running it alone?�

Vincent took a sip from his mug as he watched Cloud over the rim. Finally, he lowered the mug and shrugged in reply, a tiny half-smirk crossing the lower half of his face. �I hear things as I travel.�

Cloud nodded. �You have been doing a lot of that lately. I haven�t heard anything from you in ages.�

Vincent set his mug on the end table beside him. �I...went to Lucrecia�s cave after the battle...�

He didn�t say anything more for a moment, and Cloud simply waited. Lucrecia was still a sore subject for Vincent.

After a moment, the dark man spoke again. �It was cold. Colder than before. It was as though she had never been there in the first place.� He shook his head and lifted the mug for another drink. He tipped the mug up and drank for several seconds, and Cloud waited patiently. Finally, Vincent set the mug down again and sighed. �I knew that there was nothing left for me in that place. I had nowhere else to go. The only home I had known for ages was Nibelheim, and the idea of going back there didn�t appeal to me.�

Cloud nodded. He could understand the feeling entirely.

�So,� Vincent shrugged, �I traveled. I visited Wutai, Corel, Costa del Sol...Looking for something, I suppose. I was on my way to Kalm when I ran into you in the swamp.�

Cloud chuckled. �I�m very glad you did.� After a moment, he added, �Why were you headed to Kalm? To see Reeve and Tifa?�

Vincent nodded. �That, and to see if there had been any news about the lights from the sky.�

Cloud nodded, slowly. �Yeah, Cid and I saw the beam that hit North Crater this morning. Has anyone else mentioned anything where you�ve been?�

Vincent shook his head. �I was thinking about going to Cosmo Canyon to ask Red, but I was closer to Kalm when this all started happening. I figured it would be better to come here first and see if you and the others wanted to join me.�

Cloud thought about it. �Yeah, I guess I am a little curious about what�s going on.�

Vincent cocked his eyebrow. �Just curious about the lights? What about Tifa?�

Cloud sighed. �Her too, of course.� He grew silent for a long time. �I just don�t want to complicate her life,� he admitted finally. �She�s got this great setup in Kalm, the bar is ten times better than Seventh Heaven ever was. I don�t want to come in out of the blue and mess everything up. Besides,� he chuckled, �she doesn�t seem like the type who would be satisfied working on a ranch all day.�

Before Vincent could speak, Cloud rose from his seat. �Which reminds me, it�s getting late. I have to help Thorn get the Chocobos settled for the night.� He gestured up the stairs of his farmhouse. �I have a guest room in the loft. It�s not much, but I thought you might like to rest. We can go to Kalm together first thing in the morning.�

Vincent nodded, getting up from his spot on the sofa. �Yes, of course.� He started for the stairs. �Thank you for the beer and the hospitality.�

Cloud waived it off. �What are friends for, right?�

Vincent rolled that thought over in his mind. Friends. After his disastrous career with the Turks, his failed relationship with Lucrecia, and his betrayal by Hojo, he wondered if he would ever use that word again. Yet when the lights began appearing in the sky and he had decided to investigate, his first thought was of retrieving the others to join him. He trusted them. They trusted him. When he stopped to think about it, he supposed that was what the word friend truly meant.

He nodded to Cloud and headed up the stairs. Cloud watched him disappear, then turned and headed out to the barn.

Thorn was standing outside when Cloud emerged from the house. Two men were standing on either side of him, holding his arms. A third man was on the ground, slumped against the wall of the barn. Cloud could see in the dim light a nasty gash running across the chest of the fallen man. Thorn had obviously been underestimated when the men first attacked.

Cloud looked closer at the man, and realized why he looked so familiar. It was his clothing.

These were Shinra soldiers. What were they doing on his farm?

They hadn�t seen him yet, so he crept closer, taking cover around the corner.

�I told you,� Thorn gritted angrily. I can�t sell you these Chocobos. They belong to my boss. Besides, I wouldn�t sell them to scum like you even if I could.�

There was the sound of a fist meeting the soft part of a body, and Thorn grunted. Cloud heard the voice of one of the soldiers next. �Boy, you don�t get it. We�re not asking to buy them. We�re just taking them.�

Cloud reached out and grabbed a pitchfork from where it leaned against the building. He stepped out from behind the wall and held the pitchfork in both hands. �Don�t I get a vote in this?�

The soldier in front of Thorn pointed to Cloud, and the two soldiers holding Thorn dropped him to the ground, running towards Cloud. Cloud dodged one and whacked him on the back of the head with the pole. The second one was approaching fast. Cloud whipped the pitchfork around and dropped to one knee, impaling the charging soldier on the tines. The soldier slumped forward and dropped his rifle. Cloud picked it up and aimed at the soldier still standing in front of the collapsed Thorn.

�I don�t know who the hell you guys think you are, but this is my farm, and no one steals from me,� Cloud gritted.

The soldier raised his hands, and a grin crossed his face. Cloud was about to turn around when he felt the cold metal of a gun barrel at the base of his neck. His jaw jutted forward in frustration, and he held up the rifle. The man behind him snatched it away, and spoke to the other soldier.

�What should we do with him, Captain?�

The captain peered into Cloud�s glowing blue eyes and pondered for a moment. �He�s been exposed to Mako. The professor will likely want to see him. We�ll take him with us...alive, for now.�

Two more soldiers came running up. �We checked the house, Captain. No one else inside.�

The captain nodded, facing the first of the two men. �Secure a half-dozen Chocobos for us.�

The soldier nodded, heading into the barn, and the captain faced the other man. �Burn the house, and then the barn when we leave.�

The soldier saluted crisply and turned back toward the house. Several random thoughts jumped into Cloud�s mind at that moment.

The professor? What professor?

Where�s Vincent? I thought he was upstairs?

I�m glad I decided to stop by the bank in Junon instead of stashing all that gil in my house!

The soldier holding Cloud broke his train of thought as the Chocobos were led from the barn. �What about that one?� he asked, indicating Thorn, who was still lying on the ground.

The Captain thought a moment, and then shrugged. �He is of no consequence. He�s a farm hand. Kill him.�

The soldier who was leading the Chocobos pulled his handgun from its holster and aimed for Thorn. A gunshot rang out from somewhere in the direction of Cloud�s house, and the Chocobos started, throwing the soldier off balance before he could fire. He fell to the ground, and the captain rushed over to help restrain the Chocobos.

�Forget about the farm hand!� he shouted. �Take the farmer and private Bates and let�s get the hell out of here!�

The soldier behind Cloud shoved him toward a Mountain Chocobo. Cloud climbed on, and the soldier climbed on behind him, holding the handgun to Cloud�s throat as they rode.

Vincent had heard the footsteps coming up the stairs and had realized that they were military issue boots, not Cloud�s. He leapt from the bed and hurried into the bathroom as the soldiers entered. He heard them approach the bathroom door and climbed into the tub.

The soldier entered the bathroom, gun drawn. He checked the linen closet, scanned the room, and headed for the shower curtain that hung in front of the bathtub. He reached for it slowly, and then yanked it back, thrusting the gun into the empty space beyond.

Seeing nothing, he turned and headed back downstairs.

Vincent swung down from where he had been clinging to the ceiling and dropped to the tiled floor, making no noise as he landed. He heard the commotion outside and climbed out of the bedroom window. From there, he slid down the slope of the roof and dropped effortlessly to the ground behind the house. He drew the Death Penalty from its holster and stalked toward the sound of the scuffle.

When the melee came into view, Cloud was being held at gunpoint while another man holding the reins of several Chocobos was aiming for a motionless form on the ground. Judging the other men to be a threat, Vincent fired a round into the air to distract them for a moment and startle the Chocobos.

The idea worked beautifully. The Chocobos warked in distress, and the soldier with the handgun stumbled to the ground. Vincent advanced as the soldiers scattered, climbing onto the Chocobos and riding off.

Vincent reached the body on the ground and recognized him as the farm hand Cloud had hired. He rolled the boy over, and a groan emanated from the boy�s throat.

A shot rang out, and Vincent felt a bullet tear into the flesh at his back, just above his right shoulder blade. He fell to the dirt with a short grunt, and everything went black.

CHAPTER IV

Darkness faded into grey, then slowly into light. The patterns of flickering flame passed before Thorn�s eyelids as they fluttered open. He moaned and stirred slowly. His nose caught the acrid whiff of smoke and he awoke with a start, scrambling to his feet.

He took in the scene around him with alarm. Mr. Strife was nowhere to be found. Fire raged in every direction--the barn, the house, the grain silos--everything was ablaze. Duty spurring him to action, he stumbled toward the barn, hunting for any sign of life among the chocobos who had been trapped inside. He heard several alarmed warks from within, and pushed his way through the smoke.

The bodies of most of the chocobos littered the corrals. Poor little bastards. Thorn�s heart went out to them. The warks sounded again, and he headed for the pen on his right, where several black-feathered chocobos ran around frantically. Thorn heaved with all his might and yanked the gate open. The chocobos bolted, nearly knocking Thorn over in the process. He grabbed for one of them, and managed to slow it down long enough to climb on its back. Running a hand along its ruffled feathers to calm it, he spurred it out of the flaming barn.

Once outside, Thorn looked around for the escaped chocobos. They had already scattered into the countryside. �At least they�re alive,� Thorn thought aloud.

A moan rose up from the ground several feet to his right. He turned and spotted Mr. Strife�s friend--Vincent, Thorn seemed to remember--lying on his stomach. His right shoulder blade was perforated by a gunshot wound, and he was bleeding fairly heavily. Thorn dismounted and led the Chocobo over to where Vincent lay.

He ripped at his shirt until a large piece of it came off, then used the piece to fashion a makeshift bandage for the cloaked man. Looking around, he could see no alternative but to try and get Vincent out with him. There was no one around for miles in any direction. He muttered a brief apology to Vincent, then picked him up with a grunt and lifted him onto the back of the Chocobo. Vincent groaned, and the Chocobo warked with alarm at the sudden increase in weight.

�Sorry, girl,� Thorn sighed. �It�s not going to get any better.� With that, he hauled himself up in front of Vincent. The Chocobo warked again, then began its trot to the southwest. Thorn had heard once that in times of great stress, all animals naturally return to their homes. He had never believed it, and had presumed human beings to be above such animalistic, instinctual behavior. Yet here he was, on a Chocobo with a bleeding man in a cape, headed for Junon once again.

Tifa jerked up to a sitting position in bed. She looked around, panting for breath. The dream had been so real. Cloud had been calling to her. He was in trouble. There was smoke and...

�Fire!�

Tifa heard the sound of alarm in her head and her ears simultaneously. She bolted out of bed and ran for the front door, jerking it open to see a crowd of people looking out to the southeast of the city.

A glow filled the horizon. It was the glow of a steady burning blaze off in the distance. Tifa�s brow crinkled. There were no settlements to create that large a blaze to the southeast of Kalm. None except...

�Cloud!� she screamed, running back inside and yanking the door closed behind her. She grabbed her PHS from the front table.

The thump that echoed from the hall awoke Yuffie with a start. She sat up in bed and looked around, peering into the darkness for a sign of movement within her room. Seeing no shadows in the immediate vicinity, she climbed out of bed and reached for the pouch that sat on her nightstand. There was another thump, and she froze, trying to ascertain the source of the sound. Her training told her that whoever the intruder was, he had just stumbled down the stairs from the second floor. She crept out into the hallway, a shuriken in her right hand, and made her way down the stairs toward the source of the disturbance.

As she rounded the corner, an arm lashed out from beside the door. She hit the ground hard, not moving for several seconds. When she came to, the intruder was already on his way up the stairs toward her room. She got to her feet, and a wave of nausea overtook her. The punch she had taken had been a strong one, and the attacker had known just the right spot to induce the wooziness and unsettled feelings from which she now suffered. As she stumbled up the stairs, she cursed herself. She�d thought the intruder to be a clumsy oaf, after her father�s valuables. It was only when the attacker turned the tables that she realized what kind of a burglar she was tracking. This was no simpleton. He had drawn her downstairs to lure her away from something valuable that was in her own room.

As she rounded the corner and entered her room, her suspicions were confirmed by several things. The first was the chest that she kept under her bed, emptied of all its materia. The second was the open window through which the intruder had departed her domicile. She ran to the window and looked out at the shadow as it climbed the outer wall of the city, several blocks away, then disappeared.

She spun around, eyes burning with fury, and then flopped onto her bed with a sigh. At length, she chuckled.

�Fuck,� she muttered, still chuckling at the situation. She was startled from her reverie by a knock at the door. �Lady Kisaragi?� came the timid voice.

She sighed in frustration. Of all the times to be pestered� �Yes, Shake?�

Shake stepped into the room cautiously. His face was awash with concern and fear. �Are you all right? I thought I heard...�

�I�m fine, Shake,� she returned quickly. He nodded a short bow, and then hesitated.

�Is there something else?� she asked when the servant failed to depart.

�There is a visitor awaiting you, Lady Kisaragi.�

Yuffie leapt up. One of her friends? She hadn�t heard from her friends in ages. Shake�s somber visage didn�t encourage her. She ran past him and down the hall to the main audience chamber.

Cid was waiting for her. She was surprised to see him, of all people, coming all the way to Wutai to see her. His face was stony, and his eyes grim.

�Cid? What�s going on?�

Cid nodded toward the woods beyond the city. �The Highwind�s waiting. I picked up Barret on the way. He�s on board. We thought you might want to come with us.�

�Where?� Yuffie asked.

�To Kalm.� Cid sighed. �Cloud�s ranch was burned to the ground tonight. Cloud is missing.�

�Oh my gawd!� Yuffie gasped. Her breath caught in her throat.

Cid nodded. �Yeah. Everyone�s in Kalm, or headed there--except for Tifa and Nanaki, who are headed out to the ranch to search for clues.�

Yuffie backed toward the door. �Let me get my stuff. I�ll be right back.� She ran upstairs, gathered up some clothes and weapons--it didn�t take her as long without her materia, she noted with a huff--then returned to the audience chamber. �Let�s go!�

She and Cid headed out of the palace and toward the city gates.

The dark-suited figure ripped off his mask and looked around. The rustling of bushes led him in the direction of his colleague, who was waiting in the underbrush.

�Did you get what he asked for?� Reno whispered.

Rude nodded. �Had to deck that snot-nosed little princess to get it.�

Reno snorted. �Bet that damn near broke your heart, didn�t it?�

Rude chuckled, his stony expression unchanged. �I won�t lose sleep about it.�

�The only thing I don�t understand is what he wants the damn thing for anyway,� Reno sighed, shaking his head.

Rude shrugged. �Beats the hell out of me. What do you want to do with the rest of the materia?�

Reno blinked. �The rest? You swiped it all?�

�What?� Rude shot back. �You preferred that I pick through the chest and take my own sweet time?�

Reno shrugged again. �Screw it. We�ll sell them. Materia always fetches a pretty penny on the black market.�

Rude closed the sack and hefted it over his shoulder, and the two of them trudged southward.

Tifa scanned the area surrounding the farm with a grim face. The smoke was beginning to dissipate with the morning light, but there was no sign of any kind of life. Even the chocobos were gone.

Probably either dead or escaped to the countryside, Tifa thought as she spurred her own mount closer to Cloud�s ranch house. Her heart sank as she grew closer. It was worse than she had expected.

What remained of the former domicile of her closest friend were a few charred beams and one lone wall segment. The window that was set into what was left of Cloud�s rear wall was shattered, jagged edges left behind like the maw of some hungry dragon.

��But no Cloud,� Nanaki spoke from beside Tifa, reading her thoughts.

Tifa nodded slowly, tears filling her eyes. �I suppose that�s a good sign,� she replied, her hoarse voice barely a whisper.

Nanaki plodded over to the entrance to the burned-out farmhouse, sniffing the ground. Tifa had asked Nanaki to join her on the search the second he had arrived in Kalm with Cid. Her reasoning was twofold. First, Nanaki had the keenest sense of smell of any creature she had met, something that would come in handy in her search for Cloud.

Second, he was rational, calm, and could help keep Tifa from falling apart during the search.

A low growl of surprise from Nanaki turned Tifa�s attention away from the ashes of Cloud�s home. She dismounted and hurried over to where Nanaki was sniffing the ground.

�There were several people here, and a struggle,� he noted, indicating with a nod of his head the footprints scattered in many different directions. �Several different groups of people�two pairs of farmer�s boots, several military issue, and another.� Nanaki sniffed again. �Cloud wasn�t alone last night. He had a guest staying with him. Vincent was here.�

�Vincent?� Tifa echoed in surprise. �What was Vincent doing here?�

�Your guess is as good as mine, Tifa,� Nanaki returned. He scanned the ground again. More footprints�Chocobo. Two of them went in this direction,� he observed, noting the footprints. �One of them was carrying a heavy load�more than one person.�

�Cloud,� Tifa deduced. �But that�s back toward Kalm.�

�Or Midgar,� Nanaki pointed out.

�But Midgar�s been abandoned since the Lifestream erupted,� Tifa replied.

Nanaki shook his head. �We cannot rule out the unlikely, Tifa. Only the impossible. If someone wanted to hide their existence, where is the last place anyone would look for them?�

�Midgar,� Tifa agreed.

Nanaki returned to his search. �There was another Chocobo that left in that direction,� Nanaki indicated, pointing with a paw toward the southwest.

�Toward the mines?� Tifa asked.

Nanaki shook his head. �Unlikely,� he advised her. �There�s a feather here. It�s green.�

Tifa nodded, understanding. �A mountain Chocobo. Whoever took this one was headed over the top of the mines.�

�Which means they weren�t seeking to hide in the mines, but somewhere beyond them,� Nanaki concluded.

�But where?� Tifa asked, frustrated. �Fort Condor? Junon, perhaps?�

�Or the Western Continent, if they chartered a ship out of Junon. They could be halfway to Costa Del Sol by now.� Nanaki shrugged his massive haunches in a very human show of puzzlement.

Tifa sighed. The thread was unraveling.

�Tifa?� Nanaki added.

Tifa looked back at Nanaki.

�There is one other thing. This Chocobo also had two riders, which means that either one of the two directions could lead us to Cloud, or Vincent, or this mysterious third person�the one with the farmer�s boots.�

Tifa shook her head, looking back at the destroyed house. �One thing�s for sure, Nanaki,� she said finally. �We�d better track them all down, and soon. I have a feeling that whoever has Cloud doesn�t plan to make his stay pleasant.�

Nanaki growled in agreement as the Highwind roared through the distant western sky toward them.

CHAPTER V

The doors to the communications room opened with a swish, and Kaladar entered with his usual air of authority. �Have you located her position?� he asked of his subordinate.

Aratak nodded a salute to his captain. �Yes, sir. I have triangulated her position to be within a crater at the northern pole of the planet. She is buried beneath the caldera, but we should be able to extract her from the crater with little or no difficulty.�

Kaladar nodded. �Will there be any chance of her survival?� he asked.

Aratak contemplated a moment before replying. �Unsure, sir. It is possible, but very unlikely. She has been buried for an undetermined period of time.�

�But will the data that she has extracted be salvageable?� Kaladar pressed.

Aratak sighed inwardly. It was his commander�s constant concern for intelligence gathering for the military over the concern of his crew that irked him more than his overbearing presence. �It should be,� was his simple answer.

Kaladar grunted an approval. �Very well. Our navigator indicates an ETA of seventy-two hours. Be prepared.� With that, he turned and departed the room. Aratak shook his head and returned to his work.

Cloud heard the thump of heavy military boots on tiled floor. He opened his eyes a fraction and peered through his lashes so as not to alert anyone to his conscious state. He could make out the boots of several soldiers standing nearby, all of them facing away from him. He took the risk of opening his eyes, and then lifted his head slightly in order to take in the full view of the men standing with their backs to him.

They were dressed shabbily. Whatever military prestige their uniforms once held had long departed, but there was still no mistaking the blue of the Shinra Army uniform. Cloud didn�t think these were the same ones that had come to his farm and attacked him. These four weren�t dressed as well as the others. That meant that there was more of the Shinra Corporation left intact than Cloud had hoped.

The attack on his farm. The thought brought Cloud around to question the whereabouts and the welfare of his companions. I hope Thorn and Vincent are all right.

His thoughts were interrupted by a new set of footsteps entering the room. �You have brought me the specimen?� The new voice inquired.

The soldiers snapped to attention, and then stepped aside. Cloud shut his eyes quickly as the new arrival walked past them and knelt beside him.

�Now, now, let�s not start off our new relationship on a dishonest note.�

I know that voice. But how is it possible?

A sharp jolt surged through Cloud, and he cried out as his eyelids snapped open and his body jerked upward into a sitting position.

Professor Hojo chuckled, his body quivering as he examined Cloud. �I have to say, I�m impressed. The failed experiment turned out to be stronger than the one I considered my greatest achievement.�

Cloud�s voice was as raw and harsh as his emotions as he sneered back at Hojo. �Never underestimate the human factor, Hojo.�

Hojo grinned, mirth running through his entire frame, making it tremble with glee. �The human factor? How quaint. My dear Mr. Strife, the human factor is exactly what I�m counting on.�

A gentle breeze blew across the deck of the Highwind as Tifa looked around at those assembled. Cid had brought Barret and Yuffie to aid in the search for Cloud. Cid�s face was a mask of concern. She could see the tension within him, from the furrow of his brow to the tautness of his jaw as he clenched his ever-present cigarette between his teeth. Barret�s great bulk and brash appearance belied his inner fear for his vanished colleague. Even the normally flippant Yuffie was quiet, lost in her own apparent contemplations of Cloud�s possible whereabouts.

Nanaki stood beside her, looking up at her with a visage that betrayed both his hope and fear. Cait Sith and Reeve stood to her left. Both had volunteered to join in the search. She pondered the ridiculousness of that thought for a moment before she remembered that Reeve had rewired Cait to run independent of his control. Technically, it was Cait�s decision after all. Tifa smiled at Reeve�s selfless contribution of his time away from running Kalm. Even though Reeve had acknowledged that he could do little to aid in the search on the ground, he could help Cid on board the Highwind by assisting with radar sweeps.

�So,� Tifa began, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. �This is the situation. We�re looking at two different escapes from Cloud�s farm. One set of Chocobo prints headed back toward Midgar or Kalm. The other led toward the mythrill mines. That one appears to be a mountain Chocobo, so it�s not likely that they went through the mine.

�It seems as though Vincent had visited Cloud last night, and he is one of the three people missing. The third is a farm hand, apparently. This farm hand could be with Vincent, or with Cloud.�

�One other thing,� Nanaki added. �The people who took Cloud are likely military or ex-military. Be on your guard if you find them.�

�What about these lights in the sky?� Reeve asked.

Nanaki nodded. �It is possible that there may be a connection with the lights in the sky and those who abducted Cloud. We�ll need for someone to investigate those locations.�

�Reeve and I should do that,� Cid offered. �We can cover that ground faster.�

Tifa nodded. �Agreed. So, let�s split up from here. Cait and Barret, head back to Kalm and see if you can find anything there. Nanaki and I will search the Midgar ruins for any sign of Cloud. Yuffie, Cid and Reeve will drop you off on the other side of the mines. See if you can track down this other Chocobo rider, and maybe find Vincent.�

They all nodded their agreement. Tifa, Barret, Cait, and Nanaki all disembarked as Cid landed near Kalm, and then waved a quick salute as the Highwind took off again, bound for the Junon area.

�Something tells me we have our work cut out for us,� Barret grumbled.

�You�re not the only one with that feeling,� Tifa assured him. �We mustn�t give up, though.� She straightened her shoulders. �Cloud wouldn�t.�

Barret nodded, and the four of them headed off.

Thorn looked over his shoulder at the man he held in a fireman�s carry as he crept through Junon village. �Sorry about the rough treatment,� he muttered, �but we�ll soon be someplace where we can get you some help.�

He made his way carefully to the elevator doors that led to the City of Junon and pulled the lever beside the doors. There was a ding as the elevator reached the ground, and the doors slid open. Thorn looked around as he jumped inside.

The streets of Junon were awash with people walking in every direction. Thorn tried to keep to the shadows of the alleyways as he made his way through the city. Finally, he arrived at his destination. He knocked three times in quick succession, and then rapped with one knuckle twice.

The door creaked open, and Thorn shoved his way in.

�Whoa,� the man inside greeted him. �Long time no see, Thorn. We thought the MP�s had picked you up. They�ve been cracking down on us pickpockets lately. I guess they�re trying to bring in the tourists or something. I say, bring �em on. Good business for us.�

Thorn clamped a hand down on his friend�s mouth. �Seth, shut up. You talk too much.� He went to the cot in the corner of the room and set Vincent down gently.

�Hey,� Seth piped up again. �Who�s the vampire-looking guy?�

�His name is Vincent,� Thorn replied. �He�s one of my boss�s friends.�

�Boss?� Seth echoed. �Since when did you have a boss?�

�Since a few weeks ago,� Thorn shot back, his head throbbing from the stress of his clandestine journey and the incessant nattering of his colleague. �You remember when I went to Gold Saucer to bet on those Chocobo races?�

Seth nodded. �Yeah.�

�Well, I met this guy there who raised chocobos. He gave me a job as a hand on his ranch.�

Seth laughed out loud. �So you dropped out of sight and worried your old pal to death to become a ranch hand? Thorn I don�t know whether to deck you or laugh my damn head off.�

�I�m voting for the second choice,� Thorn smirked humorlessly, peering out the window. �If you laughed it off, at least it�d be a little quieter in here.�

Seth was silent, unable to think up a retort.

Thorn turned around to face him. �I�ll be back soon. Keep an eye on Vincent. I�m going to get us a few potions and some traveling money.�

�Traveling money?� Seth repeated blankly. �For what?�

Thorn leaned back into the small dwelling through the half-open door. �Just watch him, all right?� He shut the door and headed off.

�O�K�� Seth replied meekly. He sat down on the opposite side of the room and watched the dormant Vincent with a wary eye.

CHAPTER VI

Tifa looked in all directions as Nanaki sniffed the ground yet again. �Nothing?�

Nanaki shook his head. �Wherever they are, they are well hidden.�

Tifa sighed. She had hoed beyond all hope that she would find Cloud here in the ruins of Midgar. Even though it seemed like a long shot, it was worth looking into, Nanaki had advised her. Yet the closer they had come to the old Shinra capital, the greater her hope had grown, until she was almost certain that Cloud would be here. She wouldn�t give up hope�she couldn�t give up hope�but it was growing late. The PHS didn�t work in the recesses of the old Midgar slums, and Tifa was eager to hear any report from the others.

�Well, we should be heading back,� she pointed out. �It�s getting dark.�

Nanaki nodded. �Indeed. Let�s return to Kalm.�

Tifa was about to reply when a rustling sound caught her attention somewhere off to her left. She peered into the darkness and spotted a figure in the dim light of a fire, turning a spit. She signaled to Nanaki, who nodded. The two of them split up to encircle the figure. Tifa crept closer, and was halfway to her quarry when a shrill sound distracted her. She spun around, looking for the source, but saw nothing. When she turned back to the fire, the figure was gone.

She looked around for Nanaki, and then a sharp blow struck her from behind. She felt claws tear into her back, pinning her down. She screamed in pain and struggled to regain her footing. Nanaki�s howl ripped through the air as he attacked the creature, pouncing on it and ripping into its flesh with his teeth. It was the creature�s turn to cry out as it flailed madly and knocked Nanaki loose, tossing him into a pile of rubble nearby.

Tifa managed to roll over and get onto her knees before the creature turned back on her. She pushed herself backwards, slamming against a fallen support, as she avoided the next attack. The creature recovered, and then came forward for the next attack.

A squishing sound was heard as metal pierced flesh. The creature jerked forward with a death cry the rattled in its throat, and then fell to the ground, a long, javelin-shaped pole protruding from its back.

A hand reached out of the shadows and offered itself to Tifa. She took it cautiously and got to her feet as her mysterious benefactor revealed himself. Tifa�s breath caught in her throat. His face was covered with a thick beard, and his red hair had grown long and disheveled, but there was no mistaking the cold, calculating eyes that peered out from beneath that crimson mask of hair.

�Rufus?� she whispered.

Rufus nodded. �Come. We must see to your friend.� With that, he turned and walked over to Nanaki�s side. Nanaki stared at Rufus openly as he helped him to his feet.

�Wha�wha�?� Tifa stammered.

Rufus looked around as the howl of another creature rose over the ruins of the old tenements. �It�s not safe here,� he cut her off, some of his old air of authority creeping into his voice. �We must take shelter.� Before waiting for them to respond, he waved a hand that beckoned them back to his makeshift cabin amid the ruins of his former city. �This way,� he ordered.

Tifa and Nanaki followed, more out of curiosity than any real obedience, and within moments they were seated within a small hovel lit by the glow of several candles.

In the dim light, Rufus watched his two guests with amusement as they took in both their surroundings and the situation. Finally, he spoke.

�I suppose you�re wondering what I�m still doing alive,� he ventured.

Tifa nodded slowly. �That would have been one of my first questions.�

Rufus chuckled. �My father insisted on only the best of everything�the best clothing, the best office equipment�and the best office furniture. When Diamond Weapon hit the Shinra Building, I dove under my father�s desk. It hurt like hell, dropping through all those floors, but somehow, I came out of it in one piece.

�It occurred to me, being the savvy business type that I am, that my reappearance in the world of the living would not meet with a warm reception. As a result, I decided to remain here in the ruins of my former capital. I learned how to survive on my wits alone�something that my former position of power had not required. Room service was no longer an option. I had to forage for my own food. That was an experience in and of itself. You�d be surprised how good roasted sewer rat tastes when you haven�t eaten in five days.�

Tifa made a face and looked over at Nanaki, who merely shrugged. �I don�t believe, given the nature of my diet, that I have any right to comment on Rufus�s dining habits,� he demurred.

�At any rate,� Rufus chuckled, �I had time to think about things�the nature of the universe, the fickleness of fate, and the consequences of my vanity and short-sightedness. I thought, and I learned�and I watched.�

�What have you been watching?� Nanaki inquired. Tifa looked over at him. She hadn�t made the jump from Rufus�s recollections to possible knowledge that would be pertinent to their search. She looked back over to Rufus, who sat smirking.

�I have watched members of my former army scavenge for weapons and fight among themselves. I have seen petty gang fights as would-be warlords tried to take control of blocks of refuse. I think most importantly, however, I have seen two people rise from the ashes and take control of a large number of soldiers to form a small and rather powerful army of their own. They have been plotting, and now I suspect they are on the verge of some sort of perverse victory.�

�And you�ve just sat here, then?� Tifa asked.

Rufus shook his head sadly. �My dear Miss Lockheart, if I could have done something to regain control of my army, I would have most certainly done so by now. The simple fact of the matter is that they would have slaughtered me on sight.�

�Slaughtered you?� Nanaki echoed. �Who in the world has the power over these men to order their former leader killed?�

Rufus sighed. �Scarlet and Hojo.�

Aratak checked the chronometer above his console and made a mental note of the time. They would be arriving at the M-class planet in sixty-two hours. It was time for another communication attempt. So far, the only response they had received had been the standard distress call of the scout�s emergency unit. Kaladar had ordered a periodic communication check until their arrival at the planet. Aratak considered the exercise useless, but Kaladar had insisted. Therefore, he would continue with his orders as planned.

He flipped a switch with one tentacle while tapping a signal into his console with a touch pad. After a few repetitions of the message, he sat back and waited for a reply that he knew would not be forthcoming.

Cid growled in frustration as he peered into the dim pre-dawn sky. �I haven�t seen anything over any of these sites for hours. We�ve flown over each one of them what, three, four times now? Nothing!�

�It might be a good time to check in with the others,� Reeve suggested.

�Yeah,� Cid agreed, taking the dead butt of his cigarette out of his mouth and casting it over the side of the Highwind. �That was my last one.�

�You should quit anyway,� Reeve pointed out.

Cid jabbed a finger in his direction. �Not you, too. Shera�s after me enough about that shit.�

Reeve was about to respond when he noticed something off the starboard bow. �Look!� he cried, thrusting a finger out to point at the sight that had prized his attention away from Cid�s tobacco intake.

Cid turned and stared. Had he been in possession of a cigarette, it would have fallen from his mouth and hit the deck right beside his jaw.

A beam of light was lancing down from the sky above, skewering the crater with its concentrated shaft of energy. Cid watched for a moment before snapping out of his dazed reverie. �Reeve! The recorder over there! See if you can�t record this.�

Reeve nodded, working the controls of the recording device located at the helm of the Highwind. After about thirty seconds, the light disappeared.

Cid turned to Reeve. �Did you get all of that?�

Reeve nodded. �What was left of it after I turned the recorder on.�

Cid nodded in affirmation, pulling out his PHS and dialing. �I�ll contact Nanaki and the others in Kalm. I think they should see this.�

Yuffie stepped off the elevator and looked around. It wasn�t as though she honestly expected to see Vincent and this mysterious farm boy strolling down the street�as a matter of fact, her entire search had been depressing thus far�but one never knew.

As she walked, she thought back on her investigation up to this point. The Chocobo tracks had led her to an area just north of Fort Condor. Thinking that perhaps the two had gone to the fort to heal their wounds, she checked with the soldiers within. Aside for a few requests for dates from some of the more lonely (and desperate, she thought ruefully) soldiers, she found nothing. She had checked out her old haunts in the forest outside Junon, to no avail. Apparently, the chocobos had been dropped as a ruse to prevent anyone else from following them.

Yuffie had then decided to check out Junon. Vincent and the farm boy may have booked passage on a freighter and left Junon for the Western Continent, but someone would have heard something�and for the right price, any amount of information could be had.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the familiar feeling of hands reaching into pockets. Of course, for Yuffie, the role was usually reversed, so it took a split second to realize what was going on. This was still time enough, however, to apprehend the pickpocket before he absconded with her valuables.

She grabbed the would-be thief by the wrist and hauled him around to face her. �Hold it, mister!� she ordered. �No one goes in there without dinner and a movie first! Now who the hell are you?�

The thief looked her up and down, oblivious to the hold she had on his wrist. �Who the hell am I? Who the hell are you, sweetie?�

�Sweetie?� Yuffie flushed red with anger. �Who are you calling�?� Her rant was cut short as the thug kicked her in the shin, causing her to lose her grip on his wrist. He turned and bolted for the nearest alleyway.

�Hey!� she hollered, limping after him. She reached the front of the alley just in time to see the thief vault over a fence near the back of the alley and turn left. She headed part way down the alley in chase, and then looked around, spotting the thing she�d hoped to find. �Screw this,� she muttered, yanking the fire escape ladder down and climbing up to the roof of the building. She ran to the edge, where she saw the little punk run down another alleyway and down a second street. She vaulted over to the next building, landing awkwardly and twisting her ankle.

�Fuck!� she cried out, gritting her teeth as she limped over to the side of the building. �When I catch this little bastard, I�m gonna�there you are, you little��

She watched as the pickpocket rapped on a door and looked around. A moment later, the door opened, and the man went inside.

�So that�s how it is, huh?� she smirked, and then limped over to the fire escape. She climbed down to street and went around to the front of the building. She looked around once, and then knocked on the door.

She heard footsteps make their way to the door to peer through the eyehole. She counted to three, and then launched a vicious side kick. The door flew inward, catching the spy in the head and knocking him to the floor.

She took in the scene as she leaned against the doorframe, favoring her wounded ankle. The small, one-room apartment was a mess. Papers and clothes littered the sofa, floor, and counter. On the table sat an open toolbox with all kinds of switchblades and lock picking devices. A bloody shirt hung from one of the blades of the ceiling fan. Her eyes shifted to the corner of the room, where a shirtless and bandaged Vincent lay on a cot. The pickpocket she had attempted to apprehend was sitting on the edge of the cot, frozen in the middle of an attempt to spoon-feed a potion to Vincent. His eyes were fixed on Yuffie, and hers on him.

For a moment, neither spoke, and then a voice broke the silence.

�The spoon won�t be necessary.�

Both Yuffie and the pickpocket jumped and turned to face Vincent, who was lifting himself to a seated position, resting his back against the stained wall. He winced slightly as he settled into a position that kept his injury free of pressure. Having made himself somewhat comfortable, he moved his gaze back and forth between Yuffie and the pickpocket.

�Perhaps an introduction is in order,� he observed.

Cloud struggled for what seemed to be the fiftieth time that hour. It was no use. Whatever it was that Hojo had used to tie him up, he wasn�t getting out of it.

Hojo watched his struggles for a moment with amusement, and then went back to his calculations. �How goes the human factor, Cloud?�

Cloud said nothing. He merely glared at Hojo.

Hojo looked up again and smiled. �Don�t worry. If it�s my company that bothers you, take comfort in the knowledge that a few friends will be joining us shortly�and with them they bring the final piece to my puzzle.�

The now-familiar click of heels on tile alerted Cloud to the presence of his second captor. Scarlet walked past Cloud, ruffling the hair on the back of his head as she did so. She stepped up beside Hojo and watched as he typed in a few more numbers.

�The reconstruction process is almost complete, Professor,� she informed him after a moment.

�Excellent, my dear,� Hojo replied, not looking up from his work. �Go and see if our guests have arrived, would you?�

Scarlet nodded, then turned on her heel and walked out of the chamber.

Cloud glared at Hojo, trying to peer into his mind and determine what his game plan was.

Hojo, he thought viciously, whatever you�re planning, we will stop you.

CHAPTER VII

�I think you guys should head back here as soon as possible,� Barret concluded.

Tifa nodded, although he couldn�t see her gesture on the other end of the PHS. �We�ll hurry back.�

She hadn�t told Barret about her encounter with Rufus. She most certainly had not mentioned the fact that he was standing next to her. The first fact alone would give him fits of apoplexy. The second fact would send him into orbit.

Truth be told, she wasn�t exactly sure how she herself felt about the reappearance of Rufus Shinra and his apparent desire to set right his sins of the past by helping them in their current crisis. She didn�t think it was a good idea to tell anyone about Rufus until she had determined one way or another if he was telling the truth, or simply trying to lure them into some sort of twisted trap to exact his revenge.

Gee, Tifa, time has left you open and trusting, she thought to herself.

She smiled ruefully, and was about to speak again when the sound of helicopter blades roared overhead. She looked up and watched as a copter with Shinra markings flew over their hiding place on the outskirts of Midgar�s ruins.

�What was that?� Barret asked.

�I�m not sure,� Tifa replied, glancing at Rufus. Rufus shook his head in confusion. �I need to go and check it out. I�m sending Nanaki back to examine the recording with you guys.�

�You�re going back in alone?� Barret cried. �No way. I�m sending someone over to go with you.�

�No, that�s�� she cut herself off. If she revealed that Rufus was with her�

�I�ll be fine,� she said finally.

Barret made a grumbling noise of discontent, but he knew better than to argue with his old friend. �All right, I guess, but be careful. Cid�s on his way to get Nanaki. Inbound in about two minutes.�

Tifa turned to tell Rufus to hide, but he was already gone. �I�ll wait here,� a voice called out from behind a wall segment.

Tifa nodded in agreement. She watched as the Highwind came into view, then swooped down and landed a few dozen yards away. Nanaki sprinted for the airship as the ramp lowered. As soon as he was aboard, the huge vessel took off again, bound for Kalm.

Tifa watched it depart, then turned and ran back through the ruins. �What the hell was that?� she asked Rufus as he emerged from behind the wall.

�I suspect whoever it is will be headed for the secret compound Hojo and Scarlet have built for themselves. It�s not far from here,� Rufus replied, pointing to the descending helicopter. They advanced cautiously, staying out of sight until the copter landed and its easily recognizable passengers disembarked.

�Reno, Rude, and Elena,� Rufus muttered. �I knew they were trouble. I don�t know why in hell my father ever hired those vultures.�

�They�re headed for that door,� Tifa pointed out. �There�s Scarlet.�

Rufus nodded. �Let�s head inside�but quietly.�

Tifa nodded in agreement, and the two of them crept forward.

�So this kid actually saved your life?� Yuffie exclaimed as Vincent finished his story.

�Kid?� Thorn piped up. �Kid? I�m at least as old as you are!�

Yuffie smirked. �Yeah, but you mature faster when you�ve seen the things that I have.�

Vincent fought the urge to roll his eyes. �So, what has transpired since my disappearance?�

Yuffie quickly filled him in on everything�the search for Cloud, the Chocobo prints leading to Midgar, and the recent news that Barret had given her over the PHS.

Vincent�s eyes were wide. �Hojo is alive?� he cried.

Yuffie nodded. �Looks that way.�

Vincent winced as he climbed slowly to his feet. �Yuffie, get one of your cure materia and seal up this bullet wound so that we can get moving.�

Yuffie shook her head. �I don�t have any.�

Vincent looked at her with incredulity. �What?�

Yuffie sighed. �Someone broke into the palace and stole all of my materia.�

�Yuffie, stop playing around,� Vincent ordered. He looked at the teenager with surprise as her expression became one of even greater sadness. �You�re not kidding, are you?�

Yuffie shook her head. �Nope.�

�Damn,� Vincent muttered.

�Don�t sweat it, sir,� Thorn piped up. �I happen to have�obtained one for the time being.�

Yuffie stared in wonder at the proficiency of their newfound cohort as he focused on the green orb. The sphere began to glow, and Vincent was infused in an emerald-hued mist. When the coalescence faded, Vincent touched his shoulder blade.

�Not even a scar,� he murmured in surprise. �Very nicely done, Thorn.�

�Thank you, Mr. Valentine,� Thorn replied.

�Where did you learn to use materia like that?� Yuffie demanded.

Thorn shrugged. �My brother taught me.�

�Your brother, huh?� Yuffie snorted. �Anyone we know?�

Thorn shook his head. �No. No one of consequence,� he answered quickly. He turned his back to them and looked over at Seth. His best friend, the one who had taken him in when he�d come to Junon with nothing, the one who had given him the name he now held, was seated by the unhinged door, an ice pack against his head.

�You all right?� he asked Seth.

Seth nodded. �Yeah, man, just a pounding headache.�

�I�m really sorry about that,� Yuffie offered from behind Thorn.

Seth waved her off. �Don�t worry about it. How about you kiss my boo-boo, and we�ll call it even?�

Yuffie turned red and took a step toward Seth. �How about I rip your nuts off and stuff them down your throat?�

Seth chuckled. �I like her, Thorn. She�s got spunk.� He looked up at Yuffie and smiled. �No need to get violent, sweetheart. I was only kidding.�

Yuffie advanced another step, and Vincent put a hand on her shoulder. �If everyone is ready, we should get moving,� he observed.

Yuffie paused a moment before nodding in agreement. Seth got to his feet, groaning as his head shifted under the ice pack, and the four of them gathered their belongings for the trip back to Kalm.

Reno walked into the chamber and surveyed the scene with his usual collected attitude. �Professor, I believe I have what you requested. Hello, Cloud,� he greeted his old adversary. �Good to see you again.�

�I�m sorry I can�t say the same,� Cloud muttered in reply.

Reno shrugged off Cloud�s answer and turned his attention back to Hojo, who was walking toward him. He yanked his electro rod down from his shoulder and pointed it at the scientist. �That�s quite close enough,� he admonished, pulling the green orb from his pocket and tossing it over to Hojo, who snatched it out of the air and examined it.

�Excellent,� Hojo hissed eagerly. He waved a signal to the guards who stood behind Reno. They advanced quickly, drawing their weapons.

Reno�s reaction time was quicker. He grabbed the nearest of the two by the wrist, flipping him over his shoulder and relieving him of his gun. Tossing the gun into the air, he grasped it by the butt, and then brought it to bear on the other soldier, who froze.

�Drop it,� he muttered to the soldier, who obeyed instantly. Reno snapped his fingers, and Rude and Elena stepped into the room from the hallway. Both had drawn their revolvers and had them aimed squarely at Hojo.

�Now, Professor,� Reno grinned. �I believe it is time to discuss payment.�

�Yes, indeed,� Hojo replied. �Payment.� He pressed a button on the console, and several panels opened in the wall. Hojo ducked and rolled under a desk as several squads of soldiers emerged from their hiding places behind the wall panels. As they opened fire, Reno, Rude, and Elena dove for cover.

�We�ve been had!� Reno cried out to his comrades as they returned fire from over the top of computer consoles and overturned tables.

�You think?� Elena shot back was she fired twice at a soldier, dropping him. She ripped a speed loader from beneath her suit jacket and jammed it into her revolver before taking aim at another soldier.

Yuffie and the others climbed on board the Highwind. Cid closed the hatchway behind them, and they made their way up to the bridge. When they arrived, Cid greeted them in his usual cheerful fashion, a cigarette from a fresh pack of smokes dangling from his lips.

�Gawd, I hate flying,� Yuffie complained, flopping down onto the deck near the railing. �At least we�re only going to Kalm.�

Cid chuckled. �Sorry, Yuffie. Change of plans. Nanaki took one look at that recording and insisted that we all head back to Cosmo Canyon. I just dropped �em all off when you called back to let us know you had Vincent, so I had to come get you. It�s gonna be a little longer than you thought.�

Yuffie groaned and rested her head against the railing of the Highwind. �Why me?� she muttered.

�Why not you?� Thorn replied as he sat down beside her.

Yuffie glared at him. �Don�t you know a rhetorical question when you hear one?� she fumed. �Besides, who said you could sit here?�

Thorn grinned. �It�s not your ship. Unless he says otherwise,� Thorn added, pointing to Cid, �I�ll sit wherever I please.�

Yuffie crossed her arms and sat in silence.

�Question,� Thorn began.

Yuffie looked at him. �What?� she huffed in annoyance.

�Why are you so bitchy whenever anyone tries to be nice to you?� Thorn asked.

Yuffie�s jaw trembled. �Bitchy? How dare you! I simply happen to be a little bit selective as to the people I speak to. Just because you happen to be a fellow thief, doesn�t mean that I have to like you.�

Thorn grinned lopsidedly. �But you do.�

�I most certainly do not!� she protested.

Thorn�s grin became full-fledged. �I just realized it. I can�t believe I didn�t see it before.�

�What?� Yuffie asked cautiously.

�Men scare you.�

�Huh?� Yuffie stammered, at a loss for words.

�Whenever a man makes a comment or a compliment to you, you fly off the handle and threaten him with violence,� Thorn observed.

Yuffie shook her head. �That�s ludicrous!� she exclaimed.

�The truth of it is,� Thorn pressed on, oblivious to the potential danger he was in, �you wouldn�t know what to do with a man if he bit you.�

Yuffie lifted her arm and swung it at Thorn�s face, outraged. Thorn caught it in mid swing, looked her in the eye, and clamped his teeth down on her forearm.

�Ow!� Yuffie hollered. Thorn released her, half-smiled, and stood up, leaving Yuffie to nurse her arm.

Cid shook his head and chuckled as he turned back to face the controls. �Kids nowadays,� he muttered.

Tifa and Rufus crept down the hall toward the sound of gunfire. They peered around the corner and saw the Turks fighting a large number of Shinra soldiers from pinned positions. Rufus looked up at Tifa.

�It�s a tough call,� he noted.

Tifa smiled despite the situation. �I�m tempted to kill them all and let God sort them out.�

Rufus nodded. �An excellent idea, but what if Hojo has Cloud within as a hostage?�

Tifa sighed. �I knew it couldn�t be that easy.�

�It never is,� a voice behind them pointed out. They turned abruptly to face Scarlet, standing between two Shinra soldiers. �Tifa. Long time no see. And Rufus. What a surprise to find you here�alive. Pity I can�t consider the surprise a pleasant one.�

Rufus shrugged. �We all have our problems.�

The sound of gunfire ceased, and Scarlet smiled. �That�s our cue.� The soldiers shoved Tifa and Rufus, and they marched into the chamber.

Inside, the area looked like a war zone. Bodies of Shinra soldiers were strewn everywhere, having fallen victim to the folly of underestimating the Turks. Elena was slumped against a wall, clutching a shoulder wound. Rude and Reno were standing in the middle of the chamber, hands behind their heads in surrender to the half-dozen soldiers still on their feet. Hojo stood at a console, a grotesque parody of what he once was. On the console next to him were a green sphere and a jar with a piece of flesh inside of it. Tifa and Rufus passed through the opening between the two massive consoles, and Tifa saw�

�Cloud!� she exclaimed.

Cloud looked up, and his eyes rounded. �Tifa! What are you doing here?�

�I came to rescue you,� she replied, �only it didn�t work out like I�d hoped.�

Cloud spotted the other captive, and his eyes narrowed. �Is that�?�

�Rufus Shinra,� Hojo greeted his captive. �I was wondering when you would be coming to greet us. I�ve watched you scurry around, spying on us periodically. Quite rude of you, I must say.�

�What is it you want?� Rufus demanded.

�Your company, Rufus. Your delightful companionship as you bear witness to the new era of science that dawns today.� Hojo waved a hand at the items on the console. �Perhaps it would help if I explain a few things to you before we begin��

��First of all,� Nanaki began once everyone had gathered in the observatory, �What we have seen is a simplistic form of communication from outer space.�

�But who could they be trying to contact?� Yuffie asked. �There are a lot better places than the crater to try to contact intelligent life.�

Nanaki shook his head. �They aren�t trying to contact us, Yuffie��

��They have been trying to contact the creature trapped within the caldera of the crater,� Hojo explained. �You see, we were all wrong about the origins of Jenova��

��We assumed that Jenova was an offshoot of the Cetra, a mutation, if you will. We couldn�t have been more wrong,� Nanaki shook his head, still disbelieving the information he had yet to impart to his friends.

�So what exactly was Jenova?� Cait pressed.

�Well, Jenova wasn�t a creature��

��It is a species,� Hojo hissed. �The Cetra are the offshoots of the Jenova. They are the genetic result of interbreeding between the Jenova and the primitive human race.�

�Then, the Ancients are really the Jenova?� Tifa asked breathlessly.

Hojo nodded. �Exactly.�

�But if the Jenova are the pure race,� Reeve inquired, �Then what was their motivation for destroying the Cetra?�

Nanaki sighed. �They were shamed by their species� weakness. They wanted to pretend that the Cetra had never existed. They considered the interbreeding of Jenova and humans disgraceful.�

�So,� Thorn jumped in, getting to the heart of the matter. �Who or what is trying to contact something here?�

Nanaki turned to the video screen. �It�s best if I showed you what we have translated.� He switched on the screen.

The group watched as Hojo turned on the recording he had made of the lights above the crater. �I�ve added subtitles for those of you keeping score,� Hojo chuckled.

Hail and greetings. Your message has been received. Rescue vessel enroute. ETA sixty-two hours. Message repeats. Hail and greetings. Your message has been received. Rescue vessel enroute. ETA sixty-two hours. Message repeats�

� Your message has been received. Rescue vessel enroute. ETA�

Nanaki switched off the screen.

�That�s it?� Thorn demanded. �Rescue vessel for what?�

�Jenova,� Barret muttered.

Nanaki nodded. �Exactly.�

�Um, do they know that Jenova�s dead?� Yuffie inquired.

Miles to the east, Cloud asked the same question.

Hojo shrugged. �I don�t know. But that�s where the fun part comes in.� His shoulders shook with mirth as he picked up the jar. �Anyone want to guess what this is?�

�It looks like a piece of Jenova,� Rufus ventured.

Hojo nodded. �Score one for the former boss. Yes, it�s a piece of Jenova. At first, I sought to create a clone from this DNA sample. Then I did some research, and I developed a new plan�one that involved sending the Turks on a little raiding mission in Wutai. I needed a mastered revive materia in order to complete my experiment.�

Tifa looked over at Cloud. �He�s not serious.�

�Ah, but I am, Miss Lockheart. Now, watch in awe as I lead this world into the new era of science!� Hojo exclaimed. With that, he hefted the materia, focusing all his concentration upon it. Within moments, a glow filled the room. The green of the glow grew richer and brighter, until it infused everything it touched with its shimmering appearance. Tifa stared in shock at the twisted, maniacal visage of Hojo, transfixed by his single-mindedness until something caught her eye. She turned her gaze on the jar, then watched in horror as the piece of Jenova�s tail housed within twitched, then writhed. Suddenly, the glass shattered, and the lights went out, plummeting all of them into darkness.

Aratak checked the chronometer yet again. Forty-eight hours out. It was time for another communications check. He sighed as he fought back boredom for long enough to send the standard communication once again. He had just settled back in his chair when an alarm sounded on his console. He jerked upward in his seat and manipulated the controls to receive the incoming communication. As fast as he could translate it, he was already sending the message to the bridge to be reviewed by Kaladar.

Received your signal. Request immediate assistance. Have been attacked by hostile life forms. Await your arrival. Long live the Jenova.

Aratak felt the jerk in his seat moments later as Kaladar ordered the navigator to increase speed to maximum. They would be arriving within six hours.

CHAPTER VIII

The lights flickered to life in the laboratory, and Cloud blinked his eyes back into focus.

Hojo was standing in the corner of the room, examining the glowing, slightly enlarged specimen as it lay in the shards of the shattered jar. The Shinra guards were still holding them all at gunpoint, and Scarlet was examining the readouts from the newly revived computer screens.

�There was a transmission from the crater, Professor,� she cried out excitedly. Hojo turned and smiled.

�Excellent,� he chuckled. �Just as I suspected. The Revive materia has managed to resurrect the Jenova to some degree. Unfortunately, we must move quickly if we are to ensnare those who are to retrieve it. Have you sent your troops to the North Crater as I instructed?�

Scarlet nodded. �Yes, Professor.�

Hojo grinned. �Excellent. Come, Scarlet. We must depart for the Northern Crater.�

Rufus shook his head in disbelief. �You�re mad. You�re stark raving mad. You don�t honestly think that you�ll be able to take down whatever is arriving to retrieve the Jenova, do you?�

Hojo smiled. �Rufus, my dear, shortsighted former employer,� he chuckled, placing an emphasis on the word former. �You do not begin to see the scope of what I mean to accomplish, do you?�

When he received no answer from the captives, Hojo laughed. He gathered his belongings and headed for the door. �Take Cloud and the woman with us. They might prove useful should their comrades decide to interfere with our plans.�

The Shinra guard saluted, roughly pulling Cloud and Tifa along behind Scarlet and Hojo. �What of Rufus and the Turks?� one of the remaining guards inquired.

Hojo shrugged, not turning around. �They are of no use to anyone. Kill them.� With that, the doors closed, and Reno, Rude, Elena, and Rufus looked at each other.

�So, what�s the next step?� Thorn asked after Nanaki had concluded his lecture.

Nanaki was about to answer when one of his assistants burst into the room. �Sir, we have received a transmission from the crater!�

Nanaki turned to face his assistant. �You mean to the crater, don�t you?�

The subordinate shook his head. �No, sir. From it!�

The others stood in surprise, unable to come up with a reply to the news. Finally, Nanaki spoke. �Very well. Continue to monitor.� He turned to his friends. �It appears that our presence shall be required at the crater. I believe that is where we will find our answers.�

The Gold Chocobos skipped gracefully across the waters as the temperature dipped around them. They were nearing the Northern Crater.

�I must commend you on your fine breeding skills, Mr. Strife,� Hojo shouted over the wind in front of them. �Your contribution has made our job much easier.�

�So that was why you burned my farm!� Cloud raged. �You could have just asked nicely.�

Hojo chuckled. �Would that have helped?� he shouted.

Cloud shook his head. �No,� he yelled back, �but at least I could have had a good laugh.�

The guard behind Cloud clipped him on the ear with the butt of his pistol. Cloud grunted and growled. �Man, when I get out of these binders, you�re going to pay for that.�

The guard merely snorted a laugh in reply. Cloud reverted to silence as the Chocobos continued on their path toward the crater.

The guards looked at each other with grins on their faces. �So,� one asked the other, �which one should we do first?�

�I�m thinking Rufus. He always was a slave driver.�

The first guard chuckled. �Fair enough. I�ll flip you for it.�

Rufus watched the two of them, eyes darting back and forth. Finally, Elena piped up from his right. �How about you pick on someone else, huh?�

The guards turned to look at her, and Reno lashed his foot out at the nearest guard. The guard stumbled, losing his grip on his gun. Reno followed through with another kick, knocking the guard to the ground. The other guard turned back to fire at Reno, and Elena threw herself at the guard, knocking him to the floor. Rufus crouched beside the first guard, fumbling for the keys to the binders that held him. The second guard scrambled to retrieve his pistol from its holster. Drawing it, he turned it on Rufus and fired.

Rufus stared down the approaching bullet-

-Then blinked when a flash of dark blue flew between him and the incoming projectile.

Rude concluded his flight through the air with a graceless collapse to the tiled floor at Rufus�s right. Elena climbed onto the guard who had fired and kicked downward, hard. His head bounced off the floor, and he stopped moving.

Rufus finished the task of unlocking his binders, and then did the same for Reno and Elena. The three of them rushed over to Rude�s side. Reno rolled him over, searching for the wound.

�I don�t get it,� he muttered. There was no wound to be seen.

�Mhmhffhmf,� Rude muttered.

�What?� Reno pressed urgently, leaning closer.

�Mfmfgghrgfmr!� Rude added with feeling.

�I can�t understand you,� Reno hissed, still probing his comrade for wounds.

Rude spat something out of his mouth. It bounced with a clang to the floor, and Rude glared at Reno. �I said, would you please get these binders off of me? They�re starting to chafe.�

Reno picked up the bullet from where it lay on the floor and stared at it in awe. �Where the hell did you learn to do that?� he demanded.

�Does it matter?� Rude shot back.

Reno shrugged. �Not really,� he replied, reaching behind Rude to unfasten his binders.

Rude nodded his thanks as he climbed to his feet. The three Turks moved quickly to disarm the guards. �So,� Reno asked as he put two slugs into the guard that Rufus had plundered.

�I should think it would be obvious,� Rude replied, putting the barrel of his pistol under the chin of the other guard and firing. �We head for the crater, and see if we can�t stop this madman from doing whatever it is he�s contemplating.�

Rufus cleared his throat. �Excuse me, but-�

The Turks turned to face him. Reno leaned against a console, Elena crossed her arms, and Rude wiped his hands clean of the guard�s blood with a dark blue handkerchief.

�Yes?� Reno inquired.

�Why am I still alive?� he asked. �I mean, it seems a rather bold, and perhaps foolish question to ask, but I always like to know where I stand in any agreement.�

Reno chuckled. �Quite an admirable trait, Mr. Shinra. You would have made an excellent Turk. To answer your question, we do not kill our employers.�

Rufus shook his head. �I don�t understand.�

�It�s very simple,� Reno explained. �Our contract of employment was with Shinra, Inc. Your father drew that contract up seven years ago, and it included anything ordered by Shinra. The contract was specifically worded so that our employer was Shinra, Inc., and not any one person. We went to Wutai to retrieve those Materia under the orders of Scarlet and Hojo, whom we believed to be the highest-ranking surviving officers of the Shinra Board of Executives. As soon as we realized that you were alive, our allegiance fell directly under you, the President and CEO of Shinra, Inc.�

Rufus looked to the others, who nodded. He smoothed the collars of his tattered coat and smiled. �Very well, then. Let us depart for the Crater.�

Reno and the others nodded their agreement, and the four strode out of the laboratory.

Yuffie sat at the railing of the Highwind, her nausea wrestling with her concerns for control of her attention.

Her arm had ceased hurting long ago, but she could still feel Thorn�s teeth on her skin. As she rubbed her forearm unconsciously, she pondered his words. At length, she chuckled.

�Ridiculous. Afraid of men? What does he think I�m doing around all of these guys all the time? I�m perfectly comfortable around them.�

That�s because they�re safe, she realized. The thought of Barret being any other way than the gruff ex-terrorist was laughable. Cid was married, Nanaki and Cait Sith weren�t even the same species, and Cloud was hung up on Tifa, even though he would never admit it. Then, of course, there was Vincent, the man from the coffin. He was so distant and cold, Yuffie was sure he was completely asexual.

So, where was the harm in hanging out with any of them? Where was the danger?

There was none.

Maybe Thorn was right.

Another wave of nausea swept over Yuffie as the Highwind banked to port, and her musings were forgotten.

The Chocobos warked, then shivered under the cold temperatures. Hojo spurred his on toward the lip of the crater, and the others followed suit.

Cloud looked over at Tifa, who was shivering uncontrollably. She had begun to turn blue about a half-hour ago, and now she looked completely frozen.

�We need to rest,� Cloud shouted over the icy wind. �She needs warmth!�

Hojo reined in his Chocobo and glared through the snow at Cloud. �She�ll be fine,� Hojo yelled back. He shrugged. �Or not. It matters not to me.� With that, he kicked at the Chocobo and started off again.

�You son of a-� Cloud gritted, and then elbowed the guard behind him. The guard fell from the Chocobo with a grunt, and Cloud leapt from the Chocobo himself, kicking the fallen guard twice in the face. He grabbed the keys to his binders from the guard�s belt and worked himself free.

The others were over fifty yards ahead. None of them had heard the scuffle over the harsh winds. Cloud snatched up the guard�s pistol and hefted it. It had been a long time since he had fired a gun, but he was sure it would come back to him.

He charged through the snow after the group and took aim at Hojo. He fired, and the gunshot echoed through the air.

The bullet missed Hojo by inches. The scientist dropped from the Chocobo, and Scarlet yanked her gun free from her shoulder holster. Spotting Cloud behind them, she drew a bead on him. �What do you want me to do with him, Professor?� she asked as another bullet flew through the air, hitting the guard behind Tifa. The guard clutched his shoulder and fell from the Chocobo. The Chocobo warked beneath Tifa and bucked in surprise. Tifa fell with a cry to the snow, and the Chocobo took off.

Hojo mounted his Chocobo again. �Kill him. He has become too troublesome.�

Scarlet smiled, firing two shots. Tifa looked up from the snowdrift to see Cloud tumbled backward and lay still.

�NO!� she cried, reaching out an arm.

Hojo motioned to Tifa. �Bring her. We may still need insurance.�

Scarlet spurred her Chocobo over to where Tifa lay in the snow. She reached down and snatched her up, chuckling.

Tifa struggled against Scarlet, but she only laughed harder. �Looks like your hero won�t be rescuing you this time, huh?� she jeered.

Tifa turned to glare at Scarlet, tears freezing to her face. �Eventually, you�re going to let your guard down. When you do, I�m going to rip your throat out, you bitch.�

Scarlet stopped laughing and struck Tifa on the head with the butt of her gun. Tifa slumped over across the Chocobo�s back, and Scarlet kicked the bird into motion. �Strong words from a barmaid,� she muttered.

CHAPTER IX

Rude piloted the helicopter out of the ruins of Midgar with practiced ease. Reno sat beside his partner and longtime friend, shaking his head. �You still haven�t told me where you learned to fly a helicopter.�

Rude shrugged. �Does it matter?�

Reno sighed. �I guess not.� He turned to Rufus. �So, Mr. President, since Hojo saw fit to provide us with almost no fuel, what do you suggest we do to get to North Crater?�

Rufus pointed to a blip on the radar screen, headed out of the southwest. �Unless I miss my guess, Cloud�s friends are on their way to assist him. All we need to do is hitch a ride. Set a course to intercept near Mt. Corel.�

�What makes you think they�re going to help us?� Reno inquired.

�That former specimen of Hojo�s, the one he called Red XIII, is on board. I did a little reading up on his species,� Rufus confessed.

Reno stared at him.

�Don�t look at me like that. I make it my business to stay informed of all the aspects of my company. At any rate, the people of Cosmo Canyon are a highly honorable race. This Red XIII will have no choice but to acknowledge the fact that I saved his life in the Midgar slums. He owes me.�

Reno nodded, not entirely convinced, as Rude flew to intercept the Highwind.

Yuffie stumbled to the bridge, trying to control her queasiness. Thorn intercepted her as she reached the door. �You feeling okay?� he asked.

�I�m fine, you little thief. What�s it to you?� she snapped back.

Thorn smiled, shoving his hands in his back pockets. �Nothing to me, sweetness. Just curious, that�s all.� He moved on without a backward glance, headed for the ready room, and wishing Seth hadn�t decided to stay behind.

That was harsh, Yuffie chided herself. He was just asking how you were feeling.

Well, she shot back to her inner voice, it�s none of his business.

If it had been one of the others, would you have reacted like that?

She sighed. Her conscience had a point. �That�s different,� she muttered under her breath. �They�ve been around me for long enough.�

So it�s only okay for someone to care about you after you�ve had the time to figure them out?

Yuffie sighed. She knew she�d lost this argument. The door to the bridge opened, and she stepped through.

The first voice she heard was Reeve�s. �We�ve got inbound.�

Cid turned sharply. �One of those beams?�

Reeve shook his head. �A helicopter. Looks like Shinra markings. It�s sending a white flag signal.�

The others turned to stare at the approaching craft in shock. As it grew near, Cid decreased speed to hover in place, and one of the passengers stuck his head out of the door of the helicopter, and everyone except Nanaki jumped in surprise.

�Rufus!� Barret gritted.

�Hello again, Avalanche,� Rufus called to them over the roar of the Highwind�s engines and the hum of the helicopter blades.

�What the fuck do you want?� Cid hollered. �You�re not getting this ship back!�

Rufus grinned winningly. �Rest assured, Captain Highwind, your ownership of this vessel is not in dispute. I simply wish to book passage for myself and my associates.�

Cid squinted. �I don�t follow.�

Rufus waved a hand. �It�s simple. You�re headed for the North Crater. So are we. Unfortunately, our helicopter hasn�t the fuel to get there. We need to make it to the North Crater in time to stop Hojo from what he is planning.�

�Why should we believe you?� Cait Sith hollered.

Rufus spread his hands wide. �If we were lying, we would simply fly there ourselves. The truth serves us far better at the moment. It�s your decision, but, quite frankly, you could use a few extra people. Hojo has command of what�s left of my army. There�s no telling how many have been sent there.�

The group pondered their options, huddling on one side of the bridge.

�We could just stall them until they drop out of the sky,� Yuffie pointed out.

Barret grinned.

�They may be telling the truth about Shinra�s army, though,� Cait Sith interjected.

Barret frowned. �Ya had to go and ruin it for us, didn�t ya, cat?�

�I have reason to believe that Rufus Shinra�s intentions are truthful. He does indeed seek passage to the North Crater. Furthermore, we are indebted to carry him there,� Nanaki put in.

Cid turned to stare at the large cat. �Why is that?� he growled.

Nanaki looked chagrined. �Because he saved my life.�

The others fell silent to stare at Nanaki, who looked uncomfortable.

�I shall explain in greater detail at another date,� he allowed. �For now, let us depart.�

The others mumbled a grudging agreement, and Cid turned to speak. �All right, dammit. Get your stinking carcasses on board. And be quick about it,� he added.

Rufus and the Turks climbed on board the Highwind. The helicopter hovered for a few moments longer, set to autopilot, before the engines sputtered and died. The craft plummeted into the river below with a splash.

The members of Avalanche looked over the side in surprise. �You weren�t kidding, were you, Rufus?� Cid observed.

Rufus shook his head. �Truth be told, after another few moments of deliberation on your part, I was going to urge you to hurry. We shall not interfere, as we agreed, but will repair to the ready room until our arrival.� With that, he and the Turks departed the bridge.

The others were silent for several minutes after they departed. After a moment, Yuffie spoke. �Okay. I�m going to find a place to throw up now.� That said, she wandered off the bridge.

Another silence ensued, this time broken by Vincent. �Very well,� he announced. �Captain Highwind, take us to the North Crater.�

Cid nodded, still dumbfounded. �This has been some fuckin� day,� he muttered as he pushed the forward thrusters.

Yuffie meandered her way along the corridor, bound for the stern, when she heard a cry of surprise from the ready room.

�What the fuck are you doing here?�

That sounded like Thorn, she mused, moving closer to the door.

�I could ask you the same question.�

That was Reno, she realized as she pressed her ear to the door.

There was silence.

�Will whoever is standing at the door, please come in?� Reno demanded.

Yuffie flushed red and pushed the door open. Reno and the Turks were on the left side of the table. Rufus was on the right. Thorn was at the back of the room, staring openly at Reno.

�Miss Kisaragi,� Reno sighed. �I should have known.�

�Sorry to interrupt,� she murmured, unable to think of anything else to say.

Reno waved her off. �Not a problem. Just a little reunion,� he added, glaring pointedly at Thorn, who looked away.

Yuffie was confused. �Reunion?�

Reno half-smiled. �Yes, indeed. Or didn�t Will tell you he was my brother?�

Hojo looked around the massive chamber, taking everything in. The walls were aglow with the green tint of untapped Mako, and the entire cavern thrummed with an audible energy wave. He could almost feel the life form beneath his feet, eagerly seeking the extra energy that would be required to complete its resurrection.

�Not just yet,� he murmured. �Not until your people come for you.�

He signaled to Scarlet, who shoved Tifa down in front of her and dropped to the ground. He kicked her leg out and caught Tifa under the ribcage. �Wake up, barmaid!�

Tifa groaned. What was going on? Ah, yes, she remembered now. She was back in the North Crater, a place she wished never to be again. That crackpot Hojo had dragged her down here-

-And that bitch Scarlet had killed the man she loved.

She got to her feet slowly, eyes blazing at Scarlet. �Knock it off,� Scarlet groaned, rolling her eyes. �You�re just lucky you didn�t get one between the eyes like that spiky-headed friend of yours.�

With that, she slapped Tifa hard across the face. Tifa�s head jerked back, and Scarlet laughed, joining Hojo on the other side of the cavern.

�Just another thirty minutes before the ETA,� Hojo whispered, his excitement barely contained. Scarlet merely smiled beside him.

�Your brother?� Yuffie echoed, surprised. �Will?�

Thorn nodded.

�Go ahead, little brother,� Reno urged. �Tell her how you turned away from your duties. Tell her how you took everything your big brother did for you and threw it back in his face.�

As he spoke, Reno got closer, until he was toe to toe with Thorn.

Yuffie looked from one to the other. �What�s he talking about, Thorn?�

Reno looked at him. �Thorn? Is that what you go by now?�

Thorn sighed, ignoring Reno. �Reno and I were-that is, we grew up kind of poor. We lived in the slums. Reno got this great job with the Turks, and when they signed on with Shinra, Reno used his pull to get me into training to join the army.�

�Paid for your tuition, bought your uniform, the works,� Reno muttered.

�So, I went through training, and I excelled. I even received an invitation to join SOLDIER. I went to the academy and trained. Then something happened.� Thorn looked away.

�Something,� Reno mused. �I never understood that something. What was it again?�

�It was a mission. I was supposed to follow orders. I couldn�t-�

�You couldn�t,� Reno repeated, his voice filled with contempt. �You couldn�t follow orders? Little brother, here�s your wake up call. You might not like the life I gave you, but it beats the alternative. You should know that. You�ve been living like a criminal ever since.� He grabbed Thorn by the collar and thrust his face in front of his younger brother�s. �You went running back to Junon! You went back home to the man that beat us daily and called himself our father!�

Thorn pushed Reno off of him. �And you think what you gave me was better? Working for a faceless company that killed indiscriminately to serve its own goals?�

�At least I had three squares a day and a roof over my head, and I didn�t have to live like a thief!� Reno retorted.

�I�d rather live like a thief in the streets than be the man you wanted me to be,� Thorn gritted.

Cid�s voice broke in over the loudspeaker.

�Thorn, Yuffie, you might want to get up here. We�ll be arriving shortly.�

Thorn smirked. �Excuse me, dear brother. My comrades are requesting my presence.� He turned away from a glowering Reno and stalked out of the ready room, Yuffie following behind at a short distance.

Cloud stirred, groaning. He climbed to his feet and tried to walk, then stumbled and fell face-first into the snow once more. His hands fumbled for his shoulder, and he felt the wound. Blood was trickling out of the hole that one of Scarlet�s bullets had made, but that couldn�t be the source of his weakness. There had to be a bigger-

-There.

He felt it as he moved his hand higher. One of the bullets had grazed his jugular. There was no telling how long he�d been out here. He had likely almost bled to death, however. He pushed down, trying to stem the flow of the blood, and heard a wark in the distance.

The Highwind approached, cruising low over the crater. Cid surveyed the area. �Looks like another para drop.�

The others groaned, especially Yuffie. �Gawd,� she muttered. �Flying gets me sick enough. I can�t even begin to tell you what jumping out a perfectly good airship will do.�

�Look!� Thorn cried out. �Down there!�

The others rushed over. Below, amid the snowfall, was a figure collapsed on the ground. A lone Chocobo scurried frantically nearby.

�Bring us down a little lower,� Thorn demanded. Cid complied, lowering the hovering Highwind a few hundred feet. �Hand me those binoculars,� he requested of Vincent, who obliged.

Thorn put the binoculars to his eyes and peered for a moment at the man and beast below. �That�s Tatya!�

�Who?� Nanaki asked.

�Tatya,� Thorn repeated. �She�s one of Mr. Strife�s prize breed! That must be Mr. Strife down there!� He turned to Cid. �Where are the parachutes?�

Cid pointed out the door of the bridge. �In the storage compartment, aft of the ship. Why?�

Thorn hurried for the door. �I�m going down there,� he replied over his shoulder as he ran.

�Is he nuts?� Barret asked of the others. �At this low altitude, and in that storm?�

Nanaki nodded. �Much wiser to move further north and climb a bit out of the weather.�

Yuffie stood pondering a moment, then bolted out the door after Thorn.

Cid watched her go, and then shook his head. �Kids nowadays.�

Thorn strapped the harness to his legs and gripped the railing. Just like he had learned in his Shinra training. This would be a low opening. He would have to almost be on the ground before he opened his chute, or he would be blown way off course.

�Thorn!�

Thorn turned around to see Yuffie standing by the hatch, a chute pack in her grasp.

�I�m coming with you,� she explained.

Thorn shook his head. �It�s too dangerous.�

Yuffie smiled. �Now you sound like Cloud. Besides, who says you get to have all the fun?�

Thorn was still shaking his head.

�All right, fine,� she huffed. �I�m worried about you, OK? Feel better that you finally dragged it out of me, huh?�

Thorn stopped shaking instead, and opted for a direct stare of open amazement instead.

Yuffie moved to the railing beside him. �So, how are we planning on doing this jump?�

Thorn snapped out of his shock and sighed. �There�s no convincing you not to do this, huh?�

Yuffie shook her head.

Thorn nodded to himself. �Fair enough. This is going to be a LALO. That�s low altitude, low opening. If we open too high, we catch the winds and get blown miles off course. If we open too low, it won�t do any good to open them at all.�

Yuffie thought for a moment. �How about if I strap in with you?�

Thorn agreed. �That might be better than having me try to cue you on when to pull.� He set about the business of harnessing Yuffie to him, and moments later; they were strapped together, with Yuffie in front of him, facing away.

�Ready?� he asked, gripping the railing.

Yuffie looked down, and took a deep breath. �Almost.�

She reached around, grabbed Thorn�s face, and twisted hers around. Their lips met, and Yuffie kissed him, hard.

After a few seconds, she released him. �Now I am.�

Thorn blinked a few times. �Me too,� he stammered, and then launched the two of them over the railing. Yuffie screamed, and they plummeted into the icy air.

CHAPTER X

Kaladar twitched a tentacle anxiously and watched from his view screen as the class-M planet crept into view. In fifteen minutes, they would be entering the atmosphere of the planet. Soon, the information that the operative had acquired would be his.

�Time�s running out,� Nanaki observed. �We must make the jump directly over the crater if we are to intercept Hojo in time.�

The others nodded agreement.

�Let�s get on with it, then,� Rufus demanded, strapping on his chute. �Captain, bring us in.�

Cid nodded, banking the Highwind hard around and easing the ship into to a hover pattern over the crater. The group gathered at the aft railing and prepared for their jump.

�All set?� Barret yelled.

The others nodded agreement.

Barret climbed over the railing and leapt off. The others followed him, and soon eight parachutes could be seen floating down into the crater below.

Cid watched from the bridge, shaking his head. �Crazy bastards,� he remarked to Nanaki, who nodded.

Several minutes earlier, Thorn and Yuffie had crumpled to the ground fifty feet away from where Cloud lay bleeding. They collapsed with a series of grunts, and lay still for a few moments.

�Are we dead?� Yuffie inquired.

Thorn groaned. �I don�t feel dead. I just wish I was.�

Yuffie chuckled humorlessly. �You and me both. Get me out of this harness.�

Thorn unhooked the chute from the two of them, and they stumbled to their feet. Thorn spotted Cloud and raced to his side. He dropped to his knees beside his fallen employer and fumbled in his backpack.

�Mr. Strife!� he cried, pulling the Cure materia free from his pack. �Can you hear me?�

Cloud moaned quietly. His hand was firmly adhered to his neck. Thorn could see the coagulated blood through Cloud�s fingers. Cloud�s face was pale, and his body was cold.

Thorn concentrated on the materia, focusing all of his energy on it. The orb glowed an intense green, and Cloud was bathed in the emerald glow of the materia.

The glow subsided, and Thorn and Yuffie waited with baited breath. After a few moments, Cloud stirred. He moaned more loudly, and his hand slowly came free of the wound, which was slowly healing itself.

�That�s gonna leave a mark,� Cloud muttered as he sat up. He took in his surroundings. �Thorn? You�re alive?�

Thorn nodded. �Yes, sir. I spotted you from the Highwind, and-�

�The Highwind!� Cloud broke in. �So you�re here with the others!�

Thorn nodded. �They should be dropping into the crater any minute now.�

Cloud stumbled to his feet. �No! They�ll be sitting ducks! Hojo�s waiting at the bottom of the crater!�

Thorn and Yuffie helped him onto the Chocobo and led it toward the crater. �We�d better hurry then,� Yuffie observed, breaking into a run. Thorn and the Chocobo did the same.

Hojo looked down at his watch. �Ten minutes and counting! It is time to begin the resurrection!�

With that, he went to his case and extracted the Revive materia. He looked around for a moment, and then walked to the center of the chamber. The Revive materia glowed in his hands, and he chuckled evilly. �Soon,� he whispered. �Soon.�

The chamber began to shake, and the others in the cavern braced themselves.

�There!� Barret cried over the rushing wind. �Look! That glowin�! Looks like Hojo.�

�He has a Revive materia,� Vincent observed from Barret�s right.

�If he�s doin� what I think he�s doin�, we gotta stop him!�

Vincent unholstered his gun. �Give me a few moments. I need to be a little closer.�

Kaladar smiled, baring his fangs, as his ship settled into orbit. Ten minutes until retrieval.

Cloud and the others reached the lip of the crater. Below them, Hojo was activating the Revive Materia. Cloud cursed.

�We�re too late,� he muttered.

�Not yet,� Yuffie shot back, pulling a throwing star from her pouch. �I think I can knock it out of his hand.�

Cloud and Thorn looked at her, holding their breath, as she took aim.

�Almost got it,� Vincent whispered to himself as he sighted down the barrel of the Death Penalty.

Yuffie flicked her wrist, and the throwing star sailed through the air, bound for Hojo�s wrist.

Vincent fired, the report echoing through the air.

Hojo focused harder on the brightly glowing orb. It was happening. Jenova was breaking free.

The ground ripped open not far from them, and a tentacle emerged, followed by another. Jenova�s head reared up from its resting place, and a low growl emanated from its throat.

Yuffie watched as her star flew unerringly on its course, then suddenly and inexplicably was knocked away by something. �What the fuck?� she demanded.

�Who cares?� Cloud prodded. �Let�s get down there.�

Vincent cursed as they opened their chutes and floated the rest of the way down. �Where did that throwing star come from?� he demanded.

Scarlet lashed out a leg and kicked the materia from Hojo�s hands. Hojo spun around in fury, and came nose-to-barrel with Scarlet�s pistol. �Game�s over, Professor. It�s my turn now.� She turned to the soldiers. �Open fire on the specimen!�

Hojo�s cries were drowned out by the sound of gunfire erupting from the soldiers� weapons. He shouted in agony as the bullets tore into Jenova. She screamed in agony, green blood flowing from the wounds the bullets created. After a minute of gunfire, Scarlet raised her hand. The shots ceased, and Scarlet walked over to the body of the creature, an object in her hand.

�But, why?� Hojo demanded, his voice frantic.

Scarlet smiled as she scooped up samples of Jenova�s blood and placed them inside the device. �It�s simple, Professor. I did some research of my own. Jenova�s entombment in the Lifestream has streamlined her natural genetic talent for manipulation. Her blood, infused with the Lifestream, has created the ultimate Influence materia. With it, I shall command all the world.�

�Not if we can help it,� a voice broke in.

Scarlet and the others turned to spot Vincent, as he landed not far away. In a flash, his chute was disconnected, and he stood with his gun trained on Hojo and Scarlet. The others quickly followed suit, landing around him. Tifa, who had been sitting against a wall, ran over. Barret quickly scooped her up and concealed her within the group.

�Well, well,� Scarlet drawled, looking the group over. �Reno and his gang. You are indeed a disappointment. After all the money we paid you.�

�I work for Shinra,� Reno pointed out. �Not some crazed bitch with delusions of grandeur.�

Scarlet screamed in outrage. �Kill him first,� she ordered her soldiers, who took aim.

The voice behind her was swift and sudden. �I wouldn�t advise it.�

Before she could speak, a strong arm wrapped itself around her neck. She felt the point of a blade at her temple, and she gasped.

�Tell them to drop their weapons,� Thorn demanded.

Scarlet hissed a laugh.

�I�m not joking, you crazy bitch!� Thorn gritted.

The soldiers waited, unsure of how to proceed.

Scarlet thrust back an elbow, catching Thorn in the gut. She reached around and grabbed under his arm, yanking him over her shoulder and snatching the knife from his hand.

�You were saying, boy?� she leered, hoisting the knife up to strike.

Her arm was caught behind her by another hand. This one whirled her around, and she found herself face-to-face with Cloud.

�Let�s try this again,� Cloud sneered, yanking the knife free and holding it to her throat.

�Indeed,� Hojo replied from behind Cloud, a gun in his hand. He pressed it to Cloud�s skull and smiled.

�Hojo! Thank God!� Scarlet cried in relief.

�Don�t get any ideas, my dear. I�m not doing this to save your hide. I just don�t want anyone to ruin my experiment any more than they already have.� He cocked the hammer on the gun. �Now, then, Mr. Strife, I�ll take that knife.�

�Hold it, Hojo,� Yuffie called. Hojo looked up to see the young ninja perched on a rock above them. She was holding a throwing star, and it was aimed directly at his head. �If you think you can shoot him and beat my star, you�re dead wrong. You drop it.�

Everyone looked around at everyone else. Barret, Vincent, and the others looked to the guards, who were looking at Scarlet, who was craning to peer at Cloud, who was painfully aware of Hojo�s gun pressed against the back of his head. Hojo, in turn, was looking keenly up at the ninja crouched above them.

�I believe this is referred to as endgame,� Hojo chuckled.

No one moved.

There was the immutable thrumming of a massive engine overhead, and they all looked up.

�That�s the biggest fucking thing I�ve ever seen,� Cid gaped.

Kaladar rose from his seat as the ship moved into position over the crater. �Readings?� he hissed.

His helm officer growled an affirmative. �Several, sir.�

�Several?� Kaladar was taken aback. He had expected only the scout. �What type of readings?�

�I�m picking up the scout, sir. Faint readings-her condition is critical. The others-humanoid. Native species, except for three, sir. They appear to be a cross-breed of some sort.�

Kaladar wrapped a tentacle around the console beside his helmsman. �Science Officer, clarify.�

His science officer worked the controls frantically. He looked up at his captain with an air of uncertainty. �Uncertain, sir. They are not the result of direct breeding. They appear to be mutations.�

Kaladar snarled. �They�re freaks. Just like the Cetra.�

�Your orders, sir?� the helm officer inquired.

�First things first,� Kaladar instructed. �Bring up the scout.�

The helm officer grunted his affirmation and worked the controls.

A hatch opened in the massive vessel, and a glow emanated from a source somewhere beyond it. The glow intensified, and those below began to shuffle nervously.

�It is the ascension!� Hojo cried with unabashed glee. �They are retrieving the Jenova! I must join them. They will teach me! I must learn!� He jerked the gun away and ran for the beam of light that shot itself down into the cavern from the ship above.

�NO!� Yuffie cried. Alarmed by the sudden movement, she let her throwing star fly. It embedded itself in Hojo�s back as he ran. Hojo stumbled, crying out in pain, then gathered himself and ran for the light again. There was a blinding flash.

�Captain,� the helm officer said, �There is another life form in the transport beam.�

�One of those humanoids?� Kaladar gritted.

�No, sir. It�s one of the cross-breeds,� the officer clarified.

�Freak,� Kaladar growled. �Leave it. Reverse polarity and push it back out, then bring in the scout.�

�Aye, sir,� the officer agreed, working the controls.

When the flash had subsided, the Jenova was gone, leaving Hojo limp and bleeding in a heap on the ground.

�No,� he whimpered. �I wanted to-�

It doesn�t matter what you wanted!� Scarlet screeched. While everyone�s attention was on the sobbing form of Hojo, she snapped her head back, head butting Cloud. Cloud stumbled back, then recovered, slashing at Scarlet. She had already moved, however, and was bringing her gun up to bear on Cloud. Cloud froze, knife in hand, as the others awaited the outcome.

�I left you for dead once, Strife,� she growled. �I won�t make the same mistake this time.� She looked up at Yuffie. �Bring her down from there.�

One of the soldiers motioned up at Yuffie with his rifle, and Yuffie reluctantly dropped down to the cavern floor. The soldier herded her back to the group, and she stood behind Barret, glaring at the red-dressed woman.

The Avalanche members behind Scarlet stirred, but the soldiers took aim, and they held fast.

�If they move,� Scarlet ordered, �Kill them.�

Her finger tensed on the trigger, and she paused. �Bring the barmaid to me,� she added. One of the soldiers obliged, grabbing Tifa roughly by the arm and dragging her over. �I want her to watch this up close and personal."

The soldier stopped a few feet away, his gun to Tifa�s head. Tifa watched with tears in her eyes as Scarlet took aim at Cloud.

�What of the others, Captain?� the helmsman asked.

Kaladar grinned. �Kill them all.�

�Wait!�

Kaladar turned to see Aratak entering the bridge. �Yes, Aratak? You have something to add to this mission?�

There was a pause, and Aratak pulled a rifle from behind him. The other Jenova on the bridge jumped up, reaching for their weapons. �Don�t!� Aratak warned. �I will shoot him!�

Kaladar stared down the communications officer. �What,� he began with a dangerous purr in his throat, �do you think you are doing, Aratak?�

�Why must they die? All that they are doing is trying to live. Our mission has always been about gathering information for the Jenova High Council!�

�Our mission,� Kaladar bellowed, �has always been, first and foremost, the elimination of all threats to the Jenova!�

Aratak motioned with his rifle. �Look at them, Captain.�

Kaladar afforded a short glance at the view screen. �All I see is a bunch of barbarian humanoids holding each other at gunpoint.�

�There is armed conflict, yes,� Aratak allowed, �But that does not denote a threat to us. It is their conflict to resolve, not ours.�

Kaladar turned back to glare at Aratak. �Some of these creatures have managed to genetically alter themselves with Jenova DNA!� he yelled.

�So that�s what this is about, isn�t it, Kaladar?� Aratak pressed, dropping his captain�s title. �You don�t see them as a threat to our species at all. You revile them out of pure xenophobic hatred, don�t you?�

�They are a sacrilege to our race!� Kaladar insisted.

�They are a living species all their own,� Aratak returned. �The Jenova cannot remain pure forever. No species can. Let them live.�

�Never!� Kaladar bellowed, lunging for the firing controls.

�On your knees, Strife,� Scarlet ordered.

�I don�t think so,� Cloud replied, his voice rumbling like distant thunder.

Scarlet sighed. �Suit yourself.� She pulled back on the trigger. Cloud�s eyes widened-and so did Scarlet�s a moment later.

The shot went wide, grazing Cloud�s temple. Cloud dropped to the ground, and Scarlet stumbled. As she dropped to her knees, She fumbled for the dagger that had embedded itself in her back. Cloud looked around wildly, and spotted Thorn as he dropped from a ledge above them.

�Kill them all!� Scarlet screamed.

The soldiers opened fire, and the Avalanche members scattered. Barret caught a bullet in the upper arm as he and Cait Sith dove for cover behind a stalagmite. He gritted his teeth and pressed his back against the rock formation for a moment, then returned fire.

Vincent, Reno, and Elena traded shots with several soldiers from behind a rock outcropping a few yards away from where Barret and Cait Sith were taking cover. Further back, Rude was covering Rufus while the former Shinra president went for a fallen soldier�s gun.

Tifa ran to Cloud�s side. �Cloud!� she cried. �Are you all right?�

Cloud chuckled, then coughed. The Cure materia hadn�t fully taken. He was still weak from the first two gunshots. �As well as can be expected,� he replied.

One of the hatches opened on the ship above, and another beam shot down into the cavern, near the group of soldiers that had crowded behind a huge stalagmite in the center of the chamber.

�Looks like whoever�s up there is on our side,� Cloud mused.

Another shot came down, this one lancing into the wall above Rude and Rufus. The two men bolted for safety, and Cloud sighed.

�Maybe not.�

Tifa grabbed him under the arms and dragged him to relative safety under an alcove.

�Restrain him!�

The other Jenova on the bridge looked between Kaladar and Aratak, unsure of their next move.

�The captain has exhibited a disregard for his orders of research and investigation. He has shown himself to be in defiance of the High Council. He must be relieved of command!� Aratak ordered.

The Jenova paused a moment longer, then lunged for Kaladar. Kaladar cried out in fury and threw off his attackers. The two officers fell back with twin grunts against the consoles behind them, and Kaladar pressed the firing controls again and again, his mind consumed with the destruction of those below.

�We�ve got to get out of here,� Vincent observed. He reached for his PHS. �Cid, can you read?�

Cid�s voice was faint in reply. �I can hear-�

�We need a pickup. We�ll rendezvous outside the crater. Get as low as you can, and lower the lift baskets,� Vincent instructed.

�Affirm-� was Cid�s broken reply. Vincent grunted as another beam ripped apart the rock behind them.

�Between their beams and the soldier�s fire, we�re going to have a hard time getting out of here.�

�Tell me about it,� Elena muttered.

Not far away, Scarlet was getting to her feet. She yanked the dagger free from her back with a gasp and spied the device. It was still intact. She hurried to it, ducking to avoid the stray bullet that zinged by her head, and crouched to inspect it.

It was still in one piece. She lifted the lid and gasped. The golden orb inside was glowing brightly. She touched it tentatively. It was still fragile, but it could be used-carefully. She lifted it out of the container.

�And what do you plan to use that for?� Thorn demanded.

Scarlet turned and fired, but Thorn was already moving. He ducked and rolled, the bullet missing him, and then slid the rest of the way, sweeping Scarlet�s feet out from under her. She fell with a cry, and the Influence materia rolled out of her hands. She lunged for it, but Thorn held her down and dropped an elbow onto the knife wound he had inflicted. She screamed in agony and collapsed again. As she looked up she spotted Tifa scooping up the materia.

�All that trouble for this one materia?� Tifa shouted over the rain of gunfire. �All this needless suffering?�

Scarlet smiled through her pain, showing blood-soaked teeth. �You wouldn�t understand, barmaid.�

�Oh, but I do,� Tifa replied. �I know all to well about suffering, and now it�s your turn to learn.� With that, she lifted the materia and focused on it, sending out a message to the soldiers.

Kill Scarlet.

The materia glowed brightly. The rain of gunfire ceased gradually as the Shinra soldiers stopped firing. As the members of Avalanche realized that they were no longer being fired upon, their weapons, too, fell silent.

Scarlet turned and gaped in horror as she saw the soldiers turn as one unit and bring their guns to bear on her. Thorn leapt out of the way and rolled into the alcove with Cloud.

�Kaladar!� Aratak yelled one final time. Kaladar ignored his subordinate, his tentacle reaching once more for the firing control.

Aratak pulled the trigger of the rifle. The blast caught Kaladar in the back, and the captain stumbled, crying out in agony. He reached again for the button, and Aratak fired three more times. The shots ripped through the Jenova leader�s body, and he finally collapsed against the console, slumping to the floor.

The gunshots were unrelenting, and Tifa felt both joy and revulsion at the sound of them.

Have you suffered enough, Scarlet, she thought. Perhaps.

But you�ll never suffer as we have.

She lowered the materia and stared at the bullet-riddled corpse of Scarlet. When she lowered the materia, the soldiers stopped firing. Their rifles smoked, and they stood, impassively awaiting their next order.

No more orders today, Tifa thought. She hoisted the materia above her head, and then hurled it to the cavern floor.

The other Jenova turned to look at Aratak, awaiting some sort of order. Aratak lowered the rifle.

�We depart immediately for the Homeworld,� Aratak announced.

The officers nodded their agreement and set a course. Aratak moved toward the captain�s chair-

-And spied the movement.

He was a moment too late in raising his rifle. Kaladar�s tentacle twitched on the console, and a final blast issued from the ship�s cannon.

Aratak lifted the rifle and fired three more times, taking Kaladar�s head from its body. The Jenova captain twitched once, and collapsed for good.

As Tifa smashed the materia to the floor, it shattered into a thousand shards, each one dissolving moments later and seeping back through the cracks in the cavern floor.

A thunderous roar echoed through the chamber as one final bolt from the ship ripped into the cavern. It severed several large stalagmites that had hitherto been working well in supporting the ceiling. As they collapsed, the entire cavern shook. Tifa ran to the alcove and lifted Cloud. Thorn assisted her from Cloud�s other side.

�We have to get out of here,� she observed. Thorn nodded his agreement, and they moved for the cavern entrance.

Rufus and Rude met Reno, Vincent, and Elena near the center of the chamber. �We�d better make our move, partner,� Reno shouted.

Rude nodded. �There�s another exit on top of that outcropping. We�ll get out that way.�

The Turks and Rufus headed for the outcropping Rude had mentioned. They were almost there when a stalactite plunged from the ceiling high above and landed between them. A large chunk of rock flew from the shattered stalactite and slammed into Reno. He fell against the wall of the cavern, and another rock pinned him there.

Thorn heard the commotion and turned to spot Reno in his predicament. At that moment, Barret and the others had reached the three of them. Thorn eased his way out form under Cloud�s arm and motioned for Barret to take his place. �Go on ahead,� Thorn urged. �I�ll be right behind you.�

Tifa looked on in puzzlement, but Yuffie gave her a push. �It�s all right,� she assured her. �I know what he�s doing. You guys go on. I�ll wait for him.�

Barret gave her a look. �Yuffie, why are you so concerned about this guy? You don�t even know him?�

Yuffie ignored him, waving them on toward the exit.

Thorn reached Reno and looked over the situation. He thought a moment, and then pulled out a green materia from his backpack. He focused on it, and the rock that pinned Reno shimmered. A moment later, it shrank down to the size of a pebble.

�Where did you get that?� Reno asked, amazed.

Thorn smiled. �I picked your pocket in the ready room.�

Reno shook his head, laughing. He got to his feet. �You�re all right after all, kid,� he declared. He nodded toward the outcropping where Rude and the others, having ascertained that Reno was safe, were now headed. �There�s another way out. We�re taking our own way. Come with us?� he invited.

Thorn cast a glance over his shoulder-and spotted Yuffie urgently waving at him. He shook his head. �Not this time, Reno.�

Reno nodded. �Suit yourself. See you around, little brother.� With that, he was away and climbing up the rock face.

Thorn turned around and ran for Yuffie. Halfway across the chamber, another quake shook the cavern, and the floor in front of Thorn ripped open. He leapt forward, thrusting his arms out as he flew across the gap that had formed in the floor. He fell slightly short and grasped for a crack in the floor. His slide was arrested, and he hung halfway in the seemingly bottomless pit. He could feel his grasp slipping-

-And then he felt a pair of hands grab him. He was hauled up to safety, and her found himself in Yuffie�s embrace. His lips found hers, and she kissed him deeply.

�You didn�t think I was going to leave you, did you?� she asked.

Thorn shook his head. �Let�s get out of here.�

The two of them bolted for the entrance. Thorn stopped when they had reached it. He turned and searched through the dust and falling rock for any sign of Reno.

He found none.

Yuffie caught his gaze, and she smiled, understanding. �I�m sure he�s all right.�

Thorn nodded, smiling slightly, and the two exited the cavern.

Aratak sighed as the ship lifted off. He watched through the view screen as the cavern collapsed. So much needless suffering, he mused. So much waste.

As the ship rose higher, he spied the small aircraft hovering beyond the crater. �Magnify,� he ordered the helmsman. The officer obliged, and Aratak watched as the humanoids, two by two, were lifted into the vessel to safety.

Aratak smiled to himself as the ship broke through the atmosphere. The view screen faded to black, and he settled in for the trip back to the Homeworld.

The Highwind rose in the sky above the crater, and Cid watched the alien spacecraft wink out of sight between the stars.

�I�m damn glad that�s over with,� he observed.

He turned to face the others, who were slumped against the railing of the bridge. �So, what happened down there?� he asked.

Cloud laughed weakly. �Another time, Cid.�

Tifa rose to her feet and moved to Cloud�s side. �We need to get you to sick bay and have those wounds looked at.�

Cloud voiced no objection as Tifa and Vincent lifted him from the floor and carried him off.

EPILOGUE

The snow whipped through the hills of the northern continent, covering all it touched in a blanket of frozen whiteness. For anyone who was willing to brave the icy winds to observe the small cave set into one of the many mountains south of the Northern Crater, a small fire would be their reward.

�How many miles further south is the Icicle Inn?� Reno asked, shivering.

Rude warmed his hands and huddled closer to the flames. �About twenty.�

Rufus sighed. �That�s going to be a hell of a walk.�

There�s no need to walk,� Rude corrected him. �I�ve made arrangements for a team to meet us with snowmobiles. They�ll take us there in the morning.�

Reno turned to glare at his friend. �Where did you make that kind of connection?� he demanded.

Rude turned to stare impassively at Reno, and Reno knew what his next words would be. �Does it matter?� Rude asked.

Reno turned red despite the cold. �YES, GOD DAMMIT! IT DOES MATTER!�

Rude chuckled, and turned back to the fire.

The door to the recovery room opened, and Cloud watched as Tifa entered. She walked over to him and placed a hand on his forehead. �How are you feeling?� she asked.

Cloud smiled, a little broader than before. �I�ll live,� he assured her. �The doctors here are pretty good.�

Tifa smiled. �They�re the best. That�s why we brought you to Junon.�

Cloud nodded slightly. �Anyway, they finished what Thorn�s Cure materia started, and they say I�ll be ready to leave this afternoon.�

Tifa�s smile grew. �Good.� Her smile faded, and she stared at Cloud. Cloud�s brow furrowed, and Tifa spoke.

�Cloud,� Tifa began, �I-when you disappeared, I felt like my whole life was over. I couldn�t think of anything but finding you.�

Cloud started to speak, but Tifa silenced him with a finger to his lips.

�Now,� she continued, �I know that you have your life, and I have mine, and I don�t expect that the two will ever come together, but-� she paused. �I can�t lose you. I won�t lose you. You don�t have to promise me anything. Just promise me that you�ll stay in my life.�

Cloud smiled. He took her hand, and felt the cool softness of it. �Of course, Tifa. I promise.�

Tifa nodded. �I�m going back to Kalm tonight,� she told him. �I have to get the bar up and running again. I�ll see you again soon?�

Cloud nodded. �Soon,� he agreed. She smiled and headed for the door. She paused just a moment, then opened it and walked out. Cloud could hear her slump against the door as it closed. He heard her sigh, and then whisper, �I love you, Cloud Strife.�

Thorn stood at the railing, looking out at Junon Harbor. The fishermen were just coming back in as the evening sun dipped over the horizon. Cargo holds were opened, nets full of fish were hauled into waiting containers, and people bustled in every direction.

Seth had vanished when Thorn returned to their old hideout. He�d found nothing but a few gil on the table and a note.

Thorn,

Got raided while you were gone. Had to skip town. I hope you�re all right. I�ll be in touch.

-Seth

�So,� the voice spoke up from beside him. �What are you going to do now?�

Thorn jumped and whirled around. Yuffie giggled girlishly. He grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. �I�m not sure,� he answered after a moment. �I don�t really have anywhere to go. I was thinking about traveling. You know, seeing the world?�

Yuffie nodded. �Why don�t you start with Wutai?� she inquired. �I�m leaving shortly. You can come with me if you want.�

Thorn smiled. �I�d like that. I�d like that a lot.�

Yuffie grinned, then leaned in and kissed him. Someone cleared his throat behind her, and she started, spinning around.

Cloud was standing a few feet away, his arm in a sling and a smirk on his face. �I hate to interrupt, but could you excuse us for a few minutes, Yuffie?�

Yuffie nodded. �Sure, Cloud.� She turned back to Thorn. �I�ll see you at the elevator. Don�t keep me waiting long.�

Thorn nodded and gave her another peck on the cheek. She turned and hurried off.

Cloud leaned onto the railing with his good arm. Thorn hunkered down beside him, and they stood in silence for a few minutes.

�She�s a-unique young lady, Thorn,� Cloud finally observed.

Thorn smiled. �She�ll definitely keep me on my toes,� he agreed.

The two men chuckled, and the silence returned. Finally, Thorn spoke again.

�Cloud?�

�Hm?� Cloud replied, his eyes still fixed on the harbor below.

�I need to tell you something,� Thorn confessed. He outlined his relationship with Reno, and his past in the Shinra military.

�But there was a specific reason why I left the Shinra army before I joined SOLDIER,� Thorn concluded. �It was a mission.�

Cloud, who had been watching the waves as he listened to Thorn�s story, turned to face him. Thorn took a deep breath and began.

�My squad was sent to Nibelheim. We were charged with the task of investigating the massacre there.�

Cloud�s blood ran cold as he listened, but he did not interrupt. Thorn continued.

�When we got there, the entire place reeked of death. There were charred bodies everywhere. Shinra troops were already in the town, rebuilding everything. They said that they were going to bury the dead, rebuild the town, and use the survivors for Hojo�s experiments.

We began our investigation by going from house to house, searching through the ashes for any sign of evidence as to who might have done this. I ordered my men to spread out and conduct a thorough search of each house. I stepped inside one dwelling, and heard the sound of footsteps upstairs. I moved quietly with my gun ready, and crept toward the source. When I entered the bedroom there was an older man crouched over a girl. He saw me, and his eyes got really big. He began pleading with me not to take the girl. He said that we could do what we wanted with him, but the girl was special.

I looked into his eyes, and something snapped in me. I couldn�t do it. I just couldn�t kill them. I waved him out of the room and told him to get the hell out of town. As he passed by me, I heard the girl mumbling in her sleep. She kept calling for someone.�

Thorn looked up at Cloud. �I didn�t realize until later that it was your name she was calling.�

Cloud�s breath caught in his throat. �It was Tifa,� he whispered.

Thorn nodded. �There�s more.�

Cloud fell into silence again, and Thorn swallowed hard before continuing.

�As we completed our mission, one of the company commanders came to me. He handed me new orders-for the extermination of two errant members of the Shinra army suspected of committing this crime. I looked over the orders and recognized your name.

�I had no choice. Orders were orders. I gathered my men and headed off.�

Thorn sighed. �We caught up with you and Zack outside Midgar. I knew if I let you get into the city, I�d never find you. I ordered my men to open fire, and they gunned down Zack. As they took aim on you, that girl�s voice kept echoing in my mind. She kept calling your name. I ordered them to hold their fire.

�I knew that you weren�t dead. I walked up to you and felt your pulse. It was at that moment I made my decision to leave the Shinra military. I turned to my men, told them you were dead, and ordered them back to Midgar. The next day, I resigned my position and came back to Junon.�

Thorn looked searchingly into Cloud�s eyes. �That�s it. That�s why I�m here.�

Cloud stared in silence at the horizon. Finally, he spoke.

�You saved my life. You saved Tifa�s life. Why?�

Thorn shrugged. �It was an old prayer I heard from my mother, before she died. She always used to say it with me before I went to bed. The one about night falling?�

Cloud nodded, and the two men recited the prayer in chorus.

�God above, shine your light, and guide our path to you,
May our hearts be strong, our vision clear, and our actions always true.
Though shadows rise, and darkness reigns, and our footsteps dogged with sorrow,
Though night may fall, our faith in you will hold us through tomorrow.�

Cloud smiled. �I haven�t heard that prayer in years.�

Thorn chuckled. �Me neither. Funny how some things never leave you.�

For a time, the only sound was the bustle of the streets and the sound of the waves crashing on the shore below. Cloud reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. �I�ve made a decision, Thorn,� he announced. �I�m retiring from the Chocobo breeding business. I wanted to show my appreciation for all you�ve done, so-here�s your share.�

Thorn took it, politely refraining from looking inside. Cloud smiled. �You�d better head downstairs. Yuffie�s waiting.�

Thorn nodded, pushing himself off the railing. Cloud straightened beside him, and Thorn extended his hand. It�s been a pleasure, Mr. Strife.�

Cloud shook the outstretched hand. �Likewise, Thorn.�

The two men parted company, and Cloud watched him depart. Cloud heard the footsteps behind him and didn�t turn around.

�So,� Vincent greeted his friend, �what�s your next move?�

Cloud shrugged. �I don�t know. I think I might be ready to settle down.�

Vincent allowed himself a small display of surprise. �Never before have I known such days,� he teased.

Cloud chuckled, watching Thorn as the boy waited for the elevator. He smiled as Thorn opened the envelope, jerked his head back in surprise, and then whooped at the top of his lungs.

�How much did you give him?� Vincent asked.

Cloud shrugged again. �Three million.�

Vincent was silent for a moment, and Cloud grinned as he pictured the look on his friend�s face. �And you still had money left for yourself?�

Cloud nodded. �Enough to start a new life.� He half-smiled as he added, �Maybe two.�

The rain was pouring down onto the city of Kalm like a tempest from an angry god. Tifa sighed. Only the hardiest of customers would be in on a day like this.

She looked around the bar. The number of empty stools and tables confirmed her suspicions. A few construction workers, a couple of off-duty police officers, and a young couple were all the patrons she had this afternoon.

Tifa watched the young couple at the pool table in the corner. The girl was trying to learn the game; her boyfriend was snuggled in behind her, guiding her arms on the cue. She slipped as they tried to shoot together. The ball went wide, and they laughed, cuddling even closer.

Tifa sighed.

The door opened, and a figure huddled in a long hooded cloak entered. She watched the customer with vague interest as he made his way to the bar and sat down.

�What�ll it be?� she asked.

The figure reached inside the folds of his cloak and pulled out a small box. Tifa watched as the man opened it. Inside was a gold ring, crested with a marquis cut diamond. Smaller stones, set in white gold, flanked the larger diamond. The ring glistened in the light of the bar.

The figure reached up and removed his cloak. Tifa�s breath caught in her throat as Cloud smiled up at her. �You. For the rest of my life.�

Tifa was speechless. Her jaw worked, but her voice was frozen.

Cloud laughed nervously. �This is real. You should say something.�

Tifa finally managed to let out a trembling giggle. �Yes!� she exclaimed a moment later. She vaulted over the bar, and Cloud slipped the ring on her finger. They embraced, and Cloud kissed her with a passion that had burned within him for years.

Outside, the rain fell like the joyful tears of angels.

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