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.