"I don't understand, Sephiroth," she said. "Why would my mother have such a powerful materia orb?"

"She was one of the last remaining Cetra on this Planet," Sephiroth explained. "It was passed down to her from the time Jenova killed most of the Cetra. Aeris' mother, Ifalna, had the White Materia, as it was passed down to her through her bloodline."

Tayeko shrugged and held the orb in her fingertips. "I just can't imagine what this thing can possibly do."

Sephiroth leaned back in the couch and craned his neck to look around at all the books in the room. "I wonder if they have any books on the Masamune in here."

Tayeko rolled her eyes. "That's all you think about," she spat ruefully. "Weapons!"

"Speaking of weapons," Sephiroth began, "Have you any practice with those guns?"

Tayeko shrugged. "Not really."

Sephiroth sighed and stood. "Let's go outside and practice a bit. If you're going to of any use when we try to take down Shin-Ra, your going to have to know how to shoot."

"Fine. But do *you* have any experience with guns?"

Sephiroth pursed his lips. "Guns are foolish weapons. I'll ask Vincent to come with us."

*******

"Hold the gun up straight, eye level."

Tayeko did as she was told, aiming straight for the side of an old shed behind the canyon.

"No," Vincent said. "That's too high. You want to kill your enemy, not scare him."

"What am I aiming for?"

Vincent turned to Sephiroth. "I want you to stand next to the shed and hold the Masamune out to it, creating a target that she can see."

Sephiroth nodded and stood a few feet away from the shed, holding the Masamune out and pointing it on the surface.

"Aim for the point of the Masamune," Vincent instructed.

"She won't be able to do that," Red said from where he was laying in the shade. "She'll just ruin his sword." "No bullet can damage the Masamune," Sephiroth said.

Tayeko made a determined face and aimed the gun again.

"Fire," Vincent said.

Tayeko fired the gun, but it missed its mark completely. She sighed and lowered her arm. "Maybe this isn't the weapon for me," she said.

"You can't give up so easily," Red said.

Sephiroth sheathed the Masamune and walked over to Tayeko, standing behind her.

"Aim the gun like this," he instructed, pulling her arms further downward. "Keep them tight."

Tayeko could not concentrate on the weapon in her hands. Instead, she was more focused on the man standing behind her.

"Look straight, Tayeko."

"R, right," Tayeko said, turning forward.

"Keep straight and be firm."

Tayeko nodded, and Sephiroth stepped away, resumming his position by the shed with the Masamune outstretched.

Vincent almost smirked at Sephiroth. "Alright, Tayeko," he said. "Fire."

Tayeko pulled the trigger and the bullet landed right near the tip of the Masamune's blade, penetrating the shed.

Tayeko blinked. "I did it!"

"See," Red said. "All you need is practice."

Tayeko holstered her gun and ran to Sephiroth. "Did you see that? Bullseye! Right on target!"

"Excellent," Sephiroth said, nodding.

Tayeko threw her arms around him. "Come on, Sephy. Let's go to the Candle and celebrate."

Sephiroth was on the verge of objecting, but the look Vincent shot him made him think better of it.

"Fine."

Tayeko smiled and grabbed Sephiroth's hand, eagerly pulling him in the direction of the Cosmo Candle. Red chuckled. "Ah, young love."

Vincent frowned. "What are you talking about? Aren't you only about sixteen in human years? You're younger than them."

Red wrinkled his nose. "I supposed," he said, standing up and stretching. "But then, my wisdom far exceeds their's. Too bad I will never find a mate of my own kind."

"Don't say that, Nanaki," Vincent said. "I told you, I promise I will help you find a mate."

Red nodded and smiled. "And I will help you find your beloved Lucrecia."

Yuffie was humming a Wutain folk song as she fixed breakfast that morning, Reno's bracelet dangling from her wrist. She sat down at the table with her plate of french toast, just as the telephone rang.

Yuffie hopped out of her seat and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Yuffie. Reno here. Meet me at the Paradise in ten."

The line went dead.

Yuffie grinned and hung up the phone. Her plate of breakfast was forgotten as she ran upstairs and changed her clothes.

Yuffie tore through her dresser, searching for something suitable to wear on her "date". Her shorts and tank top wouldn't cut it, and that silly green bandana was too juvenile. She pulled out a black leather mini skirt and a simple red camisole, confident it would do well.

After she'd changed, Yuffie pulled on a pair of boots she'd never gotten the chance to wear, being that she was always out stealing materia. She brushed her short hair and parted it to the side, letting some of it fall in to her face.

And she was out the door.

She nearly raced to the Turtle's Paradise, where she saw Reno standing outside. He was leaning against the doorway, wearing a suit, as always, that had obviously been slept in. He smiled when she approached.

"Lookin' good," he complimented. "Ready?"

"I guess," Yuffie answered. She followed Reno inside where they took a seat behind in the back of the restaraunt.

"So, Yuffie," Reno began. "I hope there aren't any hard feelings."

Yuffie stared into Reno's blue green eyes. "Over what?"

Reno laughed at Yuffie's naivety. "Nothing."

"I mean, its like you said," Yuffie answered. "You're not *really* part of Shin-Ra."

"Nope," Reno said. "I can't even stand Rufus."

Yuffie laughed as the waiter came over. He bowed to Yuffie, then narrowed his eyes at Reno.

"Hmm... What will Miss Yuffie and... you, sir, have?"

"I'd like an order of the breakfast meal and a glass of wine," Yuffie said.

"Miss Yuffie, you are much too young to drink wine," the waiter said. "And I'm sure your father would not-"

"Just bring the lady her wine," Reno said, standing up threateningly. "And bring me a bottle of that Rossi champagne shit you've got here."

The waiter gave Yuffie a concerned looked and nodded. "Right away, sir."

Reno sat back down as the waiter walked away. "Jesus, what it takes to get good service around here!"

Yuffie sat with her arms crossed. "I hate being told I'm too young! I'm gonna be seventeen in a couple of months!"

"You're not too young for me," Reno said, smiling.

Yuffie blushed. "How old are you?"

"Twenty - four."

"Gee. You're older than Cloud."

Reno shrugged. "I'm older than Rufus too. He just turned twenty-two a few weeks ago."

Yuffie frowned. "Rufus is a terrible person. Why does he want to do so much bad stuff?"

Reno shrugged again. "That's just the way he is."

The waiter returned with a bottle of wine and a glass already poured for Yuffie. He set the glass of wine in front of Yuffie and the bottle in front of Reno.

"Here you are, sir," he said, constantly eyeing Yuffie. "Sir, you never did specify what you wanted as an entree."

"Just another bottle," Reno answered, leaning back in his chair.

The waiter cocked an eyebrow. "Very well," he said, walking away.

Reno took a sip from the already opened bottle and smiled. "It's been a while since I've had expensive shit like this."

Yuffie shrugged, taking a sip from her own drink. She wasn't about to admit that this was the first time she'd drank an alcholic beverage.

"You know, Yuffie," Reno began, "I was wondering..."

Yuffie hated being held in suspense. "What?"

"Do you have a job?"

"No," Yuffie replied. "No job. Why?"

"Well, we have an opening in the Turks," he said. "Interested?"

Yuffie leaned back and stared at him. She would look good as a Turk.... but she also knew the horrible things they did."

"I.... I don't know, Reno."

Reno shrugged. "You don't have to make a decision now," he said. "Think it over. It won't change anything between us."

Yuffie blushed.

Reno leaned foward and placed his elbows on the table. "Listen, Yuffie. Do you like it here?"

"Where?" Yuffie asked. "Wutai?"

Reno nodded. "With your father."

Yuffie frowned. "No... not really."

"Would you like to come back with me?" Reno asked. "I've got a beautiful condo on the upper plate in Midgar. Luckily it wasn't crashed by Meteor the way the Shin-Ra Building was."

Yuffie blinked. Reno was inviting her to come live with him? Already?

"But... Reno," she began, "We hardly know each other. How do I know this isn't a trap?"

"Trap for what?" Reno scathed. "I told you, the Turks have separate lives. I just wanted to get you out of here because I know you hate it."

Yuffie ran her fingers through her hair. Was Reno telling the truth? Should she trust him? He might be up to something. Then again, if he was sincere...

"I guess so..." Yuffie mumbled, still toying with her hair.

Reno smiled and leaned back in the chair again. "Good. I'll drive you home when we're finished eating. Get ready, 'cause I'm gonna call a copter to pick us up tonight and fly us back to Midgar."

Yuffie nodded and sipped at her glass of wine again, excited about leaving, but hoping she wasn't making a mistake.

That queasy feeling again. It was slight, but it was repetitive. Shaking her head, she walked back into the den where Cloud was sprawled on the couch watching television.

"Sit," he prompted, moving his legs. Tifa sat down and leaned against him.

"You slept late," Cloud said. "I was afraid to wake you. Did you eat?"

Tifa nodded. "Yeah," she said. "A little something."

Cloud smiled and reached an arm around Tifa. "Teef, words can't express how happy I am."

"Same here," Tifa responded.

"I mean, I really freaked out when I found out you were missing," Cloud recalled. "I couldn't think straight. I was running around the Highwind, yelling at just about everybody. Even Aeris."

"I find that hard to believe."

"No, really," Cloud laughed. "You won't believe what I did. When I saw you on TV, I raced out of the house. Aeris tried to follow me, so I cast Sleep on her in the middle of the road."

Tifa gasped. "Cloud Strife!"

Cloud smiled sheepishly, reaching his other arm around Tifa's waist. "I told you, I wasn't thinking straight. I feel bad now, but Aeris forgave me."

Tifa giggled. "That must've been a sight to see for Elmyra's neighbor's."

"It would have been a site to see for Elmyra," Cloud said. "Good thing she didn't find out, otherwise she would have *really* hated me."

Tifa smiled, comfortable in Cloud's arms. Should she tell him now? No, he'd probably just get angry...
"You know, Tifa," Cloud began, "A long time ago, I'd never thought I get this close to you."

Tifa craned her neck to look up at Cloud. "Why?"

"You know," he said. "The Lifestream. I was so weak and stupid when I was young. I couldn't get your attention..."

"What is he doing here?"

Tifa shook her head. "I don't know... he wants to play with us."

"We don't want him here!"

Cloud gave the red headed boy a dirty look. Who said he wanted to participate in their childish games?

"That's not nice, Johnny," Tifa said. "Cloud should be able to play with us-"

The rest of Tifa's sentence was cut off when Cloud threw a punch at Johnny.

"Cloud!" Tifa screamed.

Johnny fell back on the ground and held his mouth, tasting blood. "Hey! What'd you do that for?"

Cloud stared down at Johnny, and didn't respond.

Another of Tifa's friends, Mickey, stepped foward and helped Johnny to his feet. "You gonna let little Cloud do that to you?"

Johnny made a serious face. "No!" he shouted. He ran forward and pushed Cloud in the chest, knocking the wind out of him and causing him to fall back.

"Cloud!" Tifa yelled. "Are you alright?"

Cloud tried to sit up, just as Johnny smacked him across the face.

"Little-tough Cloud," Johnny laughed. "Big deal HE is!"

Cloud, raging with anger, lept to his feet and prepared to punch Johnny again. Tifa stepped between the two and put her hands up.

"Stop, guys!" she yelled. "Don't fight anymore! Cloud, go home, please."

Cloud wiped his mouth and spat blood on the blacktop, giving Johnny and Tifa's other friends a spiteful look. He avoided looking at Tifa as he ran home........

"You weren't weak, Cloud," Tifa argued.

"I'm still weak," he said. "I've never been strong... always a failure."

Tifa shook her head. "Don't say those things, Cloud! Where do you get such crazy ideas?"

"You don't understand, Tifa," Cloud explained. "Everyday, I feel myself slipping.... my mind... I'm hungry for something, and I don't know what. Something is wrong with me."

Tifa reached a hand up and stroked Cloud's cheek. "Cloud, you may still be a little messed up. You need time to heal. You need a rest, but if you worry yourself to death during your "vacation" you won't do yourself any good."

Cloud shook his head. "It's Jenova."

"What?"

"The past few days I've felt like something's been awakened in me," Cloud said. "I don't know, but its not me. And I know the only thing foreign in my body are those Jenova cells...."

"What are you saying, Cloud?" Tifa asked. "That Jenova's alive?"

Cloud shrugged. "I don't know, Tifa. I felt a tinge of it when we saw that nasty thing in the Nibel wolf. Then the next day or so, it just got worse."

"What about Sephiroth?"

Cloud leered at Tifa. "What about him?"

"He has Jenova cells in him too," she answered. "As a matter of fact, so does Zack. Maybe they have something to do with this."

"Sephiroth is a monster in his own right," Cloud spat. "I don't think this has anything to do with either of them. This is my own insanity."

Tifa was surprised to hear Cloud talk like this. Now was definately not the time to bring up Zack, no matter how intimate the conversation got.

"I don't know, Cloud," Tifa sighed. "I think you just need to take it easy."

Cloud smiled and ruffled Tifa's hair playfully with his hand. He squeezed her tight in his embrace.

"Won't be hard to do with you here."

Shera reached into her pocket and handed Cid a wrench. He was sprawled out under the Tiny Bronco, trying on his time off to repair the small plane after it had been damaged by Rufus' guards just a few weeks ago. As much as he loved Cloud and AVALANCHE, this was the one thing that pissed him off about meeting them.

"Damnit!" he cursed. "They sure enough shattered the whole fucking wing shaft!"

Shera looked down at the grass where she was kneeling next to Cid, and covered her mouth in an effort to quiet her giggles.

Cid popped out from under the plane, cigarette in mouth. "Are you laughing at me?"

Shera blushed and laughed harder.

"Damnit, I'ma get you Shera..." Cid tried to stand, but tripped over some spare plane parts and fell.

"Goddamnit!"

Shera burst out into laughter, jumping up and running out of the yard. She turned to see Cid behind her, running, out of breath.

"Get... back *puff* here..." he wheezed. Even though nearly twenty years of smoking slowed him down, he still managed to catch up with Shera and grab her by the waist, just as she approached the area where his old rocket used to stand.

Shera yelped as Cid threw her ground. He landed on top of her, wheezing out of breath, and she was red from laughter.

"What.... what's so damn... funny, Shera?"

Shera covered her face with her hands and kept on laughing. "You need to quit smoking, Cid."

"Why?"

Shera giggled, looking into Cid's pale blue eyes. "Because.... It's not good for you."

"Not good.... for me?" Cid questioned. He kept staring down at Shera's face. He'd been such a fool for so long! He'd never realized how beautiful Shera really was all this time. Her features were soft, and her cheek had a warm glow to them. She had a beautiful smile and her blue gray eyes sparkled in the sunlight. A curl of soft, light brown hair fell into her face, the same curl she'd blown out of her eyes while she was working for the past ten years he'd known her...........

"Alright, Mr. Highwind. This is where you'll be working. Your first project is to lead this team of technicions and workers in the building of an Airship. We've got some basic plans in the back, but the President is expecting you to use your expertise to enhance it."

The twenty-two year old Cid Highwind grinned. "That's no problem for me, Sir."

Lueiteniuet Mcgrath handed Cid his discharge papers. "It was more than an honor to have you in the Shin-Ra airforce, Cid," he said. "You're probably the best pilot on the planet right now, and I mean that."

Cid laughed. "Oh, come on."

The Captain smiled and shook Cid's hand. "I've got to be gettin back to Heideggar now. Good luck with the Airship."

Cid saluted and spun around on his heels, facing the room full of people that were to be under his direction while building the airship.

"Alright..." he began, lighting a cigarette. "Where's my assistant?"

A young woman stood up, and walked toward the front of the room to Cid. She was of medium height and average build, and had a long ponytail with light brown hair. Round rimmed glasses hid her soft blue gray eyes, and she wore the standard issue Shin-Ra technicion's uniform. Two soft curls hung in her face.

"Here I am," she said.

Cid took a step back. "A woman? What the fuck?"

Shera winced but ignored his outburst. She pushed a curl out of her face and stuck her hand out.

"My name is Shera Masters," she said.

Cid eyed her as he shook her hand. She was cute, especially the way she kept pushing the hair out of her face. It would be fun having a chick around to mess with.

"How old are you, Shera?"

"Twenty."

Cid grinned. "Only two years younger than me. You ready to start on this piece of shit Airship?"

"Um. yeah."

"Good. Go get me the goddamned plans. Luiteniuet Mcgrath said they were in some back room somewhere, I don't know what the hell he's talking about. Then get these fools to pick up some parts at the warehouse so we can get the fuck started."

Shera blinked. "Right, Captain," she said, turning to walk away.

Cid smiled and scratched his chin. "Heh. Thanks, Shera."

Cid looked down at Shera. At thirty years old, the woman didn't look *that* much older. There wasn't a gray hair on her head, which surprised him, after all the hell he'd put her through. He smiled.

"You're beautiful."

Shera stopped giggling and stared at Cid. "W,what?"

"Goddamnit Shera, you heard me," Cid grumbled, grasping her shoulders. "I hate when you make me repeat myself. I said, you're fucking beautiful."

Shera blinked and put her hands on her chest. "Cid... that's the sweetest thing anybody's ever said to me."

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, Shera, you know how to make a big deal out of little shit," he said. "All I said was that you were beautiful."

Shera smiled. "You're beautiful too, Cid."

"What?" Cid frowned, confused. "How the hell can I be beautiful, Shera? I'm a man, goddamnit, not no-"

Shera had leaned up a bit and silenced Cid with a kiss. A moment later she broke it off, and held the back of his head, staring into his eyes.

Surprised, Cid blinked. He then grinned at Shera.

"Well, if you want to get fresh...."

Zack looked around at all the flowers in the garden behind Elmyra's house. "Yeah... alot of flowers here."

Aeris knelt down next to a rose bush and carefully touched a throrn with her fingertip. "Mom grew this for me when she moved out of the slums," she explained. "She thought I was dead, so she grew this in my memory."

"She knew how much you loved flowers," Zack commented.

"Right," Aeris sighed, walking over to a patch of wild violets. She sat down in the grass near them and picked one, smelling it.

Zack walked over to a large boulder that was near where Aeris was and sat.

"Remember the church in the slums?"

"Of course I remember," Zack said. "That's where I always used to meet you."

Aeris nodded. "I hope its okay. One day I would like to take you down there and show you all the flowers that grew there after you left."

"That would be nice," Zack said. He thought back to the last day he saw Aeris before he left for Nibelhiem......

Sixteen year old Zack stepped through the dead leaves around the entrance to the tattered, broken down church. As usual, no one was inside as he expected, except for her....

She was on her knees inside the church, her skirt flowing around her. Today, she didn't have on her usual ugly school uniform, but some sort of pink dress with straps that showed her shoulders. Her hair was out of the braid Elmyra maintained, and fell in long, chestnut brown waves down her back. He walked up the isle behind her, admiring how the moonlight highlighted her hair through the broken roof of the church.

"Hey."

Aeris turned and glanced up Zack. She smiled and stood to her feet, her height nothing in comparison to his.

"What took you so long?" she asked. "You know mom is probably worried sick about me. She doesn't like me being out this late."

"It's hard to get here from the upper plate," Zack said. "Why didn't you go back home and tell her where you were?"

"Because she wouldn't let me back out," Aeris answered.

"Let Elmyra worry," Zack said, reaching out his arms and taking Aeris' shoulders. "This is the last time I'm gonna see you."

"Don't say that," Aeris scolded, frowning. "How long will you be gone?"

"No more than a couple weeks, I guess," Zack answered. "But anytime away from you will seem like an eternity."

Aeris blushed. "Oh, you don't have to be so dramatic." She brought herself close to him, allowing him to hold her. "I really wish you didn't have to go."

"Me too," Zack said. "But its my first major mission as First Class. And I'm gonna be with Sephiroth, for Christ's sake."

Aeris shrugged. "Where are you going, anyway?"

"Nibelhiem," Zack answered. "Something bout a reactor. We get briefed tommorrow morning before we leave."

Aeris rested her head on Zack's chest. "You just better be back in time for my seventeenth birthday."

Zack smiled and ran his hand through Aeris' hair, thankful that it was loose. "Why are you so fancied up? Is this for me?"

"You bet," Aeris said, looking up at him and giving him a wink.

Zack grabbed the back of Aeris' head and brought his lips down to hers. He held her in a kiss for a long moment, then finally pulled away from her.

"I've got to get back to base," he told her.

Aeris frowned as he withdrew his embrace. "I'll miss you," she told him.

"I'll miss you too," he said, kissing her forehead. Aeris kept her eyes on him as he turned and walked down the isle.

"Please come back, Zack," she called after him.

"I will," he called back, not turning around as he walked. "I promise."

Zack gazed at Aeris.

"I'm sorry."

Aeris stopped playing with a flower to look at him. "For what?"

"For missing your seventeenth birthday." Aeris thought for a moment, then smiled. "Oh, Zack..." she said. "Don't be sorry."

Zack slid off the boulder and knelt next to Aeris on the grass. "I totally forgot what I've missed over the past five years," he said. He touched Aeris' cheek. "Alot of broken promises..."

Aeris leaned into his touch. "Don't worry about my birthday, Zack," she said. "Although there was one broken promise that really hurt."

"What's that?" Zack asked.

Aeris put her cheek against his and her lips near his ear, kissing him softly.

"You never came back."

Her feast had enhanced her senses beyond comprehension. Now, she knew she'd be able to find Sephiroth by just going in the direction she felt the impulse of her own cells.

She felt three shockwaves, all coming from different directions. It must because the failure, and the other SOLDIER with the black hair also contained her cells. But one impulse was strongest, and that was the one she knew was Sephiroth.

"To Cosmo Canyon I go," she said, smiling at her reflection in the mirror in her hotel room. "And my son will come to me."