Yuffie pushed herself out of Clouds arms as she grabbed her Shuriken and walked into the darkness as soon as the sword fell away from her throat the slightest bit to point to Clouds instead.

“What are you going here?” she boldly demanded as he slowly pulled his sword away from Cloud, allowing him to come into the cathedral also.  

Cloud put his hand on Yuffie’s shoulder, pulling her away from the tall ex-SOLDIER general.

Sephiroth slowly paced back and forth, not thinking of Yuffie or Cloud as much of a threat.  He said he would make Cloud suffer, and he had a plan to be true to his word.  No battle this time… he wouldn’t spill one drop of blood in his time here.  He looked at Yuffie with a smirk on his face, running the tip of his blade up her leg, although he did not cut it.  She was it; the way he would make Cloud suffer.


“I have come to visit and old friend, I suppose you would say.” Sephiroth stopped his pacing and placed his sword over his shoulder, his silver hair blowing softly in the light breezes that were coming through the door, a stark contrast with the black outfit and long flowing cloak he had over his shoulders, not to mention his piercing yellow eyes that pierced through ones heart each time he cast a stare in their direction.

Yuffie watched him as her anger built and she put her fists on her hips sternly.

“Ooo” she replied frustrated; “what do you want for real? I know it’s not to pay respects for someone you have slaughtered.  That takes kindness.”

Sephiroth stopped and replied coolly, staring a hole into Cloud’s heart with nothing on his face but a bitter smirk.

“Maybe…I’ll just ruin a good memory.”  

Yuffie’s boldness slipped away into the darkness around her, and she clung onto Cloud’s arm that he was holding her behind him with.

“What are you two doing here anyway?” the ex-general asked as his yellow eyes flicked from Yuffie to Cloud then back again; “did I interrupt a date?”

“Yes, everyone dates in a church…” Yuffie muttered rolling her eyes, from the safe place she held behind Cloud’s arm before she reveled to him the truth; “We heard a loud noise and came to see what it was…genius.”

“Well, I’m sure you will find out soon enough.” Sephiroth chuckled, his laugh sending chills to both Yuffie and Cloud, “as for me, I’m not interested in you two yet…I have plans.”

As Sephiroth turned to go, he spread out his black wing, looking over his shoulder at how Cloud was rubbing Yuffie’s arm to comfort her.  With a smirk he wrapped his wing around himself and disappeared into the shadows.

Yuffie watched him disappear from sight, closing her eyes and feeling as though at any moment he would come from any direction and run her through as he did Aerith.  She grabbed Clouds arm once more but only let her fingers barely linger upon his muscular forearm as she turned her head to make sure the ex-SOLDIER was gone. She felt Clouds muscles tense, then completely relax and turned around to look at him in time to see him sink to the floor.

She knelt beside him and shook his arm.

“Ooo Cloud! Why are you being like this? It’s not like you at all.” She whispered and went to put her hand on his forehead, but his eyes rolled back in his head as he passed out.

“Cloud? Cloud! Common!! Wake up!” she chided softly, still holding his hand in hers.

“What the Hell happened?” Reno’s voice popped up behind her, and she turned to see him walk slowly up the steps.

“Believe this or not Reno, Cloud passed out.  Sephiroth…is back.” She looked at him seriously.

“Well, that’s different” Reno said looking at Cloud on the ground and putting one hand on his hip and the other behind his head, scratching his red hair.
Yuffie stood up and leaned her shoulder against Reno’s although her eyes were still cast on Cloud before them.

“For some reason, I talked back to Sephiroth like Cloud always used to. Talk about being different.”

Reno moved forward to Cloud, which made Yuffie stumble sideways, but she caught herself and knelt down beside Cloud once more.  Slowly Reno picked up Cloud and took him to the soft grass on the other side of the forgotten church, and laid him in the middle of the flowers that grew there.

Yuffie followed and sat down on the soft grass.

“I wonder what Sephiroth really wanted?” she whispered to Reno as he sat beside her.

“Well the only thing I could possibly think of is for him to destroy.” He looked to her as his fingers tapped his knee in thought; “Did he say anything to you?”

“Something about destroying a good memory…other then that, not too much.”

“Destroy a good memory?” he asked softly; “I hope that doesn’t mean Aerith.”

Yuffie put her finger to her chin and thought everything through once more.

“How can you destroy something that is already gone?”

“Wasn’t Sephiroth gone twice?” Reno looked back to Cloud quickly.

She nodded slowly and almost gave a whimpering noise.

“I guess you’re right.”  She whispered as she leaned forward and shook Cloud’s arm once more.

“He is really out of it.” Reno said slowly, changing the subject off of Sephiroth and other things that were too serious for him.

“Yeah, I would say.” She looked up at Reno and smiled, then looked around the old church, sighing delicately.

Reno reached out and put his hand on her shoulder.

“What’s wrong?” he asked as kindly as he could, none of his usual sarcasm lingering in his voice.

“I just wonder if she is still here.” She looked around the church for any sign of the spirit which lingered there.

“I hope so too, don’t need to go losing her twice. Hopefully she’s just hiding.”

A slight breeze swirled around them lightly once more as Aerith’s voice lingered within.

“I am here, my friends.”

“See! She’s a crafty girl.” Reno smiled and looked back to Cloud as Pyreflies circled around him.  Slowly the glimmering lights formed into Aerith’s figure and she knelt beside Yuffie.  

The ninja stood back up and backed up to rest her shoulder against Reno once more.

“Come on Cloud.” The ghostly image whispered softly as she bent over him, her nose almost touching his; “you are not like this.”

Finally Cloud stirred at the sound of her voice, but did not speak or open his eyes.

“Cloud.” Aerith whispered again, putting her hand on his chest. “come now, do not let the things of the past hurt the present.”

Slowly he opened his eyes and looked right into her shining face.  Aerith stood up and held out her hand to him.

“Now, stand up and be the one that we all know and depend on… I fear the fate of everything and you and I know it is once more in peril.  If Sephiroth is here, then he must think he can take over this planet once more, or he would have moved on…or is it his mother who calls him here in some noiseless murmur we cannot hear?”

Cloud nodded, taking her hand and standing up, looking from her to Reno and Yuffie.

“Looks like our lives aren’t as peaceful as we thought.”

“And to think… I was about to retire I was so bored.” Reno joked lightly.

Yuffie elbowed Reno in the ribs.

“You always got me you dork!” she chuckled.

Aerith smiled as she reached down to get Cloud’s hand, nodding her head away from Yuffie and Reno to talk to him for a moment alone.

Cloud nodded to her and looked to his friends.

“I’ll be right back.” He said softly, then turned to follow Aerith to the corner to speak to her alone.

Reno nodded.

“Do what ya got to.  Ill keep this little handful in check.” He looked to Yuffie with a wide grin; “I hope.”

Yuffie pushed him sideways, making him loose his balance.

“HANDFUL!” she demanded, pushing him again trying to make him fall over.

Meanwhile Aerith put her hand to Cloud’s cheek.

“It is good of you to trust again.  We are all worried about you Cloud, but do not hold onto me any longer.  You came for me; you didn’t just run away… no one blames you.  Yuffie might help you see that, so trust her like you do me.”

Cloud nodded, trying to block out the Turk and the ninja who were loudly quarreling once more.

“Uh, I mean uh uh hmmm energetic?” Reno stepped back from her relentless pushing and raising his hands to show his surrender.

Yuffie jumped on his back and tried to mess up his hair, laughing hysterically, having her normal good time.

“I’ll show you energetic Turk!” she laughed.

Aerith smiled and dropped her hand to Cloud’s arm,

“Be strong, for although people are there for you, they depend on you even more.” She looked at Reno and Yuffie then back to Cloud. “Like them and me.”

“HEY! Watch the hair!!”  Reno’s voice rang out through the church loudly, causing Aerith to giggle slightly at the sight before her.

Yuffie made a disgusted face as his hair left a gooey gel on her hand and wiped it off on his jacket as she slid back to the ground.

“Eww!” she giggled, looking at her hand as her fingers stuck together and tried to wipe it off on the Turks uniform.

Cloud looked over his shoulder at them, shaking his head slightly at their antics, hoping he could deal with both of them and Sephiroth as well.

Aerith slowly disappeared while Cloud’s gaze was on the two fighting.  Cloud looked back to see only the Pyreflies disappear into the daylight filtering through the holes in the old roof of the former place of worship.

He sighed again, then made his way back to Yuffie and Reno.

Yuffie was just about to push Reno when she looked over to see Cloud walking back to them.

“Be good Reno!” she laughed, putting her hands behind her back and looking innocent once more.

“When am I not good?” Reno stood beside her, trying desperately to fix his hair in a vain attempt to undo the damage she had done.

Cloud stopped a few steps in front of him, a smile playing at his lips.

“So, who’s up for saving the world?”

Yuffie jumped up and down, waving her hand around over her head.

“Meeeeeeee! Oh oh pick me!” she exclaimed excitedly.

Cloud smiled and nodded once to her.

“Glad to have you, Yuffie.”  He laughed softly before looking to Reno; “what about you?’

“Hmm.” The red head muttered, leaning on his one foot and tapped his chin in mock thought; “Well you two might need a helicopter to get ya around, and seeing how Im the only one who flies around here… I’m in!”

Yuffie did a little dance in place.

“Yay! Looks like we are off on another adventure!”

Cloud nodded seriously.

“But where do we begin?”

Yuffie stopped dancing and crossed her arms, her attitude changing drastically in a few seconds time.

“Don’t you have an idea?”

Cloud thought for a moment.

“Which way did Sephiroth head off too?”

Yuffie ran outside and pointed down the road as they caught up with her.

“Toward ShinRa’s old place, where we found you yesterday.”


“Then that’s where we go.” Cloud looked to Yuffie then Reno again; “I hope your ready for this.”

“Are you kidding me?” Reno laughed; “Let’s kick some butt!”