Cloud and I started to make our way up the metal steps, which made a horrible clanging sound when you stepped on them. I kept tight hold of Cloud’s hand. I was glad he was with me, doing this with him was scary enough but without would have been worse. We hadn’t gone far when we came across Biggs. He was injured pretty badly. I felt myself go numb. This was all too familiar. He looked up at Cloud and said weakly,

“So you don’t care what happens to the planet…” How very like Biggs… still able to be light hearted in the worst of situations.

“You’re wounded…” Cloud said gently.

“Thanks, Cloud… and don’t worry about me… Barret’s…” He was really struggling to talk by now and I wondered anxiously just how badly he was hurt. I put my other hand on his shoulder. “Fighting up there. Go help him…” He looked at me weakly and managed to wink. I forced a smile and Cloud, still holding onto my hand gently pulled me on. I felt like my heart was being torn to shreds. I didn’t think I could take much more.

“You ok?” Cloud asked without looking at me. I didn’t answer, somehow not talking made it less real. “I know what you’re thinking,” he said still not looking at me, “this is pretty much like what happened back at home.” He read my mind. I still didn’t answer. I couldn’t, I just wanted to stop. I didn’t want to see what other horrors awaited me at the top of these stairs. I felt like I was on some sort of journey to hell. “This time it’s going to be different.” Cloud continued.”

“How?” I managed to say. He turned to look at me but we still carried on with our quick pace up the stairs.

“I won’t lose you this time.” He said. His hand tightened round mine as the words came out.

“I hope not Cloud,” I said quietly. That was the last thing I wanted. The feeling of sickness had increased and the stairs felt like they were going on forever. We then came across Jessie.

“Cloud…” She said. “I’m glad… I could talk with you… one last time.” My heart shattered. What was worse than dying like this? KNOWING you are just going to die on some cold hard stairs with no one with you? I started to shake, wanting to turn away but unable.

“Don’t say last…” Cloud tried to comfort her but she cut him off.

“That’s all right… because of our actions… many people died… this probably… is our punishment.” Cloud turned to me. I started right through him. I just couldn’t take my eyes off her. We were fighting to save the planet and the people on it. Doesn’t that cancel out all that? Was this some wicked punishment? Did we deserve it? Cloud put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me with him.

“Come on Tifa.” He said quietly. He was gently pulling me away but I couldn’t help looking back at her. “You have to be confident Tifa.” Cloud said. “You have to be or you will never win.” I looked up at him.

“I know… but…” He put his finger to my lip.

“No buts. I’m here for you, but you have to be strong, okay?” I nodded.

“I’ve come through worse than this.” I said. He then shocked me by kissing my cheek. I looked at him startled and he looked pretty surprised with himself, he started to scratch the back of his head looking down.

I felt like the kiss had given me more confidence, I felt stronger. I HAD to be stronger.

We finally made it to the top and saw Barret. He turned to see us and his eyes lit up.

“Tifa! Cloud! You came!” ‘Of course we did, as if we would abandon you.’ I said inside me. His face grew serious. “Be careful! They’re attacking from the helicopter.” He warned.

“Better equip ourselves before they attack full force!” I said. Cloud passed us each some materia and we were ready. The helicopter came closer.

“Here they come!” Barret yelled. The helicopter hovered above us for a second, then a figure jumped out. I gasped at who it was. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I checked again. Yes I would know that bright red hair and those piercing blue eyes anywhere. Reno! He looked at me and smiled, his grin was evil. I knew Reno, he used to come to my bar all the time. We would talk, and when he wasn’t drunk he wasn’t so bad. I enjoyed his company, he was much more intelligent than the other nobodies who would come to my bar expecting to find the answers to their problems in the bottom of a glass. To be honest I did have a slight crush on him. It was just a crush though. He was smart, mysterious, and so good looking. I never acted on it despite him asking me out a few times (I wasn’t even sure if it was the booze talking or him). I had always held onto the thought of Cloud coming back to me. I turned to look at Cloud and was suddenly so glad that I had waited. Reno had only stopped coming to my bar recently. He had said he had got himself a new job, but couldn’t tell me about it.

“Might drop in and see ya sometime babe.” He had said. I was sad for a bit. I did miss his company. Instead I had guys like the one who tried to kill me trying to talk to me with all their pathetic chat up lines. I couldn’t believe Reno had joined the Turks! We were enemies now. This was just getting worse and worse. I just wanted to curl up and disappear. Life was far too cruel.

“You’re too late.” He said looking at me. It looked like our old friendship (if you can call it that) meant nothing to him. “Once I push this button…” As he spoke I watched in horror as he pressed the button. No! He can’t! He can’t just kill all these people, just like that. I felt so helpless. I turned to Cloud and Barret.

“We have to disarm it!” I said desperation in my voice. “Cloud! Barret! Please!” I begged.

“I can’t have you do that.” I turned to be met by Reno’s evil grin as he pulled out his weapon. “No one gets in the way of Reno and the Turks…” He said. We started to fight. I couldn’t believe this, a few weeks ago we were friends, now we were literally trying to kill each other. There was nothing I could do. I had no choice. He only hit me once, but I hit him more than once, I couldn’t help it, every time I hit him I felt pain myself. This wasn’t right! Suddenly he stopped fighting, and looked at his watch “It’s time.” He said calmly. He waved and winked at me. I stood there watching him horrified. He ran passed me and as he did he took hold of me and spun me around. I suddenly felt really dizzy as well as sick. I couldn’t believe it. Here we were with the fate of the lives of a whole sector of people in our hands and he wanted to play stupid games! When I got myself together I ran to the controls. I looked at the control panel. Jessie had taught me how to disarm many different kinds of bombs, but this one was different. I tried everything I knew and some things I didn’t know. Nothing was happening, and I could feel panic filling me. I felt a hand rest on my back. I turned to see Cloud stood by my side.

“Cloud! I don’t know how to stop this.” I said my voice and body visibly shaking. “Try it!” I asked. Cloud stared thoughtfully at the panel and tried a few things.

“… It’s not a normal time bomb.” Could said. He also sounded worried now. Almost as soon as the words came out of his mouth a wind picked up. My hair was being blown about my face and I had to hold onto my skirt to stop it from blowing up. I could also hear a deafening noise. I looked up to see another helicopter. It was hovering above us now.

“That’s right. You’ll have a hard time disarming that!” I looked up to see where the voice had come from. The owner of the voice stood in the helicopter. He had hair almost as long as mine and was also dressed in the Turks uniform. “It’ll blow the second some stupid jerk touches it.” I ran up to the helicopter. I knew I couldn’t stop the bomb.

“Please, stop it!” I pleaded with the man. He just laughed at me.

“Ha ha ha… Only a Shinra Executive can set up or disarm the Emergency Plate Release System.” He said looking down at me. I felt so useless, like I had let the whole of sector 7 down. Barret pointed his gun at the helicopter.

“Shut yer hole!” He said before beginning to fire.

“I wouldn’t try that…” The man said calmly. I didn’t like the tone of his voice. “You just might make me injure our special guest.” I looked to where he was pointing. Horror filled me. Why is it that whenever you thought things couldn’t get any worse they always somehow do?!

“Aeris!!” I screamed.

“Oh, you know each other? How nice you could see each other one last time. You should thank me.” I hated his laid back attitude. He just didn’t care about anything, except his job!

“What are you going to do with Aeris!?” Cloud asked with a puzzled tone.

“I haven’t decided.” He said in the same cool tone. “Our orders were to find and catch the last remaining Ancient. It’s taken us a long time, but now I can finally report this to the president.” He said smirking. I was filled with shock and anger, I didn’t know what to do.

“Tifa,” Aeris called to me “don’t worry! She’s all right!” To my horror the man then hit Aeris. It’s not right to hit someone so much weaker than you, no matter how annoying they are. How can he call himself a man? I heard myself scream “Aeris!”

“Hurry and get out!” she warned me.

“Ha, ha, ha… Well it should be starting right about now. Think you can escape in time?” Our new ‘friend’ asked as the helicopter flew off. Just as he was leaving, explosions started to shake the plate. I really panicked, this couldn’t be the end! I looked over to Cloud as if he might have the answer because I certainly didn’t.

“Yo, we can use this wire to swing out.” I looked over to Barret, relief washed over me, we might just make it. All that seemed to run through me was the will to live, to survive. I took hold of the wire and so did Cloud. With that we swung out of sector 7. I could hear explosions and feel the heat of the flames, but I didn’t look back, I couldn’t look back…