A/N: This chapter is dedicated as a Christmas present to the most awesome and amazing Teef– a faithful CloTi fan and dedicated author and reviewer. Sorry if this chapter isn't exactly filled with Christmas cheer, but it is filled with yummy plot-thickening devices. Enjoy!

-P

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Chapter 9

Reunion

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Cloud stood on the bridge of the Highwind three hours after leaving the ground of Wutai; his arms were crossed in his patented "Leader" pose with brows furrowed to match. They had just pulled away from Cosmo Canyon after picking up Red, the last member of AVALANCHE to arrive on the ship after Cloud's call.

Now the team assembled on the bridge, all waiting to hear what the state of emergency was, albeit some more patiently than others.

"What in the # did you screw up now, Strife?" Cid managed to say with a cigarette clutched in his smugly grinning mouth. He crossed his arms and stood directly in front of Cloud. "Or did you just think it would be funny to see if we would all come running at your beckoning call?"

"Personally, I'm more interested in hearing about where you've been for the past two years, Cloud..." Red suggested.

"Well I wanna know what's up with the freaky black get-up!" Yuffie said loudly, pointing at the ragged black clothes that Cloud was still wearing.

"Hmph, there is nothing wrong with wearing a cloak," Vincent said darkly from his corner. Yuffie opened her mouth widely, ready for her golden opportunity to tease Vincent about his vampire-esque outfit when Cloud cut in.

"Everyone, listen to me." His normally commanding voice was tinged with sadness but still strong enough to demand his team's attention. All eyes turned to Cloud, and he paused for a moment as he got his first full look at everyone in two years.

This is a professional team, he thought with a small smile. They all stood silently, waiting for their leader to speak.

Cloud closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as a wave of exhaustion washed over him. He felt another headache coming on and some distant part of his brain reminded him that he hadn't taken the medicine since the day before. It was all on that storm-wrecked ship, which was probably sleeping with Emerald WEAPON at the bottom of the ocean by now. He would just have to do without.

He looked up again to find everyone still watching him intently, all with some version of the same question on their lips–

Where's Tifa?

"Everyone, I'm sorry for being away for so long, but I didn't call you here for a reunion."

"Amen!" cheered Cait Sith from the corner of the room. Vincent shot a death-glare at President Reeves's robotic cat and it wilted back into silence.

Cloud took a deep breath. He didn't know how much he would have to reveal to them, but he would explain as much as it took to find Tifa.

"I'm not going to beat around the bush here," he said, unsure of how to break the news to them. Barret was already glaring at him for not answering his questions on the phone.

"Tifa is... Tifa has been taken," he finally said, his eyes directed at a corner of the room instead of at their shocked faces.

"I know who took her and I know where she is, but I need your help to get her back."

There was a resounding chorus of "where is she?" and "who took her?" but Barret just marched up to Cloud, who braced himself for the inevitable verbal onslaught from Tifa's most fierce protector.

"What in # hell is the matter with you, Spike!?" Barret started, towering over Cloud. "You standin' there so cool, as if Tifa were just another one of your # missions! Do you have any idea what she went through when you left? An' now you just march back in when ever you damn well please an' get her kidnapped..."

Everyone expected Cloud to get angry and defend himself against these accusations, but to their surprise, he just looked extremely tired. He bowed his head and closed his eyes, as if he were a boy being scolded by an angry adult, ashamed of whatever it was he had done. Barret was practically seething as he looked down at Cloud.

"Hmph," Barret filled the silence with a sound of disgust, "Don' matter. She was too good for you, anyway."

Cloud said nothing but his eyes narrowed as they continued to stare at the floor. Barret still towered over him, fully expecting a retaliation or explanation of some sort and growing angrier by the moment as Cloud just stood in guilty silence instead.

The rest of the crew was growing wary on the sidelines of the tense stand-off until Cid finally stepped forward.

"A'ight guys, this ain't got nothin' to do with findin' Tifa." It was amazing how calm the pilot could be in a situation like this. Cloud guessed that it was either his years in the military or the nicotine from his perpetual cigarette.

"Cloud, now just tell us what the hell is going on," Cid went on, watching Barret in case the larger man made a fuss. Barret visibly unclenched his jaw and gestured toward Cloud.

"You heard the man. What the #$ is goin' on?"

This was the part that Cloud did not want to talk about. He looked up and held his crew in a piercing stare, measuring his words carefully.

"Tifa has been taken," he stated again. Yuffie stomped her foot in impatience.

"We already know that!" the small ninja complained loudly. "Get on with the good stuff! Who took her?"

"Do you remember..." Cloud tried to explain, but shook his head. "Did I ever tell you about... my friend, Zack?"

Everyone stared at him blankly for a moment before Yuffie broke the silence.

"OOOHH!!" she yelled suddenly in realization. "He's that guy who you were pretending to be until you fell into the Lifestream!"

"Yuffie!" Vincent hissed, irritated by her bluntness. Cloud only nodded.

"That's right. Zack, my best friend and the real SOLDIER, has kidnapped Tifa."

"What the !#$, Cloud?" Barret interjected, clearly losing his patience again. "I thought you told us that guy was dead? How the hell he walkin' around kidnappin' girls?"

"He isn't dead..." Cloud started warily, not wanting to get into this part.

"You mean he never died, or he came back from the dead, like a #$ zombie or somethin'?" Cid was now staring at Cloud shrewdly.

"He... had help..."

"The only man I knew who was able to bring back the dead was Hojo," Vincent said quietly, but everyone turned to look at him. Vincent just stared coldly at Cloud, who held his gaze but said nothing. The air thickened in the cabin again as everyone held their breath. Finally, Cloud spoke in an even voice:

"They're in the Promised Land."

—

Tifa was laying on something cold and hard again when she drifted back into consciousness. She half-hoped, as she lay very still with her eyes closed, that she would wake up and find herself laying on the mountain path of Da Chao, and that all these dreams of dragons and dead men would disappear as soon as she opened her eyes.

She ventured to crack an eyelid. The room was very dark, lit only with an eerie green glow from some source that Tifa could not see. Directly above her seemed to be some sort of sharp, pointy apparatus, and Tifa suppressed a moan as she found her wrists and ankles were bound to the metal table that she was laying on.

This can't be happening, what's happening to me... She thought, feeling a wave of nausea wash over her again. She tried to turn her head to get a better view of the room around her, but her neck was stiff and the movement shot stabs of pain through her body.

She whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut. This isn't happening, this isn't happening– I'm at home, I'm at the bar, I'm not dying here...

A maniacal peal of laughter startled her, but she didn't try to turn her head to find the source. She could hear voices in what sounded like a near-by room, and she strained to listen.

"...is almost finished," a frenzied, wizened voice was saying. "As soon as that numberless failure returns, yes he will... the final stage will be complete..."

"Hojo..." A shockwave of fear passed through Tifa as she heard the name.

Hojo!

Zack's uncertain voice went on. "We do not need to wait for Cloud's return. I believe that we have enough data after two years..."

"Silence!" Hojo's feeble voice suddenly commanded. Tifa cringed and Zack was silent in the next room.

"That boy, that miserable failure..." Hojo hissed, and Tifa had to concentrate very hard to make out what he was saying.

"He ruined everything once, but now he will make everything right... My son... will never be whole without his revenge!"

Tifa bit her bottom lip to choke back a sob as Hojo cackled madly. She was trapped with these maniacs, luring Cloud to his death, and Hojo's son...

"...and the girl?" Zack said thickly. "Is she merely bait or are we finished with her?"

"Eh?" Hojo stopped laughing abruptly. "Which girl? The ancient?"

Tifa was certain that her heart had stopped.

Not... he couldn't be talking about...

"No..." Zack said after a moment. "The other one, Cloud's girl..."

Aeris!?

"...She is a successful prototype," Hojo said in the clipped, clinical tones of a scientist. "It doesn't matter what happens to her now– they will all die soon enough."

"Cloud will not... cooperate if he finds her dead..." Zack seemed to be choosing his words carefully. "Would it not be wise to administer a cure to her first, since they will all die in the end anyway?"

"Don't be foolish," Hojo spat. "There is no cure, and Cloud will come regardless. The headaches will be more than enough incentive..."

Tifa's stomach turned again, barely able to absorb all of this. A cure... what had they done to her? Why were they talking about Aeris? And Cloud was helping them?

"You promised him that she would live," Zack was saying now, his voice beginning to shake with rage. "And what about me? Is Aeris just as expendable?"

"Of course not. The Ancient is... special."

"You told me that she would live!" Zack was shouting, and Tifa winced as something heavy collided with a wall. "She hasn't opened her eyes in two years! You promised– !"

"That's right," Hojo sounded closer now, as if he were near the doorway to Tifa's room. His breathing was labored, coming in short, rasping gasps.

"I have not forgotten your reward, SOLDIER," his raspy voice said coldly. "As soon as you bring me Cloud and finish the final stage, you will be reunited with your precious Ancient..."

Tifa squeezed her eyes shut again as she heard his rasping breaths draw closer to where she lay helplessly immobile on the table.

Oh Cloud, stay away from here, don't let them finish this...

"There can be nothing more rewarding than becoming one with Sephiroth..." he breathed, directly above her.

Tifa slowly forced her eyes open. In the dim green light, she could see his face– horribly disfigured, like a lump of clay pulled in every direction. His stringy black hair was clinging in clumps to his scalp, and he sneered down at her, revealing broken and missing teeth.

Tifa screamed, and Hojo laughed above her maniacally as she fell unconscious once more.