Rebirth

Chapter 15 - The Tracker

Cloud stormed out of the bar and jumped on Fenrir. He kicked the thing viciously and
felt it roar to life again. He sat there for a moment, revving the engine. Anger gave way
to panic. He had no idea what to do next. He sat on the bike, his mind racing. Where
was she? Was she hurt, was she ok?

"Cloud, calm yourself. Tifa needs you." He heard Aeris's soft voice in his mind and
immediately felt the panic leave him. He left the bike running quietly in neutral and
slumped over the handlebars.

"Think, Cloud. Think. How do I find her?" he said to himself. He rocked back on his
seat and felt something fall out of his back pocket. He turned and looked behind him and
saw Tifa's glove lying on the ground. Picking it up, he pressed it to his face, breathing in
Tifa's scent.

"Red!" he said, his heart leaping for joy. "Red can find her. He can find anything!" He
stuffed the glove into his shirt next to his heart and revved up the engine again. He
turned the bike around and took off down the road towards the sun rising on the horizon.

He rode through the empty city streets out into the wilderness beyond. He knew where
Red XIII lived, but it would take hours to get to him. Tifa was getting further and further
away from him every minute. He could feel it. He forced the rising panic back down and
leaned further over the bike, urging it on faster.

Two hours later he skidded Fenrir to a stop on top of a bute overlooking Cosmo Canyon.
The view was beautiful with the red canyon walls glowing in the sun still low in the
morning sky, but the scenery was lost on Cloud. He shaded his eyes with his hand,
searching the canyon walls for the den he knew was there. He finally found it.

"Dammit!" It was all the way across the other side of the canyon. A long and dangerous
drive. He searched the canyon walls for a way down and saw the path ahead of him. He
revved the bike and flew off down the path.

A few miles away, Red XIII was indulging in his morning stretch when his ears picked
up the unmistakable roar of an engine reverberate off the canyon walls above him. He
had not had a good night. Something had kept him awake. A heavy feeling of
foreboding had troubled his mind all night, stealing sleep away. He padded out to the
entrance of his den overlooking the canyon and sniffed the air. He recognized the scent
and sighed. This had to mean trouble.

His keen eyes searched in the direction of the sound and the scent and saw a speck
hurtling down the canyon walls towards him, leaving a trail of dust behind.

"That idiot! He's going to kill himself," he growled, bounding off in Cloud's direction.

Cloud saw a streak of red fur out of the corner of his eye and pulled the bike up short,
gravel spitting out from under the rear wheel. When the dust cleared, he realized he was
just inches from the edge of the path with a shear drop of 300' below him.

Red jumped down from the rock above Cloud and landed softly in front of the bike. He
stood there looking at the man, shaking his head. The animal was covered from head to
long tail with blazing red fur with the tip of his tail glowing with fire. Around his neck
he wore a mantle made of feathers, spiked thorns and beads. It rattled when he moved,
which he did with a lithe grace common to his kind. His long sharp claws were retracted
now, but Cloud knew they could be deadly weapons when he needed them.

"One of these days . . ." he growled.

Despite his desperation to find Tifa, Cloud had to smile at his friend. Ever the paternal,
was Red.

"I need your help, Red. They have taken Tifa . . ." he said, his words trailing off.

"When is the last time you slept or ate anything, Cloud?" asked Red, cocking his head to
one side as he measured Cloud's condition. It was obvious the man had been riding all
night and he looked exhausted.

Cloud was nonplussed by the question. He had not thought of sleep or food since he
found Tifa in the church. He suddenly realized how tired, hungry and thirsty he was.

"It's been a while," he admitted. "We don't have time for this, Red. I need your help
now. We have to find Tifa!"

"First we rest and drink and you can tell me your story. Come." With that, Red bounded
off down the path towards his den.

"Oh crap!" swore Cloud softly under his breath. He had forgotten how Red could be.
Always thinking of his stomach first. He maneuvered the bike back on the path and tried
to keep up with the red fur ball disappearing down the canyon path.

They reached Red's den at last and Cloud dismounted Fenrir and immediately collapsed
as his legs gave way under him, his body finally refusing to go any further without
recharging.

Red sat at the entrance of his den and shook his head as Cloud stood and unsteadily
walked towards him. He sat back down next to Red with a plop. Red motioned to the
skin of water hanging from a hook next to him and Cloud grabbed it and drank greedily.
He felt the cool sweet liquid replenish his strength as much as a full night sleep and a 3
course meal would have.

Cloud pulled the skin away from his mouth and looked at it with a puzzled expression.
Red laughed as his friend's surprise and said "have you forgotten?" Cloud smiled as he
remembered the spring Red found when he first explored this canyon. This is why he
called Cosmo Canyon home.

"Now tell me, what troubles you. What brings you here? I assume you have not ridden
through the night just to drop in on an old friend," said Red.

Cloud replayed the events of the past 24 hours to Red, pausing when he came to his time
with Tifa in the room above the bar.

"So, finally it has happened," Red said softly to his friend, watching his face.

Cloud looked over at Red, confused by his comment. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Cloud, I think you must be the only person on this planet who was unaware of Tifa's
feelings for you. I am not surprised that your discovery of this would end in such
passion, but it's unfortunate that you could not have been more responsible about it."

Cloud lowered his head and kicked the sand with his foot. He stood and walked slowly
to the edge of the path in front of the den, stooped and picked up a small rock. He threw
it up in his hand a few times, thinking about what Red had just said. Finally he threw the
rock as hard as he could out over the canyon and turned around to face his friend.

"You're right, but I'm not sorry it happened. I'll never regret making our baby."

"Well then. Lets get to work," said Red. "Give me the glove."

Cloud pulled the glove from his shirt and pressed it to his face one last time. Tifa's scent
was still on it.

"I'm supposed to do that, you idiot. Give it to me."

Cloud smile and threw the glove at Red's feet. The animal stood over the glove, his nose
touching it, breathing in its scent.

"Yes, I can tell she is pregnant. I can smell the changes in her scent."

Cloud felt a pang of loss at hearing these words. "Just let her be ok," he prayed silently.

"Bring the glove and take me back to the last place you saw her. I have to start from
there."

Cloud jumped on Fenrir and took off back up the path with Red running after him.