On the second floor of Beginner's Hall, the trio encountered Biggs and Wedge. Tifa was surprised to see the two of them. "Huh, didn't know you were holding down the fort."

Wedge smiled at who was with her. "Oh, hey, Cloud. And Lailah's with you too! You guys looking to join the neighborhood watch?"

"That depends. What does this neighborhood watch do?" Cloud inquired.

Biggs was the one to answer. "Umm...lots of stuff, really. But our top priority is taking care of any beasts that wander into town. That, and teaching the locals how to defend themselves."

"Like they say: "The only one who'll look out for you is you"," Wedge added.

"Cloud and Lailah are great fighters. They're even better together, but only we know that. If no one knows them, no one'll hire them. Thought if they joined the watch, they could get their names out there."

Wedge nodded with a thumbs up. "That would work for everybody!"

"Truth be told, we could really use you guys' help," Biggs said. "We can't pay you two in gil, but we'll work something out. For example... Aha, what about your sword, Cloud? I could mod it for you. And for Lailah, well...maybe I could take a look at those fancy blades of hers."

Cloud stepped back when Biggs gestured to his buster sword. "No thanks. It's fine just the way it is."

"You some kind of a purist? I know I'd never pass up a chance to improve my gear. C'mon...at least let me show you how it's done."

Lailah decided to be the first to take up Biggs' offer. She activated the bracelet and the two chakrams expanded. She handed the circular blades over to him.

"All right, let's see what these bad boys can do." Biggs examined the chakrams. He was in awe. "I've never seen such craftsmanship. These are pretty cool."

Tifa was also shocked to see the weapons her friend used. "Where did you get these, Lailah?"

The snowy-haired girl put Poncho down and pulled out her small notebook to write down her reply.

'I met a traveling craftsman during my stay in Tellus. He often visited the remains of abandoned villages to see if he could find some good materials to craft with. He offered to make me the bracelet and the chakrams.'

"Man, wish I could meet this guy," Biggs commented as he got to work. After a few minutes, he was finished and returned the weapons to her. "Here you go, Lailah. I've upgraded them for you."

She smiled appreciatively before taking the chakrams back and deactivating them.

Seeing the work Biggs had done, Cloud decided to listen to him so he could better his blade. Once everything was said and done, he was satisfied with his sword's improvements.

"Needless to say, you two will have to try it out to appreciate the difference," Biggs said.

Cloud attached his sword to his back. "Thanks."

"We'll do you guys one better—spread the word to everyone who'll listen about the new mercs in town."

"Between him and Wedge, there isn't anyone they don't know," Tifa stated.

Wedge grinned as he rubbed his belly. "I'll march through the streets singing your praises—even on an empty stomach!"

"So...where are these monsters?" Cloud asked.

"Scrap Boulevard. Good hunting," Biggs replied.

Cloud saw Lailah was about to follow him and stopped her. "You're not going anywhere. Just stay here until I get back."

"Oh!" Tifa gasped. "I almost forgot she's injured..."

The blonde looked over at Biggs and Wedge. "Mind looking out for her while I'm gone?"

Wedge saluted him. "We'll take good care of her!"

"You can count on us," Biggs added.

Cloud looked back at the golden-eyed girl before his attention was drawn to Tifa when she said, "Hey, Cloud. I'll come with."

He shook his head. "No, I've got this."

"But...you don't know the way, do you?"

Cloud fell silent and looked away, embarrassed that it was the truth. He gave it some thought before replying with, "Lead on."

Tifa giggled. "Sure thing. I know these streets better than anyone." She then looked over at Lailah. "We'll be back soon, Lailah. Make sure these two don't get into too much trouble."

Lailah smiled in amusement and nodded. She waves to her friends before picking up Poncho. The black and white cat caught Wedge's attention. "Who's this little guy?"

She cradled the feline with one hand to reveal the tag.

"Poncho, huh?"

Biggs met her gaze. "Looking for his owner?"

She nodded.

"Oh! I want to help!" Wedge loves cats and would take in all of them if he could. "We can look for his owner while Cloud and Tifa are gone."

"You two have fun," Biggs said. "I'll stay here and make sure someone doesn't shove their nose into our business. Just make sure to bring the princess back in one piece or her knight in shining armor will have our heads."

"Will do!" Wedge smiled at the girl. "Let's go find Poncho's owner!"

Laila left Beginner's Hall with Wedge.

The two traveled through the streets of the slums, asking whoever they could about Poncho. Eventually, they came across an elderly woman who recognized the cat. She was happy to see the animal. "Well, if it isn't little Poncho! I haven't seen him in a couple of weeks!"

"Is this your cat?" Wedge asked in Lailah's stead.

The old woman shook her head. "No, but he used to belong to my son."

Wedge and Lailah exchanged wondering glances with each other.

"Used to?" He inquired.

The woman nodded, her smile vanishing. "Poncho was my son's cat before he passed away a few months ago."

Lailah's eyes widen in shock at the news. This poor woman had to bury her own child.

Wedge awkwardly fiddled with his fingers, unsure of what to say. He wanted to express his condolences but feared she had heard those words too much.

The elderly woman's smile returned after seeing how calm and loving Poncho was in Lailah's arms. "I know this will be a selfish request, but could you take care of Poncho for me, my dear? He seems to have taken a liking to you. I've never seen him like this with anybody who wasn't my son. You must be a special girl."

Lailah was unsure. If she was to become a mercenary like Cloud, she wasn't sure if she could take care of the cat. However, there was another part of her that wanted to care for Poncho. She wanted to love and cherish the cat that once belonged to the elderly woman's deceased son. Coming to a decision, she chose to watch over him. She nodded and hugged the feline.

The elderly woman chuckled fondly. "Thank you, my dear. I know my son would be happy to know his darling Poncho is in loving hands."

Leaving the old woman, Lailah and Wedge walked slowly back to Beginner's Hall.

Wedge, being the cat care expert, asked, "Do you know how to care for a cat?"

She froze mid-step. Never had she taken care of an animal before.

He grinned in amusement. "Don't worry, I've got you covered! I'll teach you how!"

He was kind enough to buy her some necessities from a small shop that was selling pet goods. They returned to her apartment with everything.

Wedge set up the bowls, the bed, and the small litterbox while Lailah put a small box of toys by the door. Poncho sat on the bed, watching them.

As she opened one of the cans of cat food, Wedge told her how to care for her new companion. She made sure to write down the very important points so she wouldn't forget them.

Suddenly, they were startled by a loud screech. Lailah and Wedge dash out of the apartment.

In the sky above soared a large bird. Most of its body was composed of white feathers with the plumage along its wings and tails a variety of  blue, red, yellow, and green. Across the white feathers along its face, neck, and abdomen were green markings.

"Wh-What is that?!" Wedge shrieked as the bird circled above the slums.

The bird screeched again before swooping down towards them. Wedge was the first to react. He grabbed the girl's wrist and dragged her to safety underneath the stairs of the apartment complex. He released her but kept a close eye on the bird.

Lailah felt a sense of familiarity while watching the magnificent beast. However, her attention was drawn to her apartment when she heard a 'meow.' Poncho dashed out the door and ran down the street. Worried for the feline's safety, she chased after him.

Wedge didn't realize she was gone until the bird flew off in the direction she went. "Lailah!" He hollered. He saw her disappear into the streets and ran after her. It wasn't long before he lost her in the crowd. Everyone had come out to see the large bird, making it difficult to travel through the streets.

Coming to a stop at an intersection, Wedge caught a glimpse of the girl down a street in the direction of Scrap Boulevard. He broke out into a sprint, but he didn't make it far before he turned a corner and rammed into someone. "Sorry!"

"Wedge?" Tifa called out his name.

Wedge realized he ran into Cloud and Tifa. He glanced between the two before looking around for Lailah.

"Where are you off to in a hurry?"

Wedge glanced nervously at Cloud before he told him what happened. "I was helping Lailah with Poncho when this giant bird came out of nowhere. Poor Poncho got scared and ran off. She chased after him and I lost sight of her! But—!"

Another screech came from above. The three look up to see the large bird flying in the direction Lailah had went.

Wedge gasped in horror. "Oh no! That's the way Lailah went!"

Cloud's eyes widen in panic. He looked up at the bird and quickly followed it.

"Cloud!" Tifa shouted. She then looked over at Wedge. "Leave Lailah to us." She followed after Cloud.

They ran as fast as they could towards Scrap Boulevard. They had only just returned from wiping out some monsters and didn't remember seeing the large beast. It was impossible to miss such an immense bird.

As they approached the fence, a man tried to stop them but they didn't listen. They pushed past him and entered Scrap Boulevard. They came to a stop when they exited a tunnel and saw the bird nowhere.

Cloud looked around. "Where did it go?"

"I-I don't know," Tifa replied. "It's huge. Where could it have gone?"

The blonde was about to speak when they heard a screech. Without wasting a second, they headed to where it came from.

In a large, open area of Scrap Boulevard, Cloud and Tifa found the large bird. It was perched on the remains of a rusted pipe that protruded from the ground. On the ground below the beast stood Lailah. Poncho, frightened by the bird, ran over to Tifa. She caught the animal as he jumped into her arms.

Cloud rushed towards the bird, but he was blown away by its wing before he could draw his sword. He landed on the ground with a grunt of pain. Looking up as he pushed himself off the ground, he watched in fright as the creature hopped down from its perch and landed in front of the girl. Its large form loomed over her much smaller one.

Cloud was preparing a fire spell when Tifa stopped him. "Wait!" She put Poncho down and placed herself between the bird and her friend.

This perturbed the blonde. "What are you doing, Tifa?"

"Look," she turned to the bird. "It's not hurting her."

Taking a closer look, Cloud saw the bird being petted by Lailah. The fire spell in his palm fizzled and vanished. He watched closely but remained on guard.

Lailah was aware of her friends' arrivals, but she was too focused on the bird in front of her. She soothingly petted its head until it had enough of her touch. With a cheery chirp, it lifted its head and flapped its wings. A gentle breeze blew through the area. Satisfied with their meeting, the majestic beast screeched as it took to the sky. She waved, smiling as the bird took off.

Once the creature was out of sight, she spun on her heels to cast her smile in Cloud and Tifa's direction. Poncho hopped out of the bartender's arms and dashed over to her. She scooped up the cat, poking him gently on the nose. She walked over to her friends.

Tifa was the first to question her. "What, or...who was that, Lailah?"

She put down the feline to grab her notebook so she could write her reply.

'An ancestral beast—Zephyrus, to be more accurate. He's one of six divine beings my people worshipped. I didn't know he was alive. I thought Shinra had killed him and the other beasts.'

"This is the first time I've heard of them," Cloud commented.

"Me too," Tifa said. Both she and Cloud had read a little about the Children of Gaia when they were growing up. The amount of knowledge that was available to the public was small and not very detailed because Lailah's kind was secretive. They preferred to keep to themselves rather than converse with others outside their blood.

Lailah wrote again.

'Not surprised. My people held ancestral beasts in high regard. We never discussed them with outsiders. But I don't mind telling you both. We're friends, after all.'

"Who are they, exactly?" Tifa asked out of curiosity.

'The ancestral beasts are divine beings made by Gaia herself to bring the elements to this world. Once their jobs were done, they returned to the lifstream to rest. To preserve the world, the divine beasts created my people from the lifestream. We were in charge of ensuring the world flourished. Each divine beast created its own descendants. There were six tribes that lived in Tellus.'

Cloud was starting to connect the dots. "So, what tribe are you from?"

Lailah wrote down her answer.

'The Tenebris Tribe.'

"And that explains your last name," Tifa deduced. "Who's the beast of your tribe?"

'Erebus. He takes the form of a wolf.'

Tifa smiled. "Twelve years and you're still full of surprises, I see."

Lailah smiled and wrote another thing down.

'If you two have any more questions, I'd love to answer them.'

"We'll save that for later," Tifa said. "For now, let's head back to the slums. Wedge was really worried about you."

Lailah nodded and put her notebook away. With Poncho by her side, she and her friends left Scrap Boulevard.

○◦───•❃°•°❀°•°❃•───◦○

After reassuring Wedge that Lailah was okay and returning Poncho to the apartment, the snowy-haired girl told her friends she wanted to help with some odd jobs.

Cloud was the first to deny her. "No way. You're still injured."

She huffed out a sigh before dragging him and Tifa into her apartment. She closed the door and quickly unclasped the suspenders of her skirt. She lifted her shirt to reveal her left side was completely healed. Even the stitches were gone.

To say Tifa and Cloud were shocked was an understatement.

"How...?" Tifa mumbled.

Lailah smiled and whipped out her notebook.

'Zephyrus was kind enough to heal me when we met earlier.'

She then questioningly gazed at Cloud. She didn't have to write down what she wanted to ask.

He could see a glint of cockiness in her eyes. Crossing his arms, he said, "We could use your help with some cats."

Lailah smiled giddily and promptly readjusted her clothes. She left the apartment with Cloud and Tifa to go look for Betty's cats.

One by one, they found the cats and returned to Betty. The little girl was happy to see her feline friends again.

After helping Betty, the trio wound up doing another odd job before deciding to return to Seventh Heaven. Yet, they were sidetracked when they saw a large crowd gathered around one of the houses near the bar. Pushing to the front, they watched as the scene unfolded.

The door to the house flew open. "Stay away from me!" A man shouted as he ran out of the house, being pursued by security officers. He didn't make it far before he was caught. He struggled against them as they blinded folded him and tied his hands behind his back. "Get off me, assholes! I didn't do shit!"

"Shut it, punk!" One security officer hissed.

"Or what?! Screw you!"

The security officers hauled the man to his feet and escorted him away.

"What's going on?" Tifa asked.

A woman nearby said, "Somebody went and stole some blasting agent from a Shinra warehouse. So Public Security started asking questions, and you know how Johnny gets..."

"It's because of the reactor bombing, I bet," a man chimed in. "I could be wrong... But something tells me they're not gonna settle for just roughing him up this time."

Tifa turned to the blonde. "We've gotta save him, Cloud!"

"Is he Avalanche?" Cloud inquired.

Tifa shook her head. "No. He doesn't really know what we do...but he has his suspicions. And... He's a talker."

Lailah's eyes widen in concern.

"Actually, you know what...maybe Lailah and I should go alone," Tifa said.

"I'm coming," Cloud replied.

"Uh...are you sure?"

"It's the least I can do. Lead on."

Tifa smiled. "Thanks. Come on, you two!"

Following Tifa, Lailah and Cloud ran down the street. They arrived at the gate that led to the municipal storage area. Hiding behind the sign, they could hear Johnny screaming. "What the hell, man?! You trying to break my arm?! Dragging me through the street like this is—ow—cruel and unusual punishment!"

"Shut your mouth and keep walking! Or else!" A security officer growled to the man.

"Come on, guys! Is this any way to treat a model citizen of Midgar?"

Tifa glanced at her friends. "Come on. Let's get a closer look."

Silently pushing the gate open, the trio continues to follow the security officers and Johnny. Further up the path, they hid behind a storage container.

"Model citizens don't steal blasting agent! So why don't you tell me why your ID popped up when we were going over the warehouse logs?!" A security officer demanded.

"Huh? You've got it all wrong!" Johnny denied the accusation. "I've never gone anywhere near a Shinra warehouse! Unless it was Jessie... She jacked my ID!"

"Your ID was never logged, dumbass. It would've never gotten you inside a Shinra installation in the first place! But don't you worry—we'll take all the time we need to help you get your story straight."

"What?! That's bullshit! Cheap bullshit! Entrapment! Yeah, yeah! I know my rights!"

Tifa sighed as the security officers escorted Johnny further down the way. "I swear, all he had to do was keep his mouth shut."

Cloud agreed. "Yep."

Lailah peered out from their hiding place. She wondered what their plan was and turned to her friends with a questioning gaze.

"Oh, right," Tifa said after seeing her friend's face. "A plan... Anyway, you two distract the officers, and I'll...figure something out."

Lailah and Cloud left Tifa behind the storage container. They walked further up the path and to the next gate. They could see the security officers and Johnny on the other side.

"Any ideas?" Cloud asked the girl.

She tapped her finger against her chin while thinking. Snapping her fingers, she smirked when an idea came to mind. Transforming into her smaller form, she jumped up onto Cloud's head and then over the fence.

With Cloud watching closely, she got to work distracting the officers. She trotted over to them without them noticing and jumped onto the helmet of one of them. The officer across from him noticed and pointed at the pup. "Is that a dog on your head?"

The officer in question lowered his gun and patted his helmet with his hands. His hands grazed the wolf's soft fur and he easily picked her up. He held her up at eye level. "Never seen a dog like this."

"Think it's a stray?"

The man holding the pup examined her further. "Probably. Looks kind of weird." Lailah didn't take kindly to his words. She scratched at his cheeks and broke the skin, eliciting a scream from him. "Damn...! That hurt, you mutt!"

Just then, Cloud made his presence known. He swung his sword and knocked out the officer on the other side of Johnny.

The officer holding the pup glared at the blonde. "Who're you? The cavalry?"

Cloud said nothing and looked at Lailah just as she bit the officer's hand. An amused smirk tugged at the corner of his lip at the sight. "Might want to be careful. She bites."

The man dropped the pup, who scampered over to Cloud. With his bleeding hand, he grabbed his gun and aimed it at him. He wasn't able to pull the trigger before Tifa arrived and knocked him out.

Johnny, who had heard the commotion, sat on his haunches. "Is that—is that who I think it is!? Aw, hell yeah! You guys really came to save me! Ava—"

Tifa acted swiftly and kicked Johnny in the gut before he could finish to silence him.

The third security officer cladded in red shouted, "Hey! The hell you think you're doing?!"

Tifa jumped back and stood beside Cloud, raising her fists. "Here we go..."

While Cloud and Tifa dealt with the last officer, Lailah gave her full attention to the guard dog. Still in her small form, she calmly sat down and stared at the dog. Even when the officer commanded it to attack, it didn't budge. Guard dogs were usually extremely obedient to their handlers, but she was able to connect with them and break that submission. Although they were genetically mutated, they were still animals.

The guard dog whined before laying down, its ears laid back. It remained in that position until Cloud and Tifa knocked out the last enemy. Once its handler was unconscious, the canine took off.

Johnny regained consciousness and heard nothing. "Uh...so...is it over? Yo, anybody there? If you're there, then help me!"

Tifa looked over at Cloud. "Grab Johnny so we can get outta here."

"All right." The ex-SOLDIER approached the blindfolded man and drew his sword.

Lailah dashed over to Johnny after seeing her best friend draw his weapon. She placed herself between them and refused to move. She didn't want Cloud to kill an innocent man.

Cloud stared down at the pup, directly into her golden eyes. "He's a talker."

"No!" Tifa shouted. She placed a hand on his arm and shook her head, wanting the same as Lailah.

Johnny overheard everything and started to panic. "Huh?! You're not gonna... Hold up! Wait! Don't—don't do it, man!"

Cloud lowered his blade. He picked up Lailah and kneeled in front of Johnny. "You wanna live, then get the hell out of town."

The blindfolded man nodded. "Y-y-you got it, boss! You ain't never gonna see my face again, I swear!" He got to his feet and ran away.

Lailah was amazed he didn't run into anything due to still being blindfolded.

Cloud was unsure and turned to Tifa. "Are you sure about this? It's a big risk."

She nodded. "I know, but...it's fine."

He then looked around at the unconscious security officers. "And them?"

"No more... Cloud... You're scaring me," she confessed, her voice just above a whisper. "We need to go before they wake up."

Cloud put his sword away. He followed Tifa out of the area while carrying Lailah. Not far down the path, he caught up with her.

"I...I'm worried about Johnny," she confessed.

"I'm more worried about us," Cloud replied. "We gotta go, right?"

"Right..." However, Tifa didn't budge. She had a troubled look on her face.

This puzzled him. "What?"

"It's just..." She was finding it difficult to say. "You've really changed."

"How?"

"I suppose it's...yeah. Your eyes. They used to be less..."

"It's the mako. SOLDIER, remember?" He remarked.

"I remember. So, what do you wanna do now? Head back to the bar? Or do you wanna tackle another job or two?" Tifa asked.

Cloud glanced down at the pup he was carrying. He saw her looking back up at him. He saw a hint of exhaustion in them. Although she was healed, she was still recovering from the blood loss. "I think we've done enough jobs for now."

"Then let's go to Seventh Heaven."