"Hey..." Tifa spoke up after a moment of silence. "You don't believe that crazy story of his, do you? Shinra wouldn't sacrifice a whole sector just to take out Avalanche, would they? Destroying part of the city—killing all those people, just to get at us?"

"I dunno... Is Corneo the kind of guy who'd make up shit just to screw with you?" Cloud questioned.

"I wouldn't put it past him."

Aerith glanced at her friends. "But...if he was telling the truth... And there's still a chance he was, isn't there? Then...we should go. And if it turns out he was lying, then so what? Right?"

"I agree," Lailah chimed in. "There wouldn't be any harm in learning if he was lying or telling the truth. Either way, we're heading back to Sector 7, right?"

Tifa nodded. She then looked down the tunnel and felt a sense of familiarity. "I knew it. These tunnels are all connected."

"What is it?" Cloud inquired.

"I'm pretty sure we can use these tunnels to make our way back to Sector 7. The sewers under Sectors 6 and 7 should be connected. "If you get in trouble, just follow the stench"."

"Another one of those lessons?"

"An Avalanche saying, actually. We use them to move around the undercity. In emergencies."

The ex-SOLDIER expressed his doubts. "Sure we're not lost?"

Tifa nodded. "Positive. There should be a big waterway just up ahead. Let's find that first."

"Lead the way," Aerith said.

Laila followed behind Tifa and Aerith as they headed up the tunnel. They were about to climb a ladder when they were startled by a sahagin jumping out from a collapsed portion of the tunnel. When Cloud drew his sword and ran ahead of the girls to attack, he was surprised when the monster's body was suddenly engulfed in flames. The powerful burst of fire burnt it to a crisp, its body turning into a pile of ash. Withdrawing his blade, he turned to see Lailah's hand extended outward. The tips of her fingers were ignited with flames.

"Wow," Aerith commented. "You really fried that thing."

The shapeshifter was also shocked at the power of the spell. Lowering her hand, the flames vanished from her fingertips. "S-Sorry. I didn't mean to overdo it. I guess that herb did more than heal me."

"Just try not to start a fire down here, okay?" Tifa asked sweetly.

Lailah laughed in embarrassment. "Okay."

They climbed up the ladder and crossed into the adjacent room. To get to the other side of the room, they would need to drain the canal. Being the first one to spot the lever, the snowy-haired girl pulled it. The gate rose and allowed the water to flow out of the canal. "Looks like we can cross now."

"Yeah, but..." Aerith grimaced when she got a whiff of the awful stench. "Ugh, it reeks down here."

"Well the undercity isn't exactly the prettiest place, and we're under that so..." Tifa's voice trailed off as she sealed her lips when the smell became unbearable.

"I think all of us will need a shower after this," Lailah commented.

Aerith giggled. "Definitely."

Cloud, having been listening to the girls while they chatted, found himself smiling. He was happy to hear the three of them getting along. What made him the happiest was how much more lively Lailah had become in such a short amount of time due to regaining her voice. He was more than eager to talk with her whenever they would have some time alone.

Deeper into the tunnels, they found a room with a bench and a vending machine. They rested for a few minutes while listening to the tune playing.

Lailah leaned against the wall. She closed her eyes and wound up tuning out the music. Hearing a low hiss, her eyes fly open with a gasp. She looked around the room to see only her friends. Pushing herself off the wall, she glanced down the hallway they had yet to travel down. Curiosity got the best of her and she decided to check the area ahead.

"Lailah," Cloud called out to her. He got off the bench and followed after her.

At the end of the hallway, she looked around. "Do you hear that? It sounds like hissing."

He fell silent and listened closely. However, the only noise he heard was dripping water. "I don't hear any hissing." He eyed her worriedly. "Are you feeling okay?"

Now that he asked, she truly wondered if she was fine. She looked away from him, rubbing her upper arm through her sleeve. "I... I think I'm okay. I mean, I feel fine, but maybe that herb did more than I thought it would. If only she was still here."

"She?" he parroted.

"My mother," she explained. "She was the one who found me after I fell from the Sector 5 plate. I thought she was dead, but I was wrong. It's because of her that I was able to get my hands on some vellabloom. I wish she would've stayed until I woke up. I have so much to ask her."

"Hey," he put a hand on her shoulder. "You'll see her again soon. When you do, you can ask her everything."

She smiled at him. "Thanks, Cloud."

At hearing her call his name for the first time, he couldn't help but enjoy how it sounded. His cheeks were dusted with a light shade of pink and he quickly looked away. "Sure."

Of course, Lailah had caught sight of his slightly pink cheeks before he could try and hide them. She decided to pry, wondering why he was blushing. "Did I say something strange?"

Cloud still refused to look her way, but he told her the truth. "No. It's just...that was the first time you said my name."

She giggled. "Well, you better get used to it because you'll be hearing it a lot more."

Just then, Cloud felt eyes on them. He turned to see Aerith and Tifa peeking around the corner at them. His embarrassment faded. "What are you two doing?"

"Oh, just...watching," Tifa explained.

Aerith sighed in frustration. "When are you going to kiss her, dummy?"

The ex-SOLDIER was surprised by the question. "What?"

"Y'know, smooching! Couples do it all the time."

Seeing Cloud was dumbfounded, Lailah stepped in to help him. "I don't think the sewers is a good place to share a first kiss. It's a little putrid down here and not the most romantic place."

Aerith hummed in acknowledgment. "You do have a good point. We better get out of the sewers quick so you and Cloud can kiss!"

Tifa laughed. "You sound more excited about it than Cloud and Lailah."

"Let's just worry about getting to the surface first," Lailah said.

Now rested from their earlier battle with the abzu, they headed out to search for a way to the surface. They traversed the tunnels and slowed their pace when they entered an area that was dark. The only light provided to them was the small emergency lights, but it was barely enough for them to see in front of them.

"Is it safe to go through here?" Tifa asked.

"It's really dark," Aerith commented.

"Hold on." Lailah held out her hand. Her markings turned silver as a sphere of light manifested in her palm. The source of light provided them with just enough to see where to go.

"Oh, so pretty!" Aerith chanted.

Out of curiosity, Tifa held her hand out toward the ball of light. She could feel a faint warmth radiating from it. "This is...light magic, right? This is the first time I've ever seen you use it. And when we were fighting that Airbuster, you used dark magic. It felt the complete opposite of this. I never knew you could use either, Lailah."

"I've been meaning to ask about that for a while now," Cloud confessed. "You never used them when we were growing up."

"I've been able to use dark magic ever since I was born, but I never saw any use for it until I started training in Tellus. As for light, well... I learned it while in Tellus. I used what remained of old books to help me. Light isn't my strongest element, but it does have its uses." She held up the sphere of light and looked down the tunnel. "I'll take the lead from here, okay?"

"Probably would be for the best," Cloud stated.

The shapeshifter guided them through the dark tunnel. As they wondered just where they were going, Tifa asked, "Hey, Cloud, Lailah... Assuming Corneo was telling us the truth... What do you two think Shinra's really up to? I mean, they've gotta have an endgame, but I can't imagine what it is. Destroying a whole chunk of the city just to get back at us doesn't make any kind of sense."

"Yeah. I can't imagine any way they could profit from it. It's gonna cost them a fortune to rebuild," Cloud responded.

"It would be a really expensive clean-up job too," Lailah added.

Tifa felt a small bit of comfort at their responses. "Corneo's lying. He's gotta be. Guys like him do it all the time out of habit."

"Twisted men tend to lie more often than they tell the truth," the snowy-haired girl commented. "Don't worry too much about what Corneo said, okay?"

She took a deep breath and exhaled. "Okay."

Eventually, they found a door in a better-lit area of the sewers. By the door was a spray-painted image of Stamp splashing through water. Lailah dispelled the sphere of light as Cloud reached for the handle. When it didn't budge, he told the girls, "Locked up tight."

Tifa smiled as she remembered something. "But not if we used the skeleton key Jessie made."

"Huh." Aerith walked over and stood in front of the grafitti. "Does this mean it's in the water?"

"We'll see," Cloud said.

"But first, we should look for a way to reboot the power," Lailah stated. She turned to see a door on the other side and made her way over. Fortunately, it was unlocked. She stepped into the room with Cloud, Aerith, and Tifa behind her.

In the room, Lailah spotted a rustic power box on the wall. She titled her head in wonderment. "Is this what I think it is?"

"Yeah," Cloud replied. "That's a power generator, all right."

Aerith got a good look at the power generator. "Wow. Talk about ancient."

"It's an antique—older than the mako reactors even. It'll be a miracle if it still works."

"Let's see." Lailah pulled the lever. She heard a faint 'click.' "I...think it worked."

Aerith opened the door and looked around. She saw the area was lit up. "It did!"

"Great! Now let's go find that key," Tifa said.

Returning to the previous room, they drained the canal. Cloud entered the now empty canal by himself and claimed the key that was waiting near another spray-painted Stamp. He returned to the girls and they headed back to the locked door. The ex-SOLDIER inserted the key, successfully unlocking the door.

"It worked!" Aerith chanted.

Walking through the door, they wandered down the hallway. At the end of the hall, they entered the Trunk Line.

Tifa recognized where they were. She wandered over to the edge of the collapsed walkway. "Wait a minute. I know this place. Sector 7 should be just on the other side of this waterway."

"So this is where Sector 6 ends," Cloud said.

"And where Sector 7 begins. Once we cross over we can start looking for a way back to the surface."

"Might be harder than you think."

"Let's just try to make our way down this tunnel. See if we can't use those gates to clear a path. We can do this. We'll figure it out," Tifa confidently responded.

Aerith nodded with a smile. "Yeah, for sure."

Lailah glanced in the direction they needed to go. "I could fly ahead and scout the area, maybe take out any enemies in the area."

"I don't think so, young lady," Aerith said, shaking a finger. "You're not going anywhere without us, and I'm a hundred percent sure Tifa and Cloud agree with me, especially Cloud."

"She's right," Tifa chimed in. "We know you're strong, but that doesn't stop us from worrying."

"Looks like you're stuck with us," Cloud remarked.

The snowy-haired girl smiled gently. "I wouldn't wish to be stuck with anybody else."

Aerith and Tifa weren't the only ones to smile at her words. A minuscule smile found its way onto Cloud's face, but it was only noticed by Lailah. She didn't say anything and simply admired his smile before they began their adventure through the Trunk Line.

Quickly but carefully, they traveled through the Trunk Line. They drained the canals one section at a time and made a path through the area. The enemies in the vicinity proved to be no obstacle and more of a nuisance than anything else.

Not too far within the Trunk Line, Cloud pulled one lever to seal the canal. The makeshift platforms floated on the water's surface, creating a bridge they could use to cross to the other side.

"All right!" Tifa cheered. "Now we should be able to get across."

Cloud stepped forward. "I'll go first, okay?"

"Be careful," Lailah told him.

As the ex-SOLDIER crossed the unsteady platforms, Tifa turned to Aerith and Lailah. She expressed how Corneo's words continued to plague her mind. "Dammit. I can't stop thinking about what Corneo said."

"I know... Me too," Aerith confessed.

"It is unsettling, even if it is a lie," Lailah commented.

"It's gotta be a trick. There's no way they'd go that far. But... But what if Corneo really was telling the truth...? We have to get there in time to stop it. We have to," Tifa said.

A troubled look appeared on Aerith's face. "Right."

"Aerith, what are you not telling us?" Tifa inquired.

"Huh?"

"Guys!" Cloud shouted, interrupting the girls' conversation. He had made it to the opposite side. "C'mon! We gotta keep moving!"

"Coming!" Tifa hollered back. "I'll go first." Crossing the floating platforms, she made it safely to the other side. "Okay, Aerith! Your turn!"

Aerith glanced at Lailah, who only nodded. She then stepped towards the platforms. "On my way! Here we...go."

The shapeshifter watched with bated breaths as Aerith crossed. She could tell the girl was struggling to keep her balance.

"Almost there!" Tifa yelled when Aerith was halfway across.

Upon stepping on the third platform, Aerith felt her body sway dangerously. She gasped as the platform beneath her shook unsteadily.

"Aerith!" Tifa shouted as she saw the platforms beginning to sink.

"Jump!" Cloud hollered.

Aerith jumped and landed on solid ground. Tifa helped her to prevent her from falling backward into the sewer water. "That was close," the sable-haired girl sighed in relief.

Aerith smiled at the girl. "Thanks. You saved me."

She chuckled. "Least I could do."

She grinned at the ex-SOLDIER. "Hear that, Cloud?"

The blonde simply shrugged before looking over at his girlfriend. He wondered what they could do to get her safely over to them. He saw another platform that resembled the ones that had sunk. "Mind helping me?" he asked Aerith and Tifa. The two girls assisted Cloud in sliding the platform into the water.

Lailah stared at the single platform. She would need to jump to make it. Taking a few steps back, she got a running start and jumped. She landed on the platform but her balance was unstable. She wobbled and tried to use her arms to balance herself. A sigh of relief fell from her lips when the platform steadied. She carefully walked across to the other side. Analyzing the next jump she would need to make, a worried look appeared on her face. She wasn't sure if she would be able to clear the water.

"Hey," Cloud said, grabbing her attention. She lifted her gaze from the water, eyes locking with his. He stood at the edge and held out his hand toward her. "Don't worry. I'll catch you."

Lailah didn't have an issue trusting him. With a nod, she steeled herself. Without wasting any more time, she jumped. She wouldn't be able to clear the water, but that wasn't an issue. The moment her hand connected with Cloud's, he yanked her to solid ground. She wound up crashing against his body, but he didn't budge. Taking a step back, she smiled gratefully at him. "Thanks, Cloud."

"Don't mention it," the ex-SOLDIER replied.

When he was about to let go of her hand, Aerith intervened. She grabbed their conjoined hands with both of hers and kept them from separating. She smiled at the couple. "No need to be shy. You two can keep holding hands."

Cloud was stunned and fell silent.

On the other hand, Lailah expressed her feelings. "As much as I would love for us to keep holding hands, it would be difficult to fight and move around."

Tifa nodded in agreement. "Then you two will save the hand-holding for your first date." She went to walk over to the ladder but stopped halfway. "Wait..." She turned back around to face her childhood friends. "Have either of you been on a date before?"

Lailah looked around in embarrassment. "Um, well...no."

Aerith gasped dramatically, releasing the couple's hands and allowing them to part. "You haven't been asked out on a date before, Lailah? I can see why Cloud hasn't, but you... I thought guys would be throwing themselves at you. You're amazing, sweet, and beautiful!"

The shapeshifter blushed at her kind words. "Th-Thank you, Aerith, but I haven't been on a date before. I've been hit on by others, but most of them walked away after they learned I couldn't talk. I guess not too many people want to date a mute girl."

The girl puffed out her cheeks and placed her hands on her hips. "What a bunch of shallow idiots."

"It didn't bother me," she confessed. "Anyway, let's forget about my and Cloud's lack of dating. We've got to get back to Sector 7."

Tifa nodded. "Right. Sorry. Let's go."

The group climbed up the ladder to the pathway above. As they walked through the gate, the haunting thoughts of what Corneo said wouldn't leave Tifa alone. "Focus!" she tried to convince herself.

Aerith glanced over at the girl. "Still thinking about the plate?"

Tifa nodded with a frown. "Yeah."

She came to a stop. "The future isn't...set in stone." She turned to Tifa. "That's what I always tell myself."

"Yeah...? I hope you're right."

Aerith smiled as she tried to encourage her. "How 'bout this, then? Think of something fun. After saving Sector 7, you're gonna...?"

Tifa stepped forward. She too was smiling as she finally caught a glimpse of hope. "I'm gonna... Go shopping—topside! I'll buy... Stuff for the bar! Decorations, coasters..."

"Can I come?" Aerith's smile grew.

"You'd better!"

"Then it's a date!" Aerith glanced over at Lailah, who was standing beside Cloud. "Oh! Let's make it a date for three! Lailah has to come with us, too."

The shapeshifter heard her name, humming in confusion. "Hmm?"

However, Tifa and Aerith seemed to be in their own world currently.

"Definitely!" Tifa smiled. "And Cloud can carry all our stuff!"

"He'll be our pack chocobo!" Aerith added.

Cloud also heard his name and asked, "What was that about me?"

"Nothing!" Tifa giggled innocently.

Lailah leaned closer to Cloud and whispered, "Something about you being a chocobo, I think." She then reached a hand up to his hair and tugged gently at his spiky, blonde locks with a teasing smile. "You do kinda look like a chocobo with your hair."

With a small pout, Cloud grabbed the hand that was messing with his hair. "I am not a chocobo."

She giggled and squeezed his hand. "Could've fooled me." Her hand slid from his and she jogged ahead to catch up with Aerith and Tifa. She was walking behind them as they crossed a walkway that was unsteady and cracked. Halfway across, the ground beneath them started crumbling.

"Huh?! No way!" Tifa shouted as she tried to keep from falling.

Aerith reached out to grab the girls. "C'mon, Tifa! Lailah!" She managed to grab Tifa, but they were both shoved by Lailah when they attempted to grab her. The shapeshifter pushed them to the other side, knowing if they tried to grab her all three of them would fall.

A gasp fell from Lailah's lips as the walkway beneath her vanished. She was too far in the middle to grab the ledge to stop her from falling. She was prepared to take a dive, but it never came. Instead, she felt someone grab her wrist and stop her from plunging into the water below. Looking up, she saw Cloud had grabbed onto the ledge while his other hand had a secure grip on her wrist. She figured he must have jumped the gap to grab her.

The ex-SOLDIER kept a death grip on both the ledge and Lailah. He looked down at her to see her golden eyes wide with fear. "I've got you," he reassured her.

She could only manage a small nod due to being choked up by the fall.

"Cloud! Lailah! Hold on tight!" Aerith shouted. She extended her rod toward the blonde, prompting him to grab it. He easily switched his grip from the ledge to the staff.

"On three, okay? One, two, three!" Tifa shouted as she and Aerith pulled Cloud and Lailah up. They struggled but managed to bring the two up to safety.

Back on solid ground, Lailah huffed out a sigh of relief. Sitting on the ground on her knees between Cloud's legs, she placed a hand over her racing heart. "Thanks, everyone." She then looked apologetically at Aerith and Tifa. "Sorry for pushing you two so hard. I didn't want all three of us to fall."

"Don't worry about it, Lailah," Tifa smiled. "We're just glad you and Cloud are safe."

Cloud stood up, offering the shapeshifter a hand. "You okay?"

She took his hand and he pulled her to her feet. "Besides the small heart attack, I'm okay. What about you?"

"I'm not the one who fell."

She poked his chest. "No, but you were the one to try and jump to my rescue. I would only go for a dip. Why not just let me fall?"

His brows furrowed together. "It doesn't matter if there's water or not. You really think I would let you fall?"

She stopped poking him. "Well, no, but...I would prefer you not to put yourself in danger for me."

"Not gonna happen," he remarked. "If you're in danger, I'll be there no matter what. Got it?"

She felt her heart warm at his words. Just hearing him say that, she knew how much he meant to her. All she could manage was a nod in response.

Aerith and Tifa were whispering to each other, grabbing the couple's attention.

Cloud crossed his arms, eyeing them suspiciously. "What're you two whispering about now?"

Tifa grinned. "Oh, just talking about how cute you and Lailah are."

Aerith giggled. "Definitely a match made in heaven."

Cloud looked away with a sigh. He was embarrassed, but he was able to prevent himself from blushing.

Lailah was also embarrassed, but her cheeks were dusted a faint shade of crimson. She cleared her throat and clapped her hands together. "A-All right, enough chitchat. We still need to head to the surface. Let's try to keep our attention on the mission, okay?"

Aerith playfully saluted. "Yes, Ma'am!"