-Five Words, Five Ways x 10-
-A series of 'Final Fantasy VII' drabbles centred on Tora and Cloud Strife's relationship-
=^w^=
Personnel:
If he hadn't met Zack and subsequently Tora, he would've just blended into the background of the Shinra troopers and never seen what he had. He probably wouldn't have been poisoned either, but knowing that Tora was infected as well made him feel better.
Eager:
Shifting from foot to foot, Cloud twisted the fabric in his hands before he realised what it was made into and stopped; he needed it. He stood outside the door to the infirmary, waiting for one person that he'd been told was in there being treated for a headache.
He hoped she was alright...
"Cloud?" Snapping his head up, the blond found himself staring into a pair of gold eyes that glimmered brightly with the mako in her body. Tora blinked as he stepped aside to let her out of the rooms, a red flush across his face. Something was thrust at her and she took the fabric he was holding.
"Here," he said, embarrassed, "I bought it earlier and wanted you to have it." The Wutaiian held the fabric out, and gasped as the dress unravelled itself before her eyes. Neither of them noticed the First Class SOLDIER walking down the hall.
"Oh wow, Cloud! Where'd you get something this beautiful?" she asked. The First Class SOLDIER at the end of the hall froze. Cloud began shifting again and looked down at his hands.
"I-I saved up for a while...I really want you to go to the function with me, Tora." he said. Beaming, the young girl wrapped the Shinra guard in a hug.
"I'd love to, Cloud." she said.
Platform:
"Oh, dear Gaia..."
"Tora, are you alright?" The gunslinger swayed a little on her feet, fighting the urge to upend her stomach contents all over the floor.
"I'm fine, Cloud," she replied shakily, "I just didn't realise how high up we were."
"Are you afraid?"
"Be thankful I'm too nauseous to answer your question or else I would've shot you by now, Planet hero or not." The swordsman sheathed First Tsurugi and quickly grabbed her around the waist, dragging her to a back room where they could wait until Shera landed.
"Who the hell volunteers to go on this flying platform anyway?" she hissed, burying her face into his neck.
"Tora..."
"Shut up, Cloud."
"Alright."
Wear:
Sure it looked a little worse for wear, and sure it was a place that just reeked of tears, pain and sadness, but both Cloud and Tora couldn't think of any place better to have their wedding than in front of the Buster Sword.
Divorce:
The first time they separated, it wasn't a conscious decision; she'd been taken from him by a group of rogues and it broke his heart a little more (they were still grieving, damn it!).
The second time they separated, it was because of their lifestyles; she hadn't gotten his hint and he couldn't fight the feeling of loneliness (they had no reason to be seen together in the Wall Market).
The third time they separated, it was because of their emotional wellbeing; she was rescuing two children and it felt like he'd died and joined the Lifestream (if this was love, he'd been royally screwed over).
The last time they separated, it was because of an explosion by the name of Rosso the Crimson; she left a trail of breadcrumbs and he felt like he could fly (there was only slight damage to Fenrir, too).
Symptom:
Frequent and unexplainable mood swings. Pain in the lower back and stomach. Fatigue. Loss of appetite.
It was all there.
"Cloud, shut up and go find me some pain-killers."
"What makes you think I said anything?"
"I'm currently in a temporary duck until I can sort out the pain in my back but I can still tell you're the only other person here."
"Alright, Tora."
The next seven days were going to be hell for AVALANCHE.
Scatter:
It took a lot to anger Tora, but when the gold glare was turned on, everyone – men and women alike – had the decency to flee for the hills before the apocalypse was called.
Desk:
"I don't think that this is what I'm after."
"It's solid black wood! What's wrong with it?"
"Well for one, I noticed that there's a rather large chip missing out of the base of it. And two, I don't like black wood. The mahogany desk you advertised is a much better choice for me."
"Just how much are you willing to pay for something that's going in your house?"
"Oh it's not for me. Rufus Shinra sent me on a bargain hunt for a new desk and his words were 'money is no object'. So if you'll get me that mahogany one I'll recommend your business."
"And how do I know I can trust you?"
"I can shoot the man at the other end of the store right between the eyes from here. Imagine what I can do to you."
"...I'll get you that desk, ma'am."
Casing:
Skidding into the room, Cloud allowed his eyes to widen at the state of it. Bedsheets and pillows had been ripped to shreds, curtains were left in tatters and everything that was once away had been strewn all over the floor. Ethan knelt in the middle of the floor holding something in his hand. In the dim moonlight the swordsman could clearly see what it was.
Several bullet shells that held a trace of materia energy on them.
Route:
The door opened, and air immediately rushed into the back of the truck. Climbing onto the black motorcycle, Cloud adjusted his glasses and revved the engine once.
"Let's go...Fenrir." A pair of arms wrapped themselves around his waist, and he looked over his shoulder. Orange and black obscured his tinted vision, complete with a gentle smile that could only belong to one person.
"Let's go hand their glowy butts to them." Tora said. The blond shook his head, a small smile on his lips, before riding out of the truck and onto the dirt ground underneath them. Deepground stretched out in front of them, as far as the eye could see, no visible route inside their defences. But that was what the ground forces were aiming to create.
Trigger flashed past his line of vision, and Cloud looked over at Tora. She was crouched behind him shooting at those who were shooting at her, a determined look on her face. As they neared the base, a flash of light forced them both to change route.
"Tora!"
"Don't worry Cloud; I'll come find you!"
Politeness:
Not a whole lot got past Cloud, especially when it came to people. Staring up at Tora's grandfather – clan leader of the Altonas – however, there was something about the man that looked right through him. It was quite unnerving.
"Grandfather this is Cloud Strife, saviour of the Planet." Tora said, introducing the two parties, "Cloud this is my grandfather and clan leader, Roberto Altona." The swordsman could see where she got her gold eyes from.
"What weapon do you wield, my boy?" Roberto asked, leaning forward slightly. 'Keep it together, Strife, just answer him as nicely as you can,' he thought.
"I wield a sword named First Tsurugi, sir." he replied. The clan leader sat back and stroked the plait in his beard thoughtfully.
"It figures you'd take after your father, Kashu. I will meet with this man after the feast tonight to celebrate your return." Waving his hand, the two were dismissed.
"What was that about?" Cloud asked once they were out of earshot. Tora shrugged.
"Beats me. I honestly thought he was going to tear you to shreds when you walked through the door." she replied, "You scored points for the niceness, though." Great, one point down and ninety-nine to go...
Sheet:
What goes on between them stays between them. Except when it's in a bedroom behind 'Seventh Heaven' and Vincent is the person to discover their 'active' relationship.
It was one of the rare times Tora had seen Cloud abandon all dignity and flee from a battle. Then again, Cerberus did look pretty scary.
Universe:
As he lay there in between the Planet and the Lifestream, he wondered if this was what the universe really looked like.
"Looks like someone doesn't belong here."
"Do me a favour and look after Tora for me, would you?"
No, this wasn't the universe; Tora wasn't there to share it with him.
Rapid:
The shining silver gun holstered on Tora's right thigh. On her left was Trigger.
Visitor:
"Ethan, keep that stuff away from me." The teenager sighed and replaced the cloth into the bowl of alcohol he'd brought with him to clean Tora's hip scar. During a major battle to save the orphanage she'd fallen down the stairs and shifted something at her pelvic bone, so she was confined to minimal movements until she felt better.
"You know you need it. Quit being a baby." he said. Tora poked her tongue out at him.
"You wonder where I get it from." she said, grinning. Ethan smiled back and placed the bowl beside the gunslinger, as if to encourage her to do it herself.
"You know the only reason I'm saying no is because I don't want to drop my pants in front of you." she said. The boy nodded and picked at the dark purple bed covering nervously, wondering if he should tell his sister what he'd been told earlier, "Ethan, what's wrong?"
"Um...I was told by Cloud earlier that if he heard you were refusing to clean your scar then he wouldn't bring you new reading material."
"Give me the alcohol. Once I'm finished with it I'm going to drink it and forget that I ever had pain." Ethan smirked. He wasn't stupid.
Managing:
She never ceased to amaze him with the number of jobs she had now that the orphanage was fully functional. She was mother, sister, friend, counsellor, teddy bear, cook, cleaner, police officer, mediator, guardian, accountant, manager, director, nanny, doctor, nurse, brick wall, Jill-of-all-trades, and teacher all in one.
Numbering:
"Ten little, nine little, eight little Wutai..."
Cloud stood at attention, the scientist in front of him prone to flinching when sudden movements were made. Hojo continued to dance about the laboratory, casually tossing pieces of paper over his shoulder.
"Seven little, six little, five little Wutai..."
It made the blond sick at how careless the man was with human life. Snippets of the information on the papers fluttering to the ground flashed past his eyes, and he nearly gasped; they were all the Wutaiian subjects he'd been delivered years ago.
"Four little, three little, two little Wutai..."
Hojo stopped throwing the papers when he held one, spinning around and reading the information on it. Then he threw it away. Cloud watched it fall to the ground, eyes as wide as dinner plates.
"One little Wutai left..."
It was Tora's file.
Grade:
Even though he never made it to SOLDIER, she always made it a habit to call him 'First Class' when they were alone.
"You always had the right technique. No-one else saw that but me." she'd whisper before she'd kiss him to ease his worries.
Partner:
"Tora, please let me say this now. Ever since our earlier days I've always felt a strong attraction to you, and – will you let me do this? I guess...what I'm trying to say is...is I...I love you, and you've always been my partner. Yes, even in times you weren't there. Now don't hit me for this...but I want to make our partnership official...please don't cry; you look more beautiful with a smile. Tora Altona...will you marry me?"
End:
"...so then he ended up in the birdbath covered in water!" The two teenagers laughed about another cadet's misfortune as they walked the streets of Midgar, the Shinra function having ended only fifteen minutes ago. Cloud kept glancing at the Wutaiian out of the corner of his eye, the black dress he'd bought her really standing out against her pale olive skin. Tora skipped ahead of him a little and twirled about, the dim street lights making her glow a little more than she already did.
"You know the General's going to have a fit when we show up." she said, facing him.
"You had a good time, though?" he asked.
"Of course! I'm glad I went with you, Cloud."
"Well, er..." The blond hid his blush behind his hand as the two approached a set of expensive-looking apartments. On one of the upper floors they could see a sliver of light that was blocked by a human-shaped silhouette and curtains.
"Is that the General?" Cloud asked. Tora rolled her black-lined eyes.
"He's paranoid that some of the Third Classes will try to attack me after the events the other week," she replied, "Well, goodnight Cloud." Pressing a kiss to his cheek, she disappeared into the building. The blond turned and began a slow walk back to the barracks, his fingers brushing over the area her lips had touched.
He wished the night didn't have to end the way it did; they still had so much to talk about.
Talk:
"Do you love her?" Cloud blinked at the teenager in front of him, brain reeling at his question. Ethan folded his arms and tapped his foot impatiently against the floor of Seventh Heaven.
"Who?" the swordsman asked.
"Tora!" The teenager rolled his brown eyes, "Do you love her?"
"Why are you asking me this?"
"Because if I find out you've hurt her, I will borrow one of her guns and shoot you with it." Cloud found it in his best interest to listen to the boy. He never thought he'd get 'The Talk' from one of her children, though; Ryu or even Vincent, perhaps, but not Ethan.
Then again, Ethan was as close to Tora as her twin brother was.
"Ethan, I love Tora and I have no intention of harming her physically or emotionally." The teenager took the confession in his stride, smirking and striding for the door.
"Tora! Guess what?"
"You've cleaned the bar like Tifa asked you to?" Squawking the boy grabbed a cloth and began hurriedly wiping at invisible dust. Cloud held back a chuckle and stood, heading out the back of the bar with a slight smile on his face.
Flag:
As Fenrir pulled up toward the large house, the first thing its rider noticed was the bright banner stretched across the front door, a large sign that said 'WELCOME BACK!' The seven full-time children all ran forward as Cloud dismounted, catching his legs and waist in an iron grip.
"Oh, and you're not happy to see me?" The attention quickly shifted to the orphanage owner, the family aura rolling off them in waves.
"How was the meeting?" Nero asked.
"You know Rufus...long and boring," Tora replied, "Makes me wonder why he stretched it out for five days." The twins giggled as they were hoisted onto her shoulders, Ryan and Adelaide latching onto the blond.
"Can you do that?" the girl asked. Cloud wasted no time in hoisting the two onto his own shoulders, striding to catch up to Tora. She smiled over at him.
"Aw, you got the two heavier ones." she said, poking her tongue out at Ryan who retaliated.
"My flag's prettier than yours." the blond retorted. The twins frowned.
"No fair, Cloud!" Justin pointed dramatically at the swordsman. The gunslinger giggled and walked forward, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth before taking off at a dash toward the house, her partner hot on her heels.
Colour:
"My eyes, they bleed!"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Of all the colours in the world, you had to pick that one?"
"It wasn't me, it was Aerith!"
"Come on Cloud, I know Miss Gainsborough has better taste than that."
"That fat freak seemed to like it."
"You're making it worse!"
"It's just pink, Tora. What's so bad about pink?"
Resignation:
Solid ground collided with her back as she was thrown several feet from Rosso the Crimson, the Tsviet hovering over her with a sadistic look on her face. Tora flicked her hair out of her eyes and glared up at her, staggering to her feet gripping her right arm tightly. Damn existing injuries...damn Azul the Cerulean...
"Why don't you just give up already?" Rosso sighed, pressing her fingertips to her forehead, "It would be easier if you were to tell us what we want to know." Her accent was thick, and it made Tora regret leaving her guns with Ethan.
"The hell I am, Red." The gunslinger straightened up and spat at the Tsviet's feet, "You'd need to kill me first before you get that information."
"That can be arranged, darling." Her long weapon at the ready Rosso charged, surrounding herself with energy to maximise damage. She never got to strike, as a long metal rod stopped her halfway through her attack.
"What?" The smirk on Tora's face made her red eyes widen as she watched the metal glow with the telltale signs of materia. Tora swept her hand in front of the Tsviet's face, effectively distracting her, while she thrust the end of the rod into her foot.
"Ah!" Rosso fell backward, clutching her foot in pain. Tora grinned and swung her staff around in a show-off fashion.
"Consider that my warning, Red," she said, the hope of all her children and AVALANCHE shining in her eyes, "I don't give up for anything, not even underdressed divas with a colour fetish. So go on, hit me with your best shot; I'll just give it right back to you." Rosso growled low and stood up, her weapon at the ready.
"As you wish." she said darkly, lunging into battle again.
Tax:
Cloud could see the pain in her eyes, but she wasn't going to sit down; the strain of trying to walk again wasn't going to stop her from doing what she wanted to do.
Neglect:
"Tora!" Propping his gun against the rock Cloud bent down to the Wutaiian, her thin form worrying him immensely. She'd finally been found; General Sephiroth would stop threatening disembowelment and Zack could rest, hopefully finally. Tora managed a weak smile at her saviour and fell forward into his arms.
"You know Cloud," she rasped, "I'd rather let that madman do his tests on me than spend a week starving with untreated wounds in some cell; at least I'm fed in the labs."
"Let's get you back to everyone, okay?" The Shinra guard adjusted his grip on her so he could grab his gun and set off toward his platoon. He wasn't going to get praised for finding her but he didn't care; she knew the truth, at least.
Tour:
"This one-" A finger gently swiped over her lips, "I got while performing in a Chocobo rodeo. I managed to fall off the bird I was on and cut my lips on a piece of glass in the arena." His lips pressed to hers, almost tasting the dirt and blood from the accident.
"This one-" A finger tapped the tattoo underneath her left eye, "I got when I met up with my family again. Everyone else had one; you were supposed to have one by the time you reached sixteen." His lips delicately traced the pattern on the darkened skin, almost tasting the ink.
"This one-" Two fingers tapped the anchor on her breast, "I got because I want to hold my hope somewhere, and what better place than my heart?" His lips parted and his tongue brushed the black skin, almost tasting the philosophy she lived by.
"The last one-" All fingers ran along the thick scar on her hip, "I'm sure you already know about."
"The metal plate..." His teeth nibbled on the raised and puckered skin, almost tasting the metal and bone that made up her hip.
"And now you've been all over my body. Not much to see, really."
"On the contrary, there's plenty to see; you don't see what I do." Another kiss on the lips silenced all other thought.
Mandate:
'On authority of Rufus Shinra and the Department of Administrative Research,' Tora huffed and continued to read the paper she'd been sent.
'It is authorised that Tora Altona is to have full access to Shinra databases and buildings. Should personnel refuse her access they will answer directly to the Department of Administrative Research.
Signed, Rufus Shinra.' Scrawled underneath the (typed) note was a messy extra note:
"Hey Tora! I finally came through on your authorisation. Took me ages, but I eventually convinced everyone around here that the kids needed it. You've got one powerful weapon underneath that roof of yours; keep it happy. –Reno."
"Oh, Reno..."
Quote:
"I'm the only one who'd dance at a funeral while everyone else is crying." – said to Cloud in the infirmary during a routine test.
"There's no sense in thinking about a time that you can't change, when you need to focus on the time you can." – said to Cloud after Zack and then Aerith died.
"The Lifestream brought us together and the Lifestream will tear us apart. Go out there and prove me right." – said to Cloud just before he went to fight Sephiroth in Edge.
"There's a network of friends out there who all need your help, and I for one want to send them the man they counted on during Meteor. I also have to send them the man who held my heart since I was fifteen, but that's totally irrelevant to the situation right now. Just go out there and get my children back." – said to Cloud during the attack on the Lost Pathways Orphanage.
"I told you I'd always catch you when you fall. Open yourself for me again, Tora, like you did all those years ago and I promise you I'll keep your heart safe." – said by Cloud during the attack on the Lost Pathways Orphanage.
Juice:
Everyone could tell when Tora was sick – she'd demand fresh orange juice and a warm body to sit near. Every time it would be Cloud who would volunteer to be the warm body; Yuffie made the remark one day that he got to have Tora looking after him when he got sick as a perk.
It was the first time anyone had ever seen her run away from materia.
Eight:
"Excuse me, are you Cloud Strife?"
Said swordsman turned around and spotted a figure wrapped in a black cloak, hiding all trace of identification from view. The only thing he could tell about them was that they were female.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Who I am isn't important. What you need to know is that there are eight explosives set up around this reactor," She indicated the mako reactor that illuminated the area, "and you need to activate them to destroy it."
"How do I know I can trust you?" Cloud reached behind him for the Buster Sword, one hand on the handle ready for battle in case the figure attacked. She made no moves to draw a weapon of any kind; instead she walked forward and pressed a piece of paper into his hands.
"You've always trusted me." she whispered, pressing a kiss to his cheek before walking away. Turning around Cloud watched her go, his eyes widening at the sight of scars on her right arm...
Flip:
He realised after their first meeting that Tora was the sort of person who, if you were to throw her off the top of a building to see if she'd die, she'd flip three times then land on her feet just to spite you.
Crossing:
It was one of his worst nightmares: a busy crossing, him on one side and her on the other. Tora would smile at him that smile she reserved only for him, then as someone walked by she would disappear.
"I'm not going anywhere, Cloud. I couldn't go to the church because I had to open it up." The large house stretched up high behind her, the children behind him gasping with awe.
"What is it?" he asked.
"This is the reason I haven't crossed back into Wutai with my family," Opening her arms, all the children rushed forward, "Welcome to the Lost Pathways Orphanage."
Contradiction:
"Ouch..." Rubbing her head, Tora sat up and looked around at her new location. She was somewhere deep in Midgar, she could tell that much. Skeletal structures lined her position, looking very much like...
"Trains..." she murmured, "I've skidded into Sector Three. Wait, Fenrir!" Getting up (with only slightly wavy vision) the gunslinger turned around to examine the blond's motorcycle that she'd somehow ended up piloting when Rosso attacked. The black cycle was slightly buried underneath rubble and dirt, but it was nothing she couldn't brush aside thanks to her slightly enhanced body.
"Hm, looks like that madman came in handy for something," Tora looked at her arms, then ran her hands over the exterior of Fenrir, "Holy crap..." A long scratch the length of her forearm presented itself in the black paint, leading over to several other scratches near the front of the motorcycle and a couple of small dents in the front. Tora groaned and buried her head in her hands.
"Wait, it's not so bad..." she said, a nervous smile on her face, "It's only a few marks...he's not going to kill me...it's superficial..."
Now all she had to do was convince herself of that.
Theft:
Stealing children was one thing, stealing Tora's children was another, and Cloud wouldn't rest until all of them were safe in her arms where they belonged.
Maze:
Being lost in Midgar wasn't her idea of a fun night out.
"Cloud, I'm tired."
"We're nearly there." Pouting the Wutaiian rested her chin on the Shinra guard's head as he ran through the streets, his eyes darting left and right looking for something. The problem was, she had no idea where they were. Cloud suddenly stopped after several stomach-churning turns, and Tora lifted her head.
"We're right outside HQ," she said slowly, "Any reason as to why?"
"We conquered the Midgar Maze!" he replied cheerfully, flashing her a smile. It took a few minutes for the declaration to sink in, but when it did she joined in on the laughter; silly Cloud.
They weren't lost after all.
Scenario:
"Hey Cloud, as a hypothetical situation, what would you do if another guy made a move on me?"
The plate in the blond's hands shattered with the force he gripped it with. Tora blinked gold eyes at the action and resumed washing the dishes from dinner with Tifa, Denzel and Marlene. It gave the children an excuse to see Ethan, Justin and Nero again and it gave Tora the excuse to sleep; Ethan was the first to notice his big sister's odd sleep pattern.
"It was a hypothetical situation." she shrugged.
"Who was it?" Cloud hissed.
"Excuse me?"
"Who's been making moves at you?"
"No-one, Cloud! It was a hypothetical situation; it wasn't real!"
"But you would let me know if that were to happen, right?"
"Of course. Can't have the Planet's hero not knowing about the Wutaiian experiment's love life, can we?" Kissing his cheek, Tora plunged her hands into the sudsy water again. Cloud blinked at her but resumed his drying. He'd ask her about that little exchange later.
Logo:
One tattoo sat underneath her left eye, an intricate design of swirls and harsh lines that represented her family's heritage and hardships.
The other tattoo sat on her left breast above her heart, a simple anchor that represented the hope that she carried with her at all times.
Gross:
A metal plate held the right side of her hip together, the surgery scar on her skin instantly making her self-conscious about the whole ordeal. To hide her insecurities she hid her body in long clothing, bearing only what she wanted the Planet to see.
"Two surgeries it took to fix my hip, Cloud. They didn't get it right the first time; only half of the plate was fastened to the bone but they couldn't go back in right away to repair the damage."
"No-one can tell that your right hip is slightly less dominant than your left."
Maybe her disfigurement wasn't all that bad after all.
Blanket:
It was an old blanket, something Cloud had picked up in a flea market back when he was just a guard. The edges were frayed and there were more patches in it than there was actual blanket. But it was faithful, it kept the person (or persons) snuggled in it warm and it had seen a lot of firsts.
"Cloud, why does this blanket smell funny?"
...a lot of firsts.
Allegation:
"Come on Tora, it's a simple question: yes or no?"
"I refuse to answer that question." Ryu looked up from the book he was reading as Cloud and Tora entered the room, his twin sister refusing to look her blond friend in the eye. As a matter of fact, she refused to look at him, period; her back was turned and her arms were folded.
Wow, she must be pissed.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"I have never worn a dress for business and I never will wear a dress for business." Tora said flatly.
"Oh, so it's that claim," Sighing, the male twin closed his book and sat up, "I hate to disappoint you Stripe, but the allegations are true." Cloud raised an eyebrow at him, while the gunslinger's face burned as red as Vincent's cloak. Ryu rummaged about in his pocket and produced three pictures, handing them to the blond with a smirk on his face.
"They're all from the Wall Market. I made a deal with one of the Don's old workers and he snapped the pictures before Tora escaped." he explained.
"What?" Tora cried, lunging. She fell to the floor thanks to a sidestep from Cloud, who continued to look at the pictures.
She was wearing the same dress she'd worn to the Shinra function he'd taken her to.
"You kept it?" he asked finally. Face still burning, the gunslinger nodded.
"You bought it for me; of course I did." she muttered, turning and walking away.
Video:
"Get that thing away from me, Zack! This is cheating!"
"Come on Tora, just one smile for the camera? Look, Cloud's doing it!"
"You ordered him to!"
"No he didn't. Please, Tora?"
"Alright, I suppose it can't be worse."
"I was such an idiot back then..." Tora buried her face into her hands as the footage showed her being twirled around by Cloud in a training room of the old Shinra building, shrieking in happiness. Cloud chuckled a little and leaned over to the gunslinger, biting on the top of her ear which elicited a similar-sounding shriek.
"Cloud!" Gold eyes stared at him, "What the hell?"
"I wanted to see if you still made the same noises." he shrugged nonchalantly. Tora raised her pierced eyebrow, but returned to watching the video of them long ago.
"Look out Midgar, SOLDIER First Class Zack is here!"
"Now you've said that, everyone's going to be running for their lives."
"She's got a point, Zack."
"Oh, you guys are no fun. Just for that..."
"Oh no Cloud, it's the Fair Monster! Run!"
"Tora, wait up!"
"Do you believe you used to be like that?" Cloud leaned over again and pulled the gunslinger underneath his body, so she laid on the couch with him kneeling over her. A content look was on his face, making her smile in return.
"I can be nice," he said lowly, "and I can also be gentle."
"I'm still waiting on that." As their lips met, the final words of their friend came from the video.
"One day you two are going to get married, you realise that?"
"Shut up, Zack."
Fork:
It was the worst decision she had to make: tell Cloud she was having his child and risk losing him, or don't tell him and definitely lose him?
Integration:
Deepground surrounded them on all sides, their backs pressed tightly together as the circle closed in. Her hands quivering, Tora looked behind her.
"I have an idea." she said. Cloud turned his head slightly to look at her.
"Oh?" he asked. She nodded.
"Let me use one of my materia on your sword and I'll get on your shoulders. The extra power will help you to create a shockwave which will hopefully get us out of this mess and onto finding Justin and Nero." Trust Tora to add hope to everything. Nodding, the blond steeled himself as the gunslinger leapt up onto his shoulders and reached into her materia pouch with one hand while keeping the Deepground soldiers back with Rapid in the other. Tossing him a dark green orb, she pulled out Trigger and kept up her defence. Cloud quickly activated the materia and gave it back to her, holding up First Tsurugi so she could cast the spell. When his sword was glowing he brought it down into the ground quickly.
"Run!" The soldiers around them wobbled and fell with the force of the quake, ignoring the two making a break from their entrapment. Once they were safe Tora looked down at Cloud.
"I didn't know you were that strong..." she commented.
"I didn't know you were this heavy." he shot back.
"All muscle, mate. Maybe mako as well."
"Sure, sure." Keeping a firm grip on her legs the swordsman set off to find Fenrir so the gunslinger would get off his back – literally.
Cake:
When decorated right, it was the epitome of edible art. Sadly it never made it to the edible part, as the vast majority of it ended up in a food fight of Meteor proportions.
Implementation:
"Miss Altona, we've received word from Safety Zone Beta."
"And?"
"Ground forces have lost contact with the Shera. We don't know what's going on up there, but it doesn't sound good."
"Damn it, I was just about to contact Shelke. Alright, looks like I'll need to contact Vincent and see what's going on with him. Where's the best area for communication?"
"Uh...Safety Zone Delta, but-"
"I'm not leaving yet. I'm going to stay here and complete Safety Zone Omega with you and then I'll go contact Vincent. I'm sure his paranoia about my safety can be put on hold a little longer."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Everyone, initiate Defence Formation Alpha. One more push and those Deepground losers will be crying for their creator."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Guys...hold on up there..."
Word:
"Mr. Himitsu..." Kneeling in front of the wind-worn headstone, Cloud wiped grime from the plaque to read the name, "I've never met you, but your daughter Tora talks about you all the time. She tells stories of your adventures all the time to the children she cares for in her orphanage.
"She first began looking after children when she was under Shinra's captivity, rescuing a boy named Ethan from Nibelheim when it was set on fire. I was there with her when she did it, but I couldn't stay long; I had other things to do. It was me who got her out of captivity and away from them, but we were separated again and when I saw her again in the Wall Market she'd rescued another child: a girl named Emma." Cloud sat on the ground, his knees becoming sore from kneeling.
"You probably would've been disappointed with Tora when she was in the Wall Market, being taken by a man who took girls for his own pleasure, but she fought back with the two guns you'd left her in your belongings in Shinra. We met again in Shinra Manor and she still had Ethan and Emma with her, but only Ethan went inside; Emma was busy outside distracting Shinra's attention from what she was trying to do. After she left me again, she destroyed a mako reactor in Midgar.
"Returning to Edge, Tora saved another four children: twins named Justin and Nero, a girl named Adelaide and a boy named Ryan. They were victims of a Remnant attack in Edge. Tora could barely afford to keep herself alive let alone six children, but she did it and I still don't know how."
"My final rescue was a little Wutaiian girl named Lily; Mum brought her to me after the attack and I opened the Lost Pathways Orphanage at the same time," The blond spun around as Tora approached the headstone, a smile on her face, "I hope that you've been having good words with my father."
"I was merely recounting your adventures, Tora." he replied, standing up and placing his hands on her hips. The gunslinger giggled and turned to the headstone, her father's name shining in its recently-wiped plaque.
"Well Dad," she said, looking up at Cloud, "Remember how you told me to marry a man with a heart the size of the Planet? Well...I went one better." Cloud looked at her confusedly.
"I married a man who holds the Planet in his heart."
Providing:
"Name?"
"Tora Altona. Twenty-one years old, Wutai."
"Place of residence?"
"Edge."
"Family?"
"Father Hiro – deceased, mother Rhea, older sister Rune, twin brother Ryu."
"Occupation?"
"Owner of 'Lost Pathways' orphanage."
It's amazing how thorough Rufus's tax collectors were.
"Marital status?"
"I'm flattered honey, but spoken for."
"Partner's name?"
"Cloud Strife. Twenty-two years old, Nibelheim."
"P-p-partner's occupation?"
"Delivery boy and Planet saviour."
"Partner's prev-previous relationships?"
"He grew up with Tifa Lockhart and she looks after two orphaned children, if that counts as anything."
Tax time was always fun.
Terminator:
Cold gold eyes stared at the lanky man cowering in the corner of the room, piercing through his thin defence right to his core. Shaking limbs reached out toward the gun by his leg, but a shot forced him to withdraw.
"Touch it," the gold eyes hissed, "I dare you."
"If you kill me, you'll have the wrath of Shinra following you to the ends of the Planet." The mock confidence in the man's voice did nothing to sway the gold eyes' judgement. Raising the silver handgun again – held on its side as was the way of its wielder – it pointed right between his eyes.
"Shinra cannot do anything to me they already haven't. They've ripped me from my home, given me scars that will not heal, and turned me into something I can never reverse."
BANG!
"This way!" Tifa led the charge into the train compartment then stopped, gasping at what she saw. The lanky man was slumped against the end door, blood dripping from the single hole in his head that smoked with the remnants of a materia attack.
"Tora..." Cloud breathed.
"Did you say something, Cloud?" Aerith asked. He shook his head, turning and walking out of the train compartment with wide eyes.
Whatever that man did to her, he deserved the terminating shot.
Launching:
"Cloud?"
"Yes, Tora?"
"Tonight?"
"Tonight."
"3...2...1...HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Fireworks lit up the skies above Edge as the celebrations kicked off without a hitch. Everyone was gathered on the front porch of the Lost Pathways Orphanage because it was the only place big enough to accommodate all those who were invited. Most of the children were in bed, either asleep or about to fall asleep with the stress of staying up to see in the New Year. Tora caught Reno's eye from across the party area and winked at him, a smile on her face only he could decipher. Nodding, the Turk stepped up to the microphone Rude had set up for karaoke later and tapped it.
"Can everybody hear me?" The entire congregation turned to him, "I'll take that as a yes. Moving on, it seems that someone needs to make an announcement. Would the person or persons step up please?" Her confidence dwindling with every step, Tora followed Cloud to the microphone and stood beside him, her gold eyes roaming over everyone else present. The gentle squeeze to her hand made everything better.
"Thank you for that riveting introduction, Reno," she said, shooting him a small glare, "Anyway, we would just like to ask everyone here if they wanted to come to our wedding." Gasps from the girls of the group started the cheering and demanding of ring-viewing. Barrett and Cid swept Cloud away for all-male congratulations while the girls crowded Tora to extract details from her.
"So how'd it happen?" Tifa asked.
"We were visiting my family when he did it. Right in front of my grandfather." the gunslinger replied, smiling at the memory.
"Yah realise yer gonna be tied down with nowhere to fly." Cid handed Cloud a drink and swigged his own, eyeing him off. The swordsman shrugged.
"I don't care." he replied. He glanced over at the gaggle of girls and caught his fiancé's gold eyes, smiling a little and raising his glass to her before drinking. Tora smiled back and did the same.
They deserved the party after all they'd been through.
=^w^=
DISCLAIMER: The disclaimer applies to all characters and all settings of 'Final Fantasy VII' and its associates – SquareEnix – and Tora, her family, her orphanage and her seven 'full time' children (Ethan, Emma, Ryan, Adelaide, Justin, Nero and Lily) – me.