Authoress: I'm working on my other final fantasy xii fic, truly and honestly. I'm mainly focusing on my homework that's due August 13th. I didn't read the book Once and Future King earlier this summer when I should have so i'm doing it now, then I have 125 extra credit questions, and two 5- paragraph essays to do. Talk about a lot of work right? I thought Kiss me Goodbye was perfect for Tifa and Cloud if you give it some thought.
Dislcaimer: I do not own the characters of Final Fantasy VII, they belong solely to Sqaure-Enix, formerly Sqauresoft. I made this of pure boredum. The song. The song Kiis me Goodbye is the ending song of Final Fantasy XII, and it belongs to Sqaure-Enix, and it's original owners too I think.
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You say that my love is all you need to see you through
But I know these words are not quite true
(So) here is the path you're looking for, an open door
Leading to worlds you long to explore
Burgundy-wine colored eyes stared at a photo on a desk. The photo was of her and her friends. She was standing with Cloud, her head on his shoulder and his arm around her waist. Marlene and Denzel between the two adults. Vincent, her dark and brooding friend stared at the camera from the right corner. Beside him stood Yuffie, a hyperactive knuckleheaded thieving ninja who gave the peace sign. Cid, who was her favorite bad mouthed pilot stood with Shera behind the couple. Barret stood in the left corner of the picture. On the bottom right laid Red XIII, or Nanaki. The bottom left posed Reeve with his original Cait Sith doll. The picture was taken at the Gold Saucer, at the Chocobo Races. It was the yearly reunion of AVALANCHE and the birthday of Marlene.
A crystal clear, salty tear rolled down her porcelain cheek. The tear landed on a letter causing some smudging of the letters. Burgundy-wine eyes looked down at the letter.
The letter was from Cloud, saying that he couldn't be with her and the children anymore, since he feared that he'd hurt and lose them too. He wrote in the letter "I will be unable to protect you and the children like I was unable to protect Aerith and Zack." Rosy pink lips curled into a hurt frown.
"I thought that you got over that phase Cloud, Aerith has forgiven you and so has your best friend Zack i'm sure. You've done your best and I'm proud of you for that, but why do you keep running away Cloud?" her voice whispered, it sounded fragile, like a see-through two-way crystal mirror that will break at any moment.
"You go running off, knowing that you can get killed. If you get killed then how can you protect the children and I? You seem to wish to protect us so fervently. You can always protect us when your here you know?" the woman murmured with sadness.
Firm hands, with callouses from fighting monsters, saving the world, training, and running the bar, gently caressed another picture. This picture was of her, Cloud, and Aerith. They were spending time at the Gold Saucer during their long and tedious journey, and Cloud wanted a memory of this moment.
Go if you must move on alone
I'm gonna make it on my own
"You keep running away Cloud, what is it you want? Do you want Aerith to come back and to be with her? I know she calms you and brings you a sense of peace" the bartender, surrogate mother, and hero of Gaia muttered confused.
The woman was talking to the picture of her, Cloud, and Aerith.
A gentle, and serene look suddenly appeared on her face and her eyes softened once again.
"I suppose it is time for me to move on though, I can't keep letting you return and then leave and break my heart again. You hurt Denzel mostly, I mean your his hero" she said softly and looked away, and her eyes turned to the window of the office of Strife-Delivery Services. The business's base was located at Seventh Heaven, a bar that she owns.
"Well, since you seem to dislike my feelings for you, I suppose what would you say if I told you that I'm with Rude. You know Rude from the Turks. He's quite an angel you know" the woman said gently.
"You have Aerith, and I Rude. I've moved on, but it still pains me to know that your running away. Don't you know that as your friends, we will always be there for you and will always help you?" she asked sadly.
Kiss me good-bye, love's memory
Follow your heart and find your destiny
Won't shed a tear for love's mortality
For you put the dream in my reality
The woman stood up, and dark brown hair cascaded down her back in small waves.
"Follow you heart Cloud, I've followed mine, now we both need to find our destinies since ours will not be so closely intertwined" she murmured and she shook her head. Her hand wiped away the tears, "you wanted to be with me when we were kids. But no longer, if I was with you..." she paused and finished quietly, "would I have made your dream become a reality?"
As time goes by I know you'll see this of me
I loved you enough to let you go free
Go, I will give you wings to fly
Cast all your fears into the sky
/It has been a few months now, I hope you understand now. That I didn't try to stop you this time, I knew you were going to this. Perhaps it was because of my love for you a few months ago that stopped me from trying to keep you to stay, or it could be that I knew it was pointless to try/ the 27-year old woman thought wistfully.
"You are free from this cage, that you have been held in for so four-years now. You can spread your wings and fly away and run away from your fears" the bar owner commented coolly.
"Tifa! We havea guest!" cried a girl's voice. Her heart picked up at the words, "a small fragmant of my heart wants you to return and the rest doesn't" she said softly and observed the office. It was dusty and hasn't been taken care of in a few months. This was the first time she had entered the room since the day after Cloud left for his delivery route.
Kiss me good-bye, love's mystery
All of my life I'll hold you close to me
Won't shed a tear for love's mortality
For you put the dream in my reality
"Hmph, I truly did hold you close to me, I always worried about you even though I didn't show it when we were kids, I worried about you so much and so often after you went to Midgar to join the ShinRa Military" she whispered and shrugged. She walked to the door, her converse's made dusty imprints on the wooden floor and her hand grasped the doorknob and she opened it and stepped outside of it.
Kiss me good-bye, love's memory
You put the dream in my reality
The door shut behind the woman, who walked down stairs to the bar level to see the guest. Her shoulder and chin were held high, and determination glowed in her eyes. Her back was turned from the office door.
"You've turned your back on us Cloud, I turn my back to you Cloud, but not your memories. You'll never remain a memory like Sephiroth" the woman whispered with conviction.