A/N: Originally my second entry for LJ's kh drabble community's challenge [267] Left Behind. Enjoy. ;)


Left behind...

Running... Chasing... Trying to find him...

Failing...

Tifa had always been the type of woman to follow her heart and dive into things headfirst, but only if she knew what she was doing and was sure that she could handle the situation. This was the main reason why she had decided to follow Cloud Strife, instead of staying where she was, like he had wanted her to.

She truly hated how Cloud always made sure that she was left behind, as if she couldn't take care of herself. He was incredibly fast, too. More than once, he would be too far away from her to spot him.

In fact, the spiky-haired man had left her behind several times already. He did this, so she wouldn't get hurt because of him, at least, that was what he said. Didn't he understand that she could help him find the right way?

She had found him once. Tifa really had thought that it would be over now. However, she had learned the truth the hard way. No matter how many times she found him, Cloud would always find a new more-creative-but-a–stab-in-the-back way to leave her behind, without leaving any trace of him for her to find him.

To say that Tifa's rather difficult search was boring, would be a lie. She had met many interesting people during her long journey, but there was one person she could and would never forget: Sora, the Keyblade's Chosen One. It was painfully scary how much that boy resembled Cloud… and Aerith.

Sora had Cloud's features, the same eyes and gravity defying hair, but Sora's haircolor looked too much like Aerith's. The same went for his skin tone and his optimism. If Tifa hadn't known any better, if Sora had been ten years younger, she really would have thought that…

Could that be the reason why he had left her behind so many times? So he could be with Aerith all the time? Had he used her? Was he scared that she would find out the truth now?

Should she be mad at him?

"We are friends, right?" the man had said.

It could be Tifa, but it had seemed as if he had put emphasis on the word 'friends.'

She frankly didn't want to hear this… but she had to.

"So you don't love me… but you do love her?" she had found herself asking Cloud once.

The ex-SOLDIER had said nothing, but his eyes spoke volumes. They still did.

And once again, he had left her behind with one too many questions, and an answer she rather hadn't heard.