-In Loving Memory-
-A 'Final Fantasy VII' songfic-
=^w^=
"Reno you have no idea how much all this means to me." The redheaded Turk tapped his EMR against his shoulder, a wide grin on his face as he ushered the children onto the Shinra helicopter. Each carried a small backpack filled to capacity with pyjamas, a spare change of clothes and various other items that catered for their individual needs while they attended the overnight camp Rufus had planned for them in Junon. It made the gunslinger smile how much the president and the Turks were involved with her children; as a sponsor it made sense, though.
"We're just doing our job, Tora," Reno replied, taking her hand, "You know we all love you, even though Tseng doesn't like to show it." From the helicopter they heard a loud snort.
"I can't thank you enough for taking the kids on a camping trip." Tora leaned forward and kissed the redhead's cheek before he dashed back to the helicopter as the blades began spinning.
"Bye Tora!" the children called as the helicopter lifted off the ground and disappeared out of sight. Waving until she couldn't see it anymore, Tora smiled and headed back into the orphanage, finally letting the day settle into her skin and biting her lip to keep her tears at bay.
=^w^=
Thanks for all you've done
I've missed you for so long
I can't believe that you're gone
=^w^=
The spirit stood at the top of the staircase and folded his arms, watching the orphanage owner meander lazily through the main living room staring at the photographs on the mantelpiece of the fireplace. Tora ran her hand over the dusty chrome frame of one particular picture, which depicted her surrounded by three of her closest friends – two of which weren't with her anymore. It took pride of place on the mantelpiece beside a photograph of her family before her father died.
"I can't believe it's been so long..." she whispered, but the spirit heard every word, "Every day that passes, I think of you."
"I know..." The spirit descended the stairs as the gunslinger moved onto another series of photographs, these ones black and white and worn with time but still distinguishable. It showed the same quartet in the chrome photograph crammed into a tight space and in various positions.
"I remember that day. You insisted that I join you guys for the memories but all we got out of that were cramped muscles and sore sides from laughing so hard." Chuckling a little at the face she was pulling in the third photograph Tora moved away from the fireplace and toward a small drawer in the coffee table, opening it and pulling out a pair of braces.
"Hey, those are mine!" the spirit exclaimed, dramatically pointing until he realised she couldn't see or hear him.
Yet.
=^w^=
You still live in me
I feel you in the wind
You guide me constantly
=^w^=
Tora closed her bedroom door behind her out of habit and walked toward her wardrobe, opening it and kneeling down. It smelled really musty; she really needed to clean it out.
Meh, maybe when the kids are away.
Reaching into the abyss of clothing scattered on the floor the gunslinger produced a relatively large cardboard box, simply marked 'SOLDIER'. Opening it up, an assortment of items stared back at her.
"That's the First Class uniform I gave you before Cloud and I went on that mission..." the spirit said, eyes widening as he took in each item, "And they're the gloves I wore every time you cried near me."
"It still smells like you." Tora muttered, pulling out the dark vest and holding it up to her nose, gently inhaling the stubborn scent that clung to the fabric. Her slightly enhanced senses went into overdrive as the masculine smell took them over, just like it used to all those years ago.
"That's the book I brought you back from Gongaga! I wonder what you put in there..." The spirit's question didn't go unanswered; the gold book was brought out of the box, dusted off and opened. A soft gasp came from both sets of lips as the writing and imagery flooded their optic sense.
"You told me that if I cried when you weren't there to write down the reason I was crying," the gunslinger reminisced, "So I did. The pictures came about when I got sick from the tests or frustrated with the way I was being treated. In the end I learned to toughen up and get iron skin just like you."
"Tora..." The black shirt that covered the orphanage owner's torso was stripped and thrown to the floor, the vest and the braces from earlier replacing it. Tora gave herself a quick glance in the mirror.
"You know...if my hair was black and a little shorter, I could almost pull off a female you," she giggled, "I wonder how much mako blue contacts are..." From his position on the bed, the spirit laughed.
=^w^=
I've never known what it's like to be alone, no
'Cause you were always there for me
You were always there waiting
And I'll come home and miss your face so
Smiling down on me
I close my eyes to see
And I know you're a part of me
And it's your song that sets me free
I sing it while I feel I can't hold on
I sing tonight because it comforts me
=^w^=
"What can I get you, Tora?"
"Just the usual Tifa. I think I need the respite." Laughing at the gunslinger's humour, the martial artist poured the drink and slid it down the bar. Tora caught the drink and sipped from it, feeling the alcohol warm her fingers and toes. Dark brown eyes watched the tapping on the glass in mild interest, the pattern most akin to a song she once heard while travelling with Cloud. Pausing in her wiping of a glass, she listened to the tune the green-nailed fingers played on the glass.
"That was the song we danced to at the Shinra function," the spirit said, sitting by the brunette, "You convinced me to get up regardless of my protests that I had two left feet."
"What song is that?" Tifa asked suddenly. Tora jumped at the address but fixed herself up, replacing the fallen Rapid in its holster and grinned.
"Just a tune I thought of," she replied, "I figured it was too quiet in here." As she spoke the blond delivery boy walked in through the door, his day's deliveries over with. The spirit smiled.
"You even got Spike to dance with you. After that you had all three of us grooving." he reminisced with a lazy air. Cloud sat beside the gunslinger and looked at her apparel.
"I felt like it." she said simply, hiding her inner grief with a smile. Finishing her drink, she paid and left the bar whistling the song she played on her glass earlier. As the door closed, blue eyes watched, wide, as the spirit slipped out after her.
He suddenly remembered what the day was.
=^w^=
I carry the things that remind me of you
In loving memory of
The one that was so true
=^w^=
"Wow, thank you so much, ma'am! Have a good day!"
Waving at the small children manning the flower stall, Tora continued to waltz through the streets of Edge twirling a red and white rose between her fingers. Red for him, white for her.
"I gave you a red rose on your sixteenth birthday. On my birthday you gave me the white rose as a thank you gift." The spirit quietly walked behind the gunslinger, his arms folded and his smile present. Many people walked through his stomach, puzzled as to where the sudden cold draught came from before continuing on their way. Turning a corner Tora headed toward a bakery, the smell of the fresh bread calling to her.
"Good day Miss Tora," the baker called as she approached, "What can I get for you on this beautiful day?"
"Could I please have two of those apple cakes please?" Smiling at the beautiful girl the baker fetched the items, pressing her Gil back into her hand when she began to pay.
"Consider it on me." he said. Tora took the bag of treats and allowed her eyes to widen slightly. Shaking it off, she thanked the man and left, hefting the bag in her hand.
"I said that every time you insisted on paying for something. You never had enough for yourself, but you always had enough for others; you had the biggest heart I knew of." As she bit into the sweet cake, Tora raised her eyebrow.
Why did she buy two?
A smile cracked her face suddenly and she put the second cake away. He would've loved it.
=^w^=
You were as kind as you could be
And even though you're gone
You still mean the world to me
=^w^=
Rubbing absently at the scars on her right arm, Tora watched the blond examine the pictures on her mantelpiece with a mild curiosity. Cloud scanned each image in a scrutinising way as if searching for something he'd lost five minutes ago. Picking up the chrome frame, he ran a finger down the younger version of himself.
"You kept this?" he asked finally. The orphanage owner nodded.
"It was such a great picture; seemed a shame to have it go to waste." she replied, "Besides, he would've wanted it anyway." Beside the gunslinger, the spirit nodded vigorously.
"Why did you throw out your copy? I thought you liked that picture!" he exclaimed at the swordsman. Cloud pointedly ignored the outburst and replaced the frame on the mantelpiece, turning back to the Wutaiian. Tora held up her hands defensively.
"Don't say anything; I'm saving my crying for later." she said.
"Later?"
"I'm going to visit the plateau and take some things to him."
"I'll take you now."
"Funny, I said that too; Angeal never wanted me to bring you on that mission, but when you saved those kids and his life he reconsidered." Chuckling, the spirit watched Tora dash from the room only to re-emerge ten minutes later wearing her own shirt and his vest over the top of it. Cloud took the small box she held and shouldered it, leading her out to Fenrir and clambering on.
"You two have grown up so much," the spirit whispered as he followed them to the plateau, "I wish you could've seen it from my perspective."
=^w^=
I've never known what it's like to be alone, no
'Cause you were always there for me
You were always there waiting
And I'll come home and miss your face so
Smiling down on me
I close my eyes to see
And I know you're a part of me
And it's your song that sets me free
I sing it while I feel I can't hold on
I sing tonight because it comforts me
=^w^=
Pulling the woollen vest closer to her body, Tora slowly stepped up to the rusted sword and placed the wreath of white and red roses at its base. The careful wind ruffled the petals slightly but that didn't bother her; kneeling in the dirt, she recited a prayer in Wutaiian.
"'May the spirits of this Planet guide the Lifestream and the souls that follow her path. We look forward to a bright tomorrow and a brighter future." the spirit recited for Cloud, "When she found out Angeal had died she recited the same thing."
"Every day I pray that the Lifestream will protect the living as well as the dead," Tora's voice broke the silence, "Every day I pray that, by some miraculous surge of energy from my body, I'll puke up all the mako that madman injected me with until he couldn't go on. Every day I pray that...pray that..." Both spirit and man watched as the gunslinger rested her clenched fists on her knees and shook with the effort not to cry at that point in time. Cloud walked forward and helped the orphanage owner to her feet, wrapping her in a hug that encouraged emotion.
"I don't want to cry...I thought I'd done enough of that years ago." she mumbled into his chest.
"Your tear ducts don't just dry up," he replied, "You should know that."
"I do, but a part of me always wishes for that."
"I figured." The spirit coughed impatiently and tapped his ghostly foot against the ground. The blond nodded and let the gunslinger go, turning her around. Gold eyes widened as they fell on the spirit.
"Hi Tora," he said, a cheeky grin on his face, "Miss me?"
"Zack?" she breathed.
=^w^=
I'm glad he set you free from sorrow
I'll still love you more tomorrow
And you will be here with me still
And what you did you did with feeling
And you always found the meaning
And you always will
And you always will
And you always will
Ooh...
=^w^=
"You've grown up into such a beautiful woman, Tora," Zack flicked his black hair out of his eyes as he strode forward confidently, "I wish I was still alive to have been there for you."
"You were; I always pretended you were right beside me in every fight I went into!" the orphanage owner replied quickly, staying still as a spirit hand ghosted over the tattoo on her left cheek. The same hand then began to trace the pattern on the darkened skin before it moved to the eyebrow piercing and the lip piercings, finally cupping the tattooed cheek carefully.
"I'm sorry for leaving both of you behind. It was a stupid mistake I made and I-" the ex-SOLDIER started, but stamping stopped his rant before it even begun.
"Don't be stupid. I still love you even for all that's happened. The good thing is that you didn't suffer." Tora said, smiling as a single tear cascaded down her cheek. Unconsciously, Cloud took her hand in a supportive fashion and intertwined their fingers as a small hiccup escaped her lips. Zack smiled sadly at the pair and leaned forward, brushing his lips against Tora's forehead, producing a ghostly red rose and holding it out to her.
"For old time's sake." he said.
"We miss you...Zack," the blond said, "Some of us have a harder time showing it." The spirit laughed and ruffled Cloud's hair, like he used to a long time ago. The orphanage owner giggled at the exchange, the emotion rolling off it in waves. More tears slipped down her cheeks when she reminded herself that Zack wasn't actually there to be with them like he was all those years ago.
"Zack?" Aerith's voice suddenly came from above them, "It's your turn." Clicking his fingers in slight disappointment, Zack moved away from the pair and grinned.
"Looks like I'd better get back." he said, turning around. Arms suddenly shot out and wrapped around his waist, which confused him; wasn't he made of Lifestream?
"I miss you...every damn day..." Tora sobbed. Patting the pale olive arms, the black-haired man spun around and returned the hug, trying his best not to cry himself. Moving away, he turned his back to her and walked away again.
"Wait!" He looked over his shoulder as Tora gave another small sob, "Will you...will you tell my father and Sephiroth I said hello? And that I miss them?" Smiling, Zack nodded.
"Of course Tora. Cloud...look after her; she's too rare a materia to give up. Fight for her, love her, stay with her...the way I will." Saluting the two, Zack disappeared in a gentle cascade of white feathers and green light. Cloud walked forward and yanked the gunslinger back into his arms as she cried out her grief for their friend, petals from the rose he'd made still stuck stubbornly in her hair.
"Will you?" Blue eyes looked down into artificially shining gold ones, "Will you fight for me?"
"Yes."
"Will you stay with me the way Zack will?"
"Yes."
"Will you..." Here she hiccupped again, "Will you love me?" The breeze blew again, and Cloud shifted his embrace to be more tender.
"Yes." he whispered into her ear. From behind Fenrir, Zack smiled one last time before Aerith took him back to the Lifestream. They deserved another shot at happiness, and if they had to live it out in loving memory of him then so be it.
As long as someone was there for Tora when she fell, and as long as someone was there for Cloud when he broke, he was happy.
=^w^=
And I know you're a part of me
And it's your song that sets me free
I sing it while I feel I can't hold on
I sing tonight because it comforts me
=^w^=
DISCLAIER: The disclaimer applies to the characters and settings of all 'Final Fantasy VII' games and assosciates – Tetsuya Nomura and SquareEnix – the song 'In Loving Memory – Alter Bridge – and Tora and the Lost Pathways Orphanage – me.
Author's Note: If you cry while reading this, I take full responsibility for it.