I see I am picking up some wonderful readers. Thank you so much to those who review, it is giving me confidence and the motivation to take extra care in re-reading and fixing my work. Here is the last promised update for the weekend. I hope to have the next chapter out by at least wed.
Thank you again for reading and I hope you enjoy
~Miss Ti
"Well… What do we do now?" Barrett climbed down a rope exiting the city of Midgar.
Tifa took a breath of relief. They made it out of the city.
Shinra had sent a large Mecha-SOLIDER after them. This one was mobile and able to keep up with the high speeds of the small truck and motorcycle. With some help of the Lightning Materia they were able to do away with the large machine. Tifa was more than surprised at Aeris while in battle. She had some incredible healing magic… She glanced at her little cure materia, it held no shine compared to the Cetra.
"Sephiroth is alive. I… I have to settle the score." Cloud clenched his fist.
"And that will save the planet?" Barrett asked.
"… yeah" Cloud nodded after some thought.
"Alwright I'm going" Barrett laughed ready for action.
"I'll go too" Aeris stepped up, "I have things I want to find out."
"About the Ancients?" Cloud looked to Aeris.
She nodded, "Many things"
Tifa smiled shaking her head some removing her cure materia from her amour, "Well I guess this is good bye Midgar. What about you Red?" Tifa searched her bag for her HP materia
"I will go with you as far as my hometown" Red XIII sniffed the air enjoying freedom. He must have been in the Shinra building for a long time.
"I guess this is the start of our journey" Tifa stretched after equipping the new materia..
"It's dangerous… are you sure you want to go?" Cloud questioned.
Tifa thought some. Sure she would be running into Sephiroth again… that was something to be afraid of. However if Cloud was going to be there… "I will be alright as long as you keep your promise" Tifa smiled.
Cloud smiled staring into Tifa's eyes a brief moment before moving over to Aeris.
Tifa looked to the distance before them. How long had it been since she left Midgar. That was so long ago. Years before she had met up with Barrett Wallace and his little girl. He and his band of AVALANCE walked into her new bar talking about Shinra and their evil ways.
"Alright everyone, let's mosey" Cloud spoke out to rally everyone.
"We need a group leader for our journey. 'Course only me could be the leader" Barrett grinned
Tifa giggled, "You think so?"
"It would have to be Cloud" Aeris joined giggling.
"^#$^% Alwright…" Barrett turned to Cloud obviously angry however doing his best to hide it, "We will head to Kalm. If something happens we will meet up there. And we can't have 5 people strolling down the fields. Too dangerous. Make the split Mr. Leader"
"Aeris and Tifa will travel with me."
"Huh… thought you'd do that" Barrett laughed some, "Later!" he and Red took off.
Tifa checked over her gloves, she would need a new pair, hopefully she would find a decent weapon shop in Kalm.
"Well let's get there quickly. I'd hate to be out traveling in the dark." Aeris smiled to Cloud and Tifa.
Cloud nodded.
The trip was quiet and quite frankly to Tifa awkward. Since Aeris had Cloud promise that date it just felt too strange to be around them. Her mind pondered more... Did…. Did Cloud even know of Tifa's feelings? Was she over thinking the fact that he had chosen both women? Tifa smiled her cheeks warming as she thought of Cloud embracing her, softly nuzzling into her neck. She imagined his hands running down her back slowly feeling out her curves.
"I hope my mom and Marlene have found a safe place to hide. I don't want them to be taken by Shinra because of me" Aeris's voice snapped Tifa back on the mission at hand. She shouldn't be thinking this right now.
"Ah… That reminds me, thank you Aeris for saving Marlene.. It really means a lot to Barrett and me." Tifa smiled hoping her face had returned to its normal color.
"Think nothing of it. I couldn't have her stay with the threat of the plate falling… I am glad I could help."
Tifa nodded, with a stretch she looked up to the blue sky "I do hope we get to see Marlene soon… I am sure she is afraid of where Barrett might be."
"Don't worry, my mom will take good care of her." Aeris looked up with Tifa, "Ah… what a wide space… Never did like it much. Not until I saw a pair of beautiful Mako eyes."
Tifa looked to Aeris surprised, 'What? Clouds eyes? No.. that just… How close are those two? I will have to ask when we are alone' Tifa picked at the leather on her gloves.
"How do you and Barrett know Cloud?" Aeris questioned.
"Ah… you see Cloud and I grew up together, then he left to join SOLIDER. I moved to Midgar so that i could be closer to the Shinra headquarters and find Cloud. I was lucky to find him, and convinced him to meet Barrett. Barrett is a friend of mine whom i have met at my bar. He convinced me to help fight for the planet."
"It is a noble cause that you all fight for. The planet is suffering, it is like its crying for help now and then."
"Right, your mother told us that you can speak to the spirits and such…" Tifa looked to Cloud. He was checking the surrounding area of any monsters.
"So you came to Midgar hoping to find Cloud? Is he your…?"
Tifa flushed red, "Ah, no… well…" It was too late for her to lie to the woman in pink. However she never did feel right lying, they all just seemed to pile up in to one giant mess.
Aeris giggled and smiled to Tifa, "Well… may the best girl win?" she held out her hand.
Tifa smiled some shacking Aeris's hand, "Y-yeah… good luck"
"I do hope we become good friends, regardless of what happens" Aeris looked on ahead, her eyes seemed to be filled with a hint of sorrow.
Tifa blinked confused, "I do too.. friends I mean… what happens is really up to Cloud."
Aeris's smile became wider as she nodded. Tifa felt as if it wasn't Cloud she was really thinking about. She decided to leave the woman to her thoughts, Kalm was not to far.
The rest of the walk to Kalm was quiet. Tifa had noticed that Aeris had become a bit uncomfortable
Red and Barrett were already there and had rented a room at the inn. Tifa looked around the peaceful town while Cloud turned to the two women and smiled, "Lets pick up some supplies really quick before heading to meet up with Barrett and Red."
Tifa and Aeris nodded. Cloud to the weapon shop, Aeris the Item shop and Tifa to the Materia Shop.
Entering the glowing store, Tifa moved to the different cabinets. Most of the materia there they already had, however there were a few they could have picked up. Tifa counted her gil however was unable to even purchase the Poison materia. She settled for a fire for Red, and a heal for Aeris.
Letting out a disappointed sigh she left the shop to walk around a bit. She came upon a sweet stand and decided to buy herself her favorite treat, chocolate covered espresso beans.
Slipping one in her mouth she enjoyed the bite of grit and continued on. 'if I didn't get junk every now and then I would have been able to buy Cloud some powerful materia' she thought to herself.
Beating herself down she decided to take a short cut through an ally, that's when a dusty old chest game into her view. She glanced around ensuring she was alone and let her curiosity kick in. Taking out her picking tools she opened the chest easily. She stood up surprised, inside was a beautiful gun. It looked to be in new condition.
Tifa was hesitant about picking the weapon up however now that she had unlocked the box she couldn't just leave it there; after all the last thing she needs is for kids to find it and shoot one another. She placed the gun in her bag.
"Hey Tifa, Cloud's done and so am I. have you found any new materia?" Aeris waved over to the brunette.
"Ah" Tifa jumped surprised, "Yes, i managed to get you and Red some materia... Cloud and i are pretty set for now" She handed Aeris her new materia. "I did however hope to get Cloud some new attack materia... however its just so expensive."
Aeris smiled some equipping heal into her armor slot, "Yeah I hear you on that… We need to talk to Cloud in seeing if we can sell some of our old gear for some extra gil, or at least farm up some monsters."
Tifa smiled shouldering her bag and following Aeris to the inn
Inside the inn they rented the entire second floor; mainly because it was an open inn with no walls.
"So let's hear your story. You know, the one about Sephiroth and the crisis facing the planet? Let's hear it all" Barrett got comfortable on one of the beds.
Cloud nodded, he looked to the ceiling thinking back, "I used to want to be like Sephiroth, so I joined SOLDIER. After working with Sephiroth on several missions we became friends."
Tifa cringed some sitting on the floor hugging a pillow. This… This wasn't happening. There was no way he could relive that memory because…
"Alright so I guess he was more of a war buddy. We trusted each other until one day… After the war was over it was SOLDIER's duty to put down any resistance against the Shinra. That was about 5 years ago, I was 16."
Tifa closed her eyes trying to envision the story, however no matter how many times Cloud could retell it, and she would always see the truth. Never the lie he spun. To have the courage to tell him what actually happened scared her. What would he do if he ever found out?
"Wait a minute!" Barrett's voice broke Tifa out of her concentration. "I remember Jenova, that is that headless spook livin' in the Shinra building!"
"that's right" Cloud nodded.
"Barrett, let Cloud continue the story." Tifa put on a fake smile.
"Tifa I was only"
"Please… Continue Cloud" Tifa closed her eyes again.
She wanted to hear more. Find out the details of where her Cloud went.
"It's a reunion of childhood pals!" Aeris smiled clasping her hands together.
"I was really surprised with Tifa" Cloud continued.
He remembered every detail like he was there. The man with the camera to the number of soldiers there. However the story started to slip. Cloud begun to not remember everything. One house he swore he went into, he couldn't remember whose house it was. Then there was the meeting with Tifa's dad… Her father knew Cloud from that incident so long ago when they were children… Her father wouldn't forget him, and yet Cloud mentioned him like they were strangers. Cloud said that he went into Tifa's house, read her letter. Everything he said matched.
They mentioned that Tifa was the guide. She nodded in agreement listening to the story. She was the guide, she took that picture with the SOLDIER and Sephiroth. Leading them up to the reactor they were crossing the old bridge. Cloud remembered that it broke and they lost one Shinra soldier, however they pressed on. They found the Mako fountain and soon after the reactor. Cloud told them how Tifa was to stay outside. Tifa listened close, what would he say now?
"We found Jenova inside along with a number of strange pods… We fixed one of them and Sephiroth discovered that Hojo was using the Mako energy inside the pods and fused them with soldiers. Hojo was creating monsters. Mutated living organisms produced by Mako energy. That is what monsters really are." Cloud sighed.
Tifa's eyes were wide in shock… To find out that Hojo did such a thing to people, it was sickening.
"Sephiroth started to freak… He had thought he was created the same way. He said he always felt special in some way. 'Am I human?'…" Cloud scratched his head, "I didn't quite understand what Sephiroth was saying at the time."
"Damn that Shinra… The more I hear the more I hate them" Barrett shook his head.
"Who would have thought the Mako reactor was being used for that" Tifa held the pillow to her tighter.
"That would seem to increase the number of monsters recently…." Red rested his head on his paws listening.
"Tifa, you were waiting outside then?" Aeris asked eyeing Tifa suspiciously
"… Yes"
"After we returned to Nibelheim, Sephiroth confined himself to his room at the inn… He didn't talk to anyone." Cloud continued.
"Then Sephiroth vanished…" Tifa spoke out softly.
Cloud nodded, "We found him inside the Shinra Mansion… A building that was once used to house Shinra members. He was in a hidden basement… reading research notes from professor Gast about the organism Jenova. Sephiroth didn't come out of the mansion… he continued to read as if he was possessed by something. One night he just seemed different. He called all of us traitors. He said that he was the Cetra.. that he was produced by professor Gast. He left the Shinra mansion, he was going to see his mother. I ran out to find the village in flames."
Tifa's eyes watered. She didn't want to hear the rest of the story… It was heartbreaking.
"I helped a soldier get clear of the fire… and went to save my own mother in the village but… she didn't make it…" Cloud clenched his fists, "I saw Sephiroth cutting down villagers. He went to the Mako reactor… I got their as fast as I could that's when I saw Tifa over her father's body. She took Sephiroth's sword that was left carelessly to the side and ran after Sephiroth into the chamber where Jenova was concealed. She was close to ending him; however he grabbed the sword and cut her. She fell down the stairs and seemed to lose conscience; I moved her to a safer area in that room and went after Sephiroth myself."
"Then what happened?" Barrett was at the edge of his bed.
"He was just insane… I confronted him. And that's the end of my story."
"Wait… What?" Barrett nearly fell over. "Ain't there more?"
"I… don't remember?"
"But then what happened to Sephiroth?" Aeris questioned.
"Well he is a lot strong and faster than me… I couldn't have killed him."
"Records state that Sephiroth is dead… I even read it in the newspaper" Tifa spoke up.
"Shinra owns the papers though…" Aeris looked to the other girl.
".. I need to know the truth… I want to know what happened then. I have challenged the great Sephiroth and lived. Why am I not dead?" Cloud held his head some.
Tifa bit her lip some, "I am alive too…"
"A lot of this just doesn't make sense. Jenova was in the Shinra building we were at?" Aeris got up to think some.
"Damn…. Now I'm confused!" Barrett got up moving to the stairs, "I'm leavin' the thinking to you, let's move out Cloud"
Cloud nods moving down. Tifa however stopped him before he could take a step, "Cloud… How bad was I when Sephiroth cut me?"
Cloud thought some, "I thought you would die… I was really sad."
Tifa sighed searching for her Cloud in those Mako eyes.
"I…." Aeris approached, "The Cetra, Jenova… Sephiroth and myself…" She was at a loss for words.
Tifa understood what Aeris was trying to say, however didn't want to hear it. Hearing the story of her home was always hard. "Let's go… Barrett is waiting for us downstairs."
Tifa moved down and saw Red stretching and letting out a giant yawn soon following them. "What a wonderful story."
