Chapter 9: Silence

Cloud Pov

The trip to Wutai was slow. We had to go in a small helicopter and everyone was pushed together. Tifa was on one side of the seat and I was on the other. The kids were left at the bar with Shera and we went and picked up Nanaki and told him the whole story. He didn't understand what was going on and neither did we. All we knew was that we had to save the others.

When we got there we realised that half of Wutai was covered in darkness, just a black orb in the centre of the village. We started straight away. Reeve got out his laptop and sent and old looking Cait Sith into the darkness with a camera.

"Is it working?" Reeve talked into the microphone and Cait nodded blocking his ears.

"That thing is bloody loud but yes." He slowly walked towards the big black wall and ran in.

"We will have to wait a while before we can get any footage." I nodded as he went back to his helicopter with Nanaki. Tifa went over and sat on a log while I just stood there fiddling with her ring in my left pocket. She has rejected me for the last time, now's my chance to talk to her.

I walked over slowly and sat next to her. She moved a little away from me and crossed her arms. I went to say something but she spoke first. "I'm sorry, I overreacted. I just want you to stay and I'm sure you had your reasons." I looked at her, she was so upset. I have never seen her cry before and I think I am about to.

"I did actually, I was planning on coming home earlier but I got held up." She went closer to me and put her head on my shoulder. I hugged her tightly and then she stood up.

"This might be our last battle together. We don't know how this will turn out."

"I promise that I will tell you why I left straight after we have saved everyone. I will also keep my old promise so you have to come with me." She nodded with a grin.

"Oh, there was a message left for up on your window in blood."

"Yeah Denzel told me, what did it say?"

"Left again has he, no worries, death will be here soon for you miss Lockhart. It will be slow so the two little ones can see you die before they do. At least I think it said that." That caught me off guard. I stood up fast and looked at her confused.

"Denzel said he looked at it, and it was completely different."

"Huh, what did he say?"

"Cloud is a giant jerk." She started to giggle. I stared at her with confusion yet again. "I think he was joking. You don't have to get serious."

"Why are you laughing crazily at a time like this?" Nanaki asked, he looked angry to see that she was having fun. "Reeve got some footage, it is delayed 10 minutes so be aware."

We all raced back to see Reeve in front of a small laptop. "Can you all see?" He looked over to me and I nodded. The screen was all black. Nothing could be seen through the screen at all. The only way we knew it was on was by the footsteps of Cait Sith. He kept on walking and walking.

About an hour later there was something in the distance. Cait Sith ran as fast as he could toward the object as it grew bigger and bigger. "Yuffie!" Tifa shouted. I jumped at the sound of her voice behind me. I looked more carefully at the image. She was covered in blood and unconscious. I turned around and saw Tifa running towards the wall of darkness.

"TIFA!"

Tifa Pov

I couldn't bar it any longer. I had to save everyone even if it was only me. If I don't, Cloud will leave again and blame himself. I ran and ran till I was two metres away. I took one step closer, I checked all my pockets to realising that I had no materia or items on me. "Damn, just what I need," I mumbled to myself.

"Tifa! Don't you dare take one more step!" I turned to see Cloud running towards me. I took one step as a joke to ster him up a little. I put my foot down and looked back at him, he was frozen with fear. I turned back around and saw millions of black tentacles coming out from all around the darkness. "TIFA RUN!" I turned and started running for my life. Cloud ran towards me to pull me away but it was too late. One on them wrapped around my ankle and I fell to the ground hard.

"CLOUD PLEASE GO!" I shouted but he kept running towards me.

"I'm not leaving you ever again!" He got to my hands and pulled but he wasn't strong enough, so he got out his sword and sliced it in half. I got up quickly and Cloud grabbed my hand and started pulling me away. The tentacles stretched out further, they were after me, not us, me. I looked back to see that they were slowing down.

We reached the others and Cloud told them to run. We ran till we reached the edge of Wutai and all collapsed from exhaustion. We all lay there breathing heavily. I sat up and looked over to see all the tentacles ripped apart the helicopter and completely disappeared.

"I'm sorry, I... the image of... I'm so sorry." I felt really bad for running into danger head on. Cloud was angry with me for doing so but was happy that I was safe. Nanaki and Reeve went to look at more of the footage as me and Cloud still sat in the grass.

"Tifa, you stay with me ok, don't just go risk your life like that." I just simply nodded. We have to think of a plan and fast. All our friends could be killed at any second and we have left it for so long because of me and my selfishness. Then a thought accrued to me.

"Cloud, did you mean what you said?" He looked up at me with concern but looked and the ground next to me.

"Yeah, I guess."

"You guess! So you're just going to leave after this battle, aren't you?" He didn't reply. Just when I thought that he was here to stay, he wants to leave. I just wanted to just burst out with tears right here and now but I had to hold it in till I find a private room.

"I'm sorry, I thought I would stay this time, I really did. But, you threw out my ring and that really hurt me." What? He said about his feelings for the first time in, ever. I felt honoured to hear about this but I was too angry to accept it.

"I threw it out because you left for two bloody full years! You said you will only be gone for not that fucking long! You proposed and I was ready to marry you but now," my voice went soft from all that yelling. "I don't seem to trust you anymore." He stood up in shock and rubbed his face with his hand. He didn't care that I was mad. He wanted me to feel sorry for him for me tossing his ring.

"Tifa I'm... Sorry," he whispered and walked over to the others. I don't know what came over me, I hated him so much that... I ran back into Wutai. My eyes filled with tears I ran straight for the darkness ready for it to take me. I heard Cloud shouting in the background but I couldn't hear his words. I felt the ground rumble hard underneath me, it was a challenge for me just to keep my balance. When it finally stopped hundreds of tentacles came rushing out towards me, I started to run towards it but a hand stopped me.

"I'm not letting you do this!" He shouted, I was too angry that I gave him a cold hard punch right in the jaw. He fell to the ground as I raced closer towards all the tentacles and skidded to a stop.

"COME AND GET ME!" I shouted. Cloud got up and raced towards me.

"TIFA DON'T DO THIS!" He grabbed me hand and pulled it hard, I tried to free myself from his grip but he was too strong.

"I want to die," I whispered softly, to tentacles started to wrap around my hand and my waist.

"Tifa please-"

"NO I WANT TO DIE HERE AND NOW!" I felt another one wrap both my legs together. I didn't even bother struggling and Cloud knew that so he let go and raced off. I was pulled back into the darkness.

The speed was incredibly, I was in the centre in the blink of an eye.

"Nice to see you again, Tifa Lockhart," that voice I know that voice, I looked around to see who it was but it was hopeless, it was all black. The tentacles all let go of me, I shouted out all my friends names but didn't get a responce. I hope they're not dead.

Author: OMG I GOT THE JOB!!! I made a gingerbread house today so I had to rush the story so I can eat it. YUMMY! I will start on the next chapter first, I have a house to destroy. =D