Chapter 10: Cef's Big Night!
Cef had been feeling nervous for the entire day, which was made worse by the fact that they weren't even in the Cosmo Canyon area until evening, so he had to wait for the entire day. Finally, when Cid said they would be there in half an hour, Cef went into his room to get ready.
"How're you doing?" someone said. Cef looked and Cloud was standing in his doorway.
"Well I don't think I've ever been this nervous," Cef answered.
"That's normal," Cloud answered. "Do you need some help getting ready?"
"I don't even know what to wear," Cef said.
"Let me help you a bit," Cloud said as he closed the door behind him. "First off, you should definitely wear something nice, a tuxedo would probably be too much, but the sleeveless shirts that you normally wear would look really bad."
"So what do I wear?"
"Hmm, let's see what you've got." Cloud looked through Cef's closet, shuffling things around. Finally, he pulled out two items of clothing. "What about these?" Cloud said. He was holding a black suit jacket and dress pants.
"Won't I need a shirt?" Cef asked.
"Just wear one of your normal shirts, it'll match."
"And a tie?"
"A tie's pushing tuxedo."
"Right, no tie," Cef said. "Well, give me a minute to get dressed."
"Of course," Cloud said. He handed the clothes to Cef and walked out the door. Five minutes later, Cef called him back in.
"So how do I look?" Cef asked.
"Well, shoes would help, and you should do something about your hair."
"What's wrong with my hair?"
"Just comb it, I'll look for some shoes that would work," Cloud said. Cloud looked around at the bottom of Cef's closet. While he was bent over Cef snuck something into his inside coat pocket and Cloud came back holding a pair of dress shoes.
"How're these?" Cloud asked.
"They're fine, but I don't have any money." Cef said.
"Well you'll need money if you plan to do anything but stand there. Tell ya what, I'll give you some money." Cloud reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of bills. He counted through them for a minute, then pulled quite a few out and gave them to Cef.
"How much is this?" Cef asked.
"Two thousand Gil, that should be enough, right?" Cloud said.
"It should be more than enough, now what about my hair?" Cef asked.
"Your hair looks better than it usually does, do you comb it at all?"
"Do you comb yours?" Cloud looked up at his wild hair and said:
"Good point. Well put your shoes on and you'll be ready. And leave your swords here," Cloud said as he noticed Cef putting one of his katanas inside his jacket.
"But what if something happens?"
"Cosmo Canyon is one of the most peaceful places on the planet, I don't think anything's going to happen."
"It's better to be prepared."
"It could also blow the whole night."
"Really?"
"Yes, trust me, I know."
"How?"
"Well, a few years back I had a date with a woman, I was feeling paranoid that day and decided to take my sword with me, and in short she ended up hating me and I had to pay the restaurant for a new table."
"Really?"
"Yeah, it was a bad night."
"So I should leave them here?"
"Yes, trust me."
"Okay, but if anything happens I'm cursing you to hell."
"Fair enough."
"Alright, am I ready?" Cef asked.
"Hair combed, shoes, shirt, pants, yeah I'd say you're ready," Cloud answered.
"Good, now what?"
"Now go wait by the exit for her."
"Right, thanks." Cef ran out of the room and Cloud sat down on Cef's bed.
"Cef looked good," Tifa said. "You did a good job." She walked into the room and sat down on the bed next to Cloud.
"What about Cara?" Cloud asked.
"I don't know, Aeris is helping her get ready, which is a surprise because Aeris is against this whole night."
"Aeris would do anything for someone she cared about, even if she was against it."
"Yeah, you're probably right."
In the hallway, Cef was standing around nervously waiting for Cara. After what seemed like an eternity, the door to her room opened. She was wearing a black floor-length dress that had spaghetti straps to hold it up, she was wearing makeup that made her face seem one hundred times more beautiful to Cef and her normally straight hair was now wavy.
"How do I look?" Cara asked.
"You look beautiful," Cef said, almost in a trance.
"You really think so?" Cara asked, looking down at herself.
"You look better than anything I've ever seen in my life," Cef reassured her.
"Well then, we should get going, right?" Cara said.
"Yeah, that would probably be good."
"Awrigh', we're at Cosmo Canyon," Cid shouted through the comm. system. The Highwind 3's ramp door opened, revealing a beautiful sunset. The sky was orange and had gold streaks running through it. The clouds were pink and the ones near the sun were purple.
"It's beautiful," Cara said, "Just like I knew it would be."
"I can think of one thing more beautiful than the sunset," Cef said, gazing at Cara.
"Oh please," she said. "Let's just go." Cloud, Aeris and Tifa watched them go.
"You called Red XIII and told him to watch over them, right?" Aeris asked.
"Yes, don't worry," Cloud said as Cef and Cara walked down the ramp and went into the town.
"So what are we supposed to do now?" Cara asked when the ramp door had closed behind them.
"I know of a nice restaurant here, would you like to get something to eat?" Cef said.
"Sure, that'd be nice." Cara said.
"Great, follow me," Cef said. He led her to a small building in the town. As they approached the restaurant Cara could smell all kinds of delicious foods coming from the windows. When they reached the building Cef opened the door for Cara.
"Thank you," Cara said as she stepped through the door. Inside, they were greeted by a man wearing an expensive-looking uniform.
"Hello, would you two like a table?" The man asked.
"Yes, thank you," Cef said. The man led the two of them to a small table with a chair on either side. When the two of them were seated, the man spoke again.
"Here are some menus," the man said as he handed them two laminated pamphlets covered in pictures of delicious looking foods. "Your server should be here soon," the man said before walking off. Later, after they had already received their food, Cef found himself so nervous he could barely touch his food.
"Cef aren't you going to eat?" Cara asked when she noticed Cef staring uncomfortably down at his plate of food.
"Yeah, probably," Cef answered. He pushed some of the food around with his fork then picked some of it up onto his fork and ate the bite.
"You look nervous," Cara said.
"So?" Cef responded.
"Don't be, we've known each other for almost our entire lives, I want you to be perfectly comfortable around me."
"It's not you, it's just, I don't know." Cef said glumly.
"Come on, you should try to loosen up, have a little more fun, it's good for you," Cara said cheerfully.
"I'll try," Cef said. After a half hour of silence, Cara spoke.
"So Cef, why did you go back to Midgar after four years of being away?" she asked.
"After a, shall we say, emotional conversation with Tifa about my past, I started thinking about my old home, and Cid said we getting near Midgar, so I told him to stop at the city," Cef said.
"So it had nothing to do with me?" Cara said.
"Actually, you were one of the reasons I decided to go back. I really had no other reason besides getting some things from my old house." Cef answered.
"Okay, so what do you want to do after dinner?" Cara asked.
"How about we look at some of the scenery?" Cef suggested.
"At night?" Cara said.
"Why not?" Cef said.
"All right, I guess that could be nice." The two of them talked and ate for almost another hour, and afterwards Cef left the Gil that they owed the restaurant and an extra fifty for the waiter.
"What piece of beautiful scenery should we look at first?" Cara asked.
"How about we go on top of the observatory mountain and look at the mountains around the area?" Cef suggested.
"Yeah, the views great," a voice said from behind them. Instinctively Cef put his arm around Cara and spun around putting himself between Cara and the person who had snuck up on them. Unfortunately, it wasn't just one person, it was more like seven or eight large men that seemed to be holding something inside their sleeves.
---
On top of the mountain that held the observatory, Red XIII watched Cef and Cara leave the restaurant.
"All right Red, how're they doing?" Cloud asked through the phone.
"Their fine so far, they just left the restaurant. But Cloud, how are you affiliated with these kids? I saw the boy at the tournament, but the girl is a complete stranger to me," Red XIII asked.
"Just consider the boy kind of like my nephew, so you're saying everything's been alright so far?"
"Yes, their if- uh-oh," Red XIII said.
"Uh-oh what?" Cloud asked.
"A group of men is coming up behind them. I know these guys, their trouble, and have been suspects in more than one felony. I should try to get down there." Red XIII said urgently.
"Right, you do that," Cloud said before he cut the line. Red XIII began running down the stairs into the inner part of the mountain.
---
"Leave us alone," Cef commanded in the steadiest voice he could summon.
"Or you'll what?" The man in the center of the group said as he pulled a nasty looking knife from inside his sleeve. The others in the group all also pulled out knives and Cara, who was looking over Cef's shoulder, let out a small scream of terror.
"I'm warning you, I am an excellent fighter," Cef said.
"Oh yeah, the son of the great Sephiroth, I've heard of you. You were in that tournament at the Gold Saucer, weren't you. You lost to that bitch who was dressed like a hooker, right?" After the man said this, all the others in his group started laughing and shouted things like "Ha, that punk lost to a girl," or "What a wuss, he probably thinks his daddy will come and save him." Cef began to get angry.
"I'll give you money, if that's what you want," Cef said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the remainder of the Gil that Cloud had given him.
"Thanks, we'll know where to look on your dead body to get some extra cash, but what we really want is the girl," the man said. Cef looked back at Cara who ducked even lower behind him.
"Please, just leave us alone," Cara begged as tears streamed down her face.
"Aw come on, it'll be fun. We promise you'll have a good time, little girly," One of the men said. "Just come with us."
"No, I know what you want, and I'm not going anywhere with you," Cara said defiantly.
"This is your last chance, leave now or I'll be forced to hurt you," Cef said.
"Like you could," One of the men said. That man thrusted his knife out at Cef's chest and Cef jumped back, pushing Cara back with him.
"That's it, I warned you. Cara don't look." Cef said as he reached into his coat. Cara stared at him, wondering what he was going to do.
"What, are you going to pull out one of those toy swords you had at that stupid tournament?" One of the men said. They all started laughing, but their laughter was cut short when they found themselves staring down the barrel of a nine millimeter semi-automatic handgun.
"Yeah, that's right," Cef said. Cara realized why Cef had told her not to look and ran into an alley between two buildings. The men all immediately dropped their knives and were about to run, however when they turned around, a large, red, cat-like animal with tribal jewelry in it's mane and markings burned into it's fur stopped them.
"Where are you going to run?" Red XIII asked in his usual level-headed voice.
"Umm, that crazy boy pointed a gun at us! Stop him, help us!" One of the men said.
"Don't even try that with me. Leave town now, or I'm going to let him have you." Red XIII said.
"Come on, you can't do that," One of the men said. Red XIII roared as loud as he could and all the men scattered and ran towards the town's exit.
"Thanks," Cef said.
"Don't mention it, Cloud told me to make sure nothing happened to you two. If you ever need me again, just call. Also, I wouldn't let anyone see you with that gun. People here aren't very fond of weapons."
"Right, I'll keep that in mind," Cef said as he put the gun back into his pocket. "Cara?" Cef called out as he walked into the alley that she had ran into. "Are you alright? Those men are gone, thanks to Re-" however that particular sentence was cut short due to the fact that his mouth quickly became preoccupied with Cara's when she ran out and kissed him full on the lips. Cef was shocked at first, but eventually began to kiss her back, wrapping his arms around her slim frame. Cara broke away from the kiss and leaned back in Cef's arms.
"What was that for?" Cef asked.
"I love you," she said. "I've always loved you, I just realized it now. You knew you were stronger than those men, and you had the gun, but you were doing everything you could to avoid hurting them because you're sweet and gentle, and you were doing it all to protect me, and I realized that if I was going to die, when I do die, I want to be with you when it happens. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Cef."
"Really?" Cef asked.
"Of course, why wouldn't I? You're smart, funny, handsome, strong, caring, and sensitive. You're pretty much perfect in every way." Cara said.
"You really think so?" Cef asked.
"Why wouldn't I? Have I ever lied to you before?" Cara said.
"Well, I suppose we should be getting back to the ship," Cef said.
"Wait," Cara said.
"What?" Cef asked. His question was answered when Cara grabbed his head and kissed him again. That kiss lasted over a minute, and when it finally ended, Cef and Cara walked hand in hand back to the Highwind 3.