The light of trust grows brighter the longer the flame burns, bathing a friendship in warmth. That flame shall be tested by the people with no light of their own. For when the shadowed belief of others outweigh the trust of a friend, the flame turns to ashes...
"Great..." Cloud sighed as he watched Vanille disappear out of the door, no doubt running to tell Fang. "Tifa, you need to tell me everything."
"You don't think-! How could you!" Tifa shouted.
"I didn't say that... Why was she here anyway?" The blonde asked softly, trying to keep Tifa calm.
"I.. I can't tell you.." The brunette sighed, realizing this was not helping her defense one bit.
"Tifa!" Cloud shouted but another voice echoed above his own.
Cloud turned to face the doorway where the huntress stood with fists clenched. The cerulean eyed man held out his arm to block her path and received a swift blow to the kidneys winding him before she launched herself at Tifa, throwing her onto the bed.
"Enough!" Cloud roared but the pair ignored his demand and continued to brawl in the small bedroom, breaking several pieces of the furniture as the fight escalated. The noise woke up the entire household who had all filed into the room to see what was going on.
"What the hell you two doin?! Barret shouted as he tried to separate the two feisty brunettes. "Break it up!"
"Don't break it up! Throw some baby oil over them!" Cid laughed as he watched Tifa's silk dressing gown undo when Fang threw her into the closet door.
Thankfully for the blonde, Vincent arrived to assist in their separation as he could not keep them both apart without hurting them on his own. With a quick nod of understanding, Cloud gripped his oldest friend around the waist and picked her up off the ground as Vincent gripped the ever defiant huntress' wrists.
"Let go of me!" Tifa shouted, trying her best to hammer punch Cloud in the back.
"When you calm down I'll let go.." He replied calmly, wincing every time her fist made contact with his spine.
Vincent burned his crimson eyes into Fang's emerald ones, giving her the sternest of looks without making a sound. After a brief struggle, the bronze skinned beauty calmed and released the tension in her arms, surrendering to his strength. Wiping the blood from her lip, Fang's glare never left Tifa.
"Can someone tell me what the hell is goin' on!" Barret shouted over the chaos.
"She's done something to Light!" Fang shouted over Vincent's shoulder, causing him to get even closer to her and gently guide her into the corner.
"I Haven't you stupid cow! Even if I wanted to I couldn't!" Tifa roared, still dangling over the blonde's shoulder.
"She has a point Fang..." Cloud said, slowly putting the brunette down.
"I want you to tell me everything that happened from the moment we got back home to the second I walked in the room.." The huntress demanded.
Cloud pulled the bed sheet from the bed and wrapped it around the now virtually naked Tifa, covering up her body and sitting her down on the only piece of furniture in the room that wasn't completely destroyed, an old wooded chair. Tifa took a deep breath and began to recall the night's events for everyone to hear.
"There was a knock on the door that woke me up, so I got my dressing gown on and answered it. It was Lightning.. Said she wanted to talk... We talked for a bit then she left. I went back to bed and then Cloud, Vanille and Duke woke me up again later on.." Tifa explained.
"How did the blood get on your boots.. and her necklace was in your room." Fang questioned.
"I don't know! The boots where spotless when I when to sleep. I was playing with Denzel and Marlene outside and washed them when I came in. If I did anything why would I leave evidence all around my room?!" The brunette asked.
"Still doesn't explain how it got there.. What where you talking about?"
Tifa glanced at the blonde quickly before turning her attention back to Fang, who was still trapped in the opposite corner by Vincent.
"I can't tell you. It's private.."
"Your in no position to withhold anything from me. Tell me what you know or I'll have no choice but to arrest you till I get to the bottom of this." The bronze skinned general warned.
"Fang, you can't be serious. What about the kids?" Cloud protested.
"Child services until this is dealt with.." Fang answered, looking Tifa straight in the eye when she said it.
"You can't!"
"Then tell me what you two were talking about!" Fang barked.
"Cloud.. I'm sorry.. I told her to tell you... She's pregnant..." Tifa mumbled, not wanting to look the blonde in the eyes.
The room fell silent in an instant and everyone turned their heads to face the blonde, who's expression revealed a man who's mind was racing out of control. The eerie silence and lack of motion from the room ended with Cloud's whispered voice and the sound of his heavy boots on the floor.
"I'm going to be a father?..." He whispered, still giving no indication by his tone than he was anything other than shocked. "I need to find her..."
"Then ask the prime suspect." Fang suggested sarcastically.
"Fang..." Vincent warned.
"What? Makes even more sense now.. You've loved Cloud forever... Then all of a sudden someone else appears in his life and develops more of a relationship with him than you managed in years. I bet that really ate away at you didn't it?"
"Stop it.." Tifa pleaded as she fought back her tears.
"Then Light tells you about her baby and you snap.. Out of everyone, she came to you and you killed her!"
"Stop it..." The brunette sobbed into her hands. "I didn't..."
Cloud gave Vincent a look that said 'Shut her up' to which the former turk held his finger to his lips, somehow silencing the wild woman as Cid disappeared out of the room. Barret tried to console the now distraught Tifa Lockheart as Cloud checked the blood stained shoes for any more clues. Cid reappeared with a small flashlight moments later and pushed the blonde out of the way.
"Shift.. You'll contaminate the evidence.." The pilot said abruptly as he turned on the flashlight which turned out to be a blacklight. "See how the blood glows a funny colour under the light? That's mako So it could be hers." Cid explained, damning Tifa with every word. "But look.. there are no bloody boot prints or other blood on the floor... Or bed... And one tiny drop on the window frame.. Got ya."
"Cid, what are you sayin'?" Barret asked.
"There's no way Anybody died or even got hurt in this room.. There's no bloody foot prints or blood spatter on the walls to indicate a fight or a body. The only other place where there's blood is a single drop on the window frame.."
"But why?" Barret said.
"A distraction..." Cloud muttered, before grabbing the blacklight from Cid's clutches and sprinting from the room. How could I be so stupid!
Cloud bolted outside, keeping the blacklight shining down on the ground in front of him as he did a lap of the house. The blonde made it to the back of the house where several drops of blood where soaked into the dirt. Looking up he saw the window to the bathroom that was wide open. Slowly putting the pieces together, Cloud turned his back on the house and scanned the ground with the torch until he came across another drop in the distance. The mako eyed man followed the blood trail all the way into the middle of the woods until the black light found an arrow painted on the ground in blood. His cerulean eyes followed the arrow until they found a piece of paper stuck to a thick oak tree with a knife. Cloud's hand shook as he removed the blade and turned over the paper.
"The whore for my brother."
"Genesis..." Cloud mumbled angrily.
(Unknown location)
Claire opened her eyes slowly to darkness. She could feel the dark, cloth bag brushing the tip of her nose as the person that carried her walked. With her arms tied behind her back and legs bound, the rose haired warrior closed her eyes and focused on the sounds around her. The sound of grass rustling beneath the man's feet and the occasional sound of an owl did little in the way of helping her discover her location.
Forty minutes past before the man stopped and the sound of an old wooden door creaking open could be heard. He entered, shutting the door behind him and threw Claire onto a wooden chair that was positioned in the middle of the room. The pinkette felt her legs being bound to the chair legs and her wrists to the arm rests before the bag was pulled from her head.
"Great... the drama queen..." Claire huffed.
"We'll see how long you hold on to that humor for..." Genesis said with a wicked smile.
"What do you want Genesis? Seems like if you wanted me dead you could have done it long ago."
"An exchange.. You for my brother.."
"You have a brother?" Claire asked. "Why would we have him?"
"Not by blood per say... but he is just like me.. We'll I have questioned the Disciple leader and he paid with his life.. Mere mortal's never see a greater purpose so they always opt to save them selves. This man swore to me that he was searching for Weiss buthad no idea about Weiss and as he was not originally from my world I was inclined to believe him." The auburn haired man explained.
"So you killed him anyway... Not that I'm complaining..." The pinkette said. "Wait... Didn't Vincent kill Weiss?"
"He was defeated but that was only his body. Hojo controlled the man.. Much after the incident with Omega I found Weiss in an underground cave, but no sooner had I surfaced with Weiss we were struck down by Chaos and sent to the lifestream, only to be returned here. Weiss was not with me when I awoke but I know he is on this planet too."
"Why was he searching for Weiss?" Claire asked, feeling more worried with each word.
"For a ritual of some sort.. He died before I could ask." Genesis laughed. "You seem to be diverting my attention... Where is Weiss?"
"I've told you I don't know! I don't even know what he looks like!"
"That is the wrong answer..." The red coated man whispered in her ear as he walked over to the log burning fire on the far wall of the cabin and pulled out a metal rod from the flames.
Claire's eyes widened as he watched the man approach with the iron rod that's tip glowed red. She struggled against her bindings but it was no good. The pinkette took a deep breath and looked Genesis straight in the eyes.
"Do your worst.." She said coldly.
Genesis took the glowing rod and traced it over her body, not touching her with it until he had chosen his spot. His eyes followed the rod that moved down past her torso and onto her legs that where covered by her short, black skirt. The man smiled grimly before resting the near melting tip of the rod onto her skirt, melting through it instantly and burning her thigh. He watched Claire wince briefly before composing herself.
"Impressive..." Genesis applauded.
"Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.." Claire told him as she took another large breath before he pressed the rod onto her arm. "Aren't you supposed to ask the questions you want to know before you do it again?"
"Talented in the art of torture are we?" Genesis scoffed. "I have no questions.. I believe you.. But that doesn't mean Cloud doesn't have Weiss. Let's just hope he let's him go before I kill you.. You must be hot in here.. Allow me to cool you down." The former first class Soldier said, kicking over her chair.
Claire's head hit the wooden floor, dazing her briefly as she fell and her world turned back again as Genesis returned the cloth bag back on her head, standing on one corner to keep it tight against her mouth. The pinkette struggled to free herself, realizing what was about to happen but it was too late. Claire took in a big breath just before Genesis began to pour the large bucket of water slowly over her face. He continued pouring, knowing that eventually she was going to have to take a breath and after two minutes she did, choking on the liquid as it entered her lungs.
(Fang's House)
"Cloud! What's wrong?!" Tifa asked as he returned to the room.
"It was Genesis..." Cloud said, handing the note to Vincent. "You owe her an apology.." He finished, glaring at Fang.
Normally her pride would have told Cloud to 'do one' but the look in his mako blue eyes suggested he was on the verge of breaking and she did not want to be on the receiving end of his wrath. She hesitantly walked over to Tifa as Cloud and Vincent began to discuss the note and knelt down in front of her to begin her painful apology.
"Tifa, I-"
"Save it." The brunette said bluntly, standing from the bed. "Just find Lightning." She added before walking to the damaged closet with the bed sheet still wrapped around her.
"Cid, could-"
"Searching everywhere I can with the phoenix, got it." The pilot interrupted. "Tifa.. You wanna come with?" Cid asked before he left the room, thinking it might be a good idea to keep her and Fang out of each others way for a while.
"Sure." Tifa nodded, grabbing some clothes and finding another room to get changed in. "What about the kids?"
"I'll.." Vanille started, lowering her head as soon as Tifa looked at her. "I mean... if you want me to..."
"You where only doing what you thought was right.." Tifa smiled weakly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "If you don't mind."
Vanille nodded, meaning Tifa could leave with Cid to use the Phoenix's vast array of technology to help locate Lightning. Fang called in an alert to the base, signaling every helicopter and surveillance drone to find her friend as Barret joined Vincent and Cloud in the corner of the room.
"Have you phoned him?" Vincent asked, earning a confused look from the blonde. "There's a number on the back..."
"I didn't notice... I rushed back so fast..." He said, pulling the phone from his pocket and dialing.
"Ahh.. you found my message.." The smug voice of Genesis spoke down the phone.
"If you've hurt her... I swear I will make you beg for death..." Cloud said so coldly down the phone everyone in the room stopped to look at him.
"Oh I can assure you that I've hurt her.. She's very strong willed though.. Now... Do you have what I want?"
"I don't know who you want!" Cloud roared.
"Weiss.."
"Weiss?! He's dead! Vincent killed him!" The blonde shouted.
"You have twenty four hours." Genesis said sighed before putting the phone down on him.
"Vincent... Weiss is dead.. Right?"
"I believe so.." Vincent replied. "We'll prepare the cars.. Cloud, we will find her." He finished, ushering everyone out of the room.
Cloud was left alone with his thoughts in Tifa's now trashed room. He looked around and stopped at a cracked, floor to ceiling mirror that was mounted on one of the walls. He looked into the mirror, feeling pity for his own reflection when the image changed to a more unsettling sight.
"Good to see you... Cloud.."
A/N: Another short one but I wanted to get it done quick for you guys and girls. Seems like we're tied in the place for my second story as I guessed haha. No matter what I ask its always split right down the middle lol. Any of you have any idea where this story is going yet? One of the readers suggested a name for Claire's baby, Terra (like off ff6) I like the name and the character although obviously this will by a baby. What do you think? I like it and its elemental. Can you think of one. I want something weather/elemental based like cloud and lightning. Still not decided if its a girl or boy yet so let me know what you want and with a bit of luck we'll get a poll that does end 50:50 haha. Thanks for reading.