Chapter IV
"Excellent! Let me go get a few things to help you two on your trip to Fort Condor." Tifa's father placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder and gave it a hard squeeze. "I'll try not to be too long. And I apologize again for my daughter's impoliteness. Hopefully she won't run her mouth while I'm gone."
Daniel gave a pleasant smile to the gentlemen before running off into the back of the abode.
Tifa's eyes danced between the two WRO agents.
"I can't believe my father is helping you fools. I can see what you're doing, by the way," Tifa ranted.
The two boys looked at each other with mystified expressions. They had no idea what she was yakking about.
This girl is freaking crazy…
"I know once you get the chance, you're gonna turn your backs against the WRO!" The woman hissed. She laid her piercing eyes on Cloud. "They should've just hung your asses at Kalm. You two are nothing but Shinra, horse-stealing imbeciles!"
"Whoaaaa there, Miss Ma'am. I may be a former Shinra dog and I mayyy be an imbecile at times, but I sure ain't no horse-stealer." Zack pointed over to the blonde with a devilish grin. "That's this guy."
Cloud whipped his head around to glare at the sharpshooter. He could see him struggling to keep down the laughter that was scratching his throat.
What the fuck, man!
You were the bastard who told me to go ride the damn thing back to camp!
Whose side are you on?!
"Your stupid horse is fine," Cloud growled as he returned his eyes to Tifa. "It threw me off anyways."
"Too bad the fall didn't break your back." Tifa fired.
Cloud's brows pinched together in bitterness. He was letting her get under his skin.
This girl just cannot let go of this horse thing…
I bet she doesn't have a boyfriend.
Who would want to deal with that?
"Maybe if you would've aimed better, you could've shot me off your dumb horse."
"Her name is Stella, you pile of sh–"
"You two are sooo cute together," Zack said as he budded in and released a hearty chuckle.
Tifa was about to go off into another rampage, but was cut off by her father.
"I'm back! I'm back!" Mister Lockhart huffed after rushing in the living room. His arms were occupied with a couple of wooden boxes and strapped on his back was large, scoped rifle. Zack helped the rancher place the boxes on the crystal coffee table.
"What is all of this?" Zack asked as he opened a box. Inside were two semi-automatic, triple-barreled revolvers. "Whoa…"
"The WRO asked me to supply you gentlemen with weapons for your assignment. These weapons are rare and some of the best in Gaia." Daniel explained as he removed the strap around his torso and leaned the deadly rifle against the small table. "Those two revolvers are actually for you, Mister Strife."
"Lucky you!" Zack said and handed the box over to his friend.
Cloud examined both of the black revolvers. They were ornamented with scrollwork designs and small dog heads were in place of the iron sights of each barrel. Intricate designs were also burned into the handle of the weapons. The guns were larger than typical revolvers and had triple cylinders. Both guns looked like they were capable of holding about 18 shots per gun. The firearms appeared a little worn like they had been used before, but they were well taken care of. Cloud took one in his hand for a closer inspection.
"The one you're holding is called Cerberus and the other one is called Ifrit. People say that these guns were used by a legendary gunman who used to roam Gaia. They say that his spirit lives in both of them. They're not only prized for their rarity, but also for their lethality." Daniel clarified.
"How did you get these?" Cloud asked as he carefully placed Cerberus back in the box.
"I am an avid collector of rare and deadly firearms. These are just some of the few that I've collected over the years."
"I have to say, I am a little surprised that the WRO is letting you give us these guns. I thought the WRO would issue us some of their firearms?" Zack inquired.
"Ah, yes. They tried supplying me with their guns, but I talked them out of it. I showed them these beauties and they approved. They are just as fatal as the WRO's. Plus…" Daniel grinned. "I want these weapons to be known for another legacy–killing Rufus and his two pets."
Mister Lockhart then grabbed the rifle and handed it to Zack. "The WRO told me you were Shinra's best sharpshooter, so I thought this scoped rifle would be perfect for you. It was used by the same legendary gunman, and he named it The Death Penalty. This one is probably the rarest gun I have."
The black Carcano rifle was decorated in the same scrollwork engravings as the two revolvers. It was long, and weighed about twelve to fifteen pounds. The scope ran from the trigger of the gun down to the middle of its barrel. The rifle also had the same iron dog head on the top of it. The armament looked like it was brand new.
"Do you approve, Mister Fair?"
"Oh, heck yeah! I bet this sweet baby can shred through anything!"
"Good! I also have a powerful revolver for you, called Bahamut, as your backup." Daniel said as Zack gave him back the rifle. "In the other box are several hunting knives for the two of you. Just let me polish them up and they're yours. I'll also clean your firearms for you as well. In the meantime, my daughter can show you your horses."
Tifa cursed under her breath. She gave Cloud another sinister look. "All right, follow me you pigs."
The two men expressed their gratitude to Tifa's father before exiting the sumptuous household after Tifa.
"How ya' holdin' up? You look a little, um, flustered…" Zack whispered as they trailed the antagonistic woman.
Cloud pinched the bridge of his nose while he murmured back. "This girl is ruthless. Every time she looks at me, it's this death stare…like she's imagining every possible way to kill me."
"Yeahhh you sure did piss off the wrong girl." Zack pointed to the lasso hanging on the side of the woman's belt. "I'd watch for that lasso if I were you. I don't think it's for the horses anymore."
Cloud's hand reflexively went to his throat.
Zack busted out in laughter at his yellow haired friend and slapped his back. "Jeez, women scare you, don't they?"
"What's so funny?" Tifa questioned as she halted her movement and twisted her thin torso around to glance at the men behind her.
In an instant, Zack snapped his jaw shut and stared down at his cowboy boots. "Uh…nothing…"
And you said I was scared of women…yeah…
Her dark eyes narrowed at the two men before she turned around to open the wooden gate to the horse pen. Cloud and Zack silently followed her across the large, dirt arena towards the horse stables. The wooden building and the fence around the dirt pen were all painted in the ranch's standard white color. The stable held about twenty box stalls, but only seven were occupied. Golden hay stacks wrapped in their neat round fashion were off on one side of the sturdy stables for horse feed. The other side of the stable had high quality leather reigns and saddles and saddle pads hanging on the walls in a precise arrangement. Cloud looked down at the dirt at his feet noting the clean lines raked in. He almost felt bad for walking all over the Lockhart's tidy work.
As they reached the stables, Cloud recognized Stella, Tifa horse, standing with her head peering out in one of them. Cloud could see a smile form on her porcelain visage as she glanced over at her animal companion.
They stopped the horse box next to Stella. Tifa made a clicking sound with her tongue until a bay horse stuck his head out to greet them. The horse had a reddish-brown coat and a jet black mane. Cloud watched the brunette softly rub down the white and black nose of the animal to comfort it.
"Mister Fair, this is your horse. He's one of our best stallions. He's is very gentle and sweet." She then settled her brown eyes at the black haired gentleman. "What are you gonna name him?"
Zack blinked. "Uhhh…?"
Tifa let out a sigh and placed a hand on her jutting hip. "You know, it's bad luck if you ride into battle with a nameless horse!"
"Errrr…" Zack peered at the patient horse in deep thought. He looked like he was using all of his brainpower just to think of a name. "…erm, uh, how about Buster?"
"Buster?" Cloud repeated. "That's the best name you could think of?"
"Hey, I just want this horse to get me from point A to point B. I don't really care about his name."
"What about Phoenix?" The woman suggested.
"Yeah, Phoenix! I like it! That's a great name for this handsome stud."
"Great! You can take Phoenix out for a ride in the pen if you want. He's very obedient, so you shouldn't have any problems guiding him in and out of his box. Plus, you have Stella here to keep an eye on him." Tifa gave Zack an assuring nod before she turned her attention towards the blonde.
"Now you need to come with me." She ordered and treaded off to another pen just next to the one they were in.
Cloud flicked his eyes over at Zack with an apprehensive expression on his face.
Zack shrugged. "Good luck, man."
"Yeah…if you don't see me in the morning, that means I'm probably dead." Cloud muttered as he straggled after Tifa.
He followed the dark haired woman over to the next pen. He watched her stop at one of the occupied boxes. She turned to face him, and a cagey smirk played on her countenance. The look on her face made him skeptical. Cloud stopped to study her.
Why is she smiling at me like that?
He was about to continue his stride, when suddenly Tifa ripped opened the door to the box and a black mustang came charging towards him.
Whoa!
Cloud hastily rolled out of the way of the berserk creature, just barely dodging its immense hooves. The stallion ran wildly around the gated pen while conjuring up a dust storm. His black mane whipped around the gusting wind as he twisted his head around to release his roaring shrieks. Cloud had never seen a horse as livid as this one.
"Darn, I thought he had you," The woman sighed as she held out a hand to help him up. The gunman hesitated for a moment before taking it. She pulled him up and shoved the lasso into his pecs. He unenthusiastically grabbed the rope and held it in his hands.
"What do you want me to do with this? Hang myself?"
"Sure, or you can get yourself a horse."
"What?"
The alluring beauty folded her arms across her large bosom. She leaned in a little closer to the outlaw. "You're gonna have to work for your horse, you jerk."
"This is stupid. Do you see that thing? Do you see how mad it is?" He protested.
"That's because he hasn't been tamed yet. So you can either do the work or you get no horse." She asserted as she shoved him in the chest. Her push caused him to stumble back a little.
"Fine," He rumbled. The blonde then focused his Mako eyes on the speeding horse. "Can you at least give me some pointers here? What do I do after I lasso him?"
"After you lasso him, you gotta break him!" Tifa said as she hurried her way towards the fence. She gracefully climbed out of the pen and placed her western hat on that hung around her neck.
This is fucking crazy!
Cloud could feel his heart racing in his chest and the blood pumping through his veins. He couldn't believe he was doing this. He had never broken a horse before, or never really handled horses. Hell, the only large animal he had ever dealt with was a blockheaded cow that his parent's owned on their farm.
Cloud dashed out of the way as the beast charged at him again. As the black horse whizzed by, he could hear it grunt and snort. Cloud swung the rope up over his head, ready to toss it. He carefully watched the animal heedlessly bolt around the edges of the timber fence and patiently waited for the right moment to throw. After a few minutes, he found a break in the dust storm. He casted his rope as the horse emerged from it.
He missed.
"Dammit!" He muttered as he gathered his lasso to try again. He could hear Tifa giggling off in the corner somewhere. Cloud ignored her and swung the rope again for a second effort.
He waited again for a similar opening and was successful. The feral horse drastically skidded to a stop as the rope wrapped around his neck. He violently reared and released a shrill. Cloud inched closer as the animal threw his long neck around to try and get the lasso off of him. As the man drew closer to mount him, the stallion took off.
Oh no…
The gunman was yanked off his feet. and his chest slammed against the ground. His cowboy hat flew off as the horse dragged him across the dirt. Immediately he released his grip from the rope and rolled off to the side. Cloud laid there for second before jumping on his feet again. He bent over and placed his hands on his knees as he ravenously inhaled in the crisp, afternoon air. Gaia, he was already tired of this shit.
I thought this 1st Class Mako shit was supposed to make me stronger and faster?
"Hey! Uh…that's not how you do it!" Tifa shouted. Cloud could hear the worry in her voice.
"I know, dammit!" He snapped. He spat out the dirt in his mouth in discontent.
I'll definitely be sore tomorrow…
As dusk fell upon Edge, the mustang began to settle down. His long gallops turned to short trots. His head was hanging low in exhaustion. The mustang's dense muscles had lost their energy, and his lungs were overworked. He continued to huff through his wet nostrils as he kept a vigilant eye on the tenacious human. Cloud was fatigued as well, but he didn't care. He wasn't going to give up now after all the falls and throws he took from the bucking mammal. This horse was his.
Come on you stupid horse, give up already!
The outlaw wiped the dust from his eyes with his arm as he attempted to get closer again to the animal. He approached with caution. The horse rested his hazy, black eyes on the male and ceased his walk. Cloud copied the horse and was stagnant. The two were still for what seemed like an eternity until the marksman made a move forward. He took a few sluggish steps and waited again. He repeated this until he was right next to the robust creature. He was so close to it that he could feel its breathing. Placidly, Cloud put his hand on the horse's neck and tenderly stroked it. He could feel the animal relax.
"Good boy…you're okay…I'm not gonna hurt you," Cloud whispered.
He gradually made his way to the mammal's flank and slowly mounted. He took a handful of the stallion's black mane and gave a light tug to signal the male to move. The horse obeyed and started his trot around the fence with his head naturally bobbing up and down. Cloud the guided the horse towards the middle of the pen, where Tifa was now standing. When he reached her, he dismounted. He gave her a brash, half smile.
"I can't believe it. You broke him." Tifa said as she brushed her bangs away from her brown eyes. She held a canteen in one hand while the other held his black western hat. "I didn't think anyone could do it."
"Did you guys try to break him?" He breathed out.
"Yep," She handed over the water canteen to the drained gentleman. "My father and I just brought him in a few days ago. We barely had the speed to catch him. When we tried to break him, he would put up vicious fights. He's too stubborn for us…just like you."
He lifted his head to meet her gaze for a moment before taking the container.
"How long was I out here?" Cloud asked as he shifted his posture and voraciously drank the clear liquid from the canteen.
"Only a couple of hours."
"I was out here for hours?" He panted. Water droplets dripped off the side of his chapped lips as he spoke. "Were you…out here the whole time?"
"I might have been. Why?" A coy grin suddenly appeared on her visage.
"I just…nothing." The marksman awkwardly turned his head away. He frowned as he returned the canteen back to her.
You look a lot nicer when you smile.
She took it and pushed up the brim of her brown hat. "So, what's his name?" She asked with her smile still beaming.
Cloud looked at the all black mustang next to him before replying to her. "…Fenrir."
"Fenrir? What kind of name is that?"
"Well, it's better than Phoenix or Stella."
Tifa rolled her eyes and handed the man his hat.
"Here's your hat, cowboy." She said and turned to walk away.
Hey wait!
"Hey, Tifa…"
She whirled around to listen. "Yeah?"
"I just…" Cloud meekly rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry for trying to steal Stella."
She smiled at him again, and he could see her dark eyes soften a little.
"It's all right." She said as she continued her stride towards her home. "You know, once you're done with your WRO business, you should look into becoming a horse rancher."
Cloud sighed. "I'll keep that in mind…"