Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy 7 characters, places and things all belong to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I own none of it. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it.
SHARDS COLLIDE
CHAPTER 11
Cloud slowly opened his eyes. To say he felt like hell was an understatement. The only other time he had been in this kind of condition was after his duel with Sephiroth and that was an experience he had hoped to never have to go through again. He felt as if he were sucking in acid with every breath. It was a chore, even to keep his eyes open. His head was pounding furiously and he vaguely found himself wishing he were indeed dead already so that the agonizing pain would stop.
He closed his eyes again hoping that sleep would claim him once more and upon waking again, he would feel much better. However, to his misfortune, sleep did not claim him. After a few moments, he reopened his eyes.
He quickly threw his hand over his face, shielding it from the bright glare of the swinging light overhead. Slowly and meticulously, Cloud sat up from his bed and looked around at his surroundings.
"What is this?" He mumbled to himself as he looked at the odd setting. He was lying in a bed with a table next to him that had medical supplies on it and tones of healing materia. All around he saw that the room was slightly cluttered with odd assortments of bandages, and medical supplies but it also had articles of spare clothing and whatnot. Cloud finally came to the conclusion that the room must have been a storage area.
Cloud suddenly jerked back as he felt movement coming from the foot of his bed. He automatically drew his hand to his back but noticed that his buster sword was not there. Panic was beginning to seize him. He slowly leaned forward to get a better look at what it was. He saw the outlines of a shapely woman sleeping. Her hair was covering her face and she was shitting on a chair, sleeping in the lap of her folded hands, which were rested at the foot of his bed.
Cloud flinched when he saw her move again. Slowly she rose her head up groggily. Cloud narrowed his eyes. He tried to move out of bed but slouched back slightly from the pain. He sat up again as best he could as the woman finished waking up. Whoever this was, he would face her like a man. He would not show any weakness to these ShinRa captors.
The woman slowly brought her head up and brushed the dark brown hair away from her face. Suddenly the whole world went blank for them both. Each one stared wide-eyed at the other.
Cloud could barely utter a word. His mind simply could not process what his eyes were telling him.
On Tifa's part, she was shocked as well. Not so much by surprise that Cloud was alive but simply by the fact that he was here now. She couldn't believe that after all this time, the two of them were finally together again and that they were facing one another. She didn't know what to say. In this situation words were useless. The eyes said it all.
Disbelief and astonishment gleamed in Cloud's eyes. He suddenly narrowed them in suspicion. "Who are you?" He rasped in a dry voice. His body seemed to have become even more fatigued at this new revelation.
Tifa continued to look at Cloud with wide eyes. This time, hurt was clearly defined in them. "Then… y… you don't remember me…? Cloud it's me… Tifa…"
"Cloud shook his head violently. "NO!" He hissed. "It can't be! That's impossible! TIFA'S DEAD! I was there! I saw it myself!"
Tears were now beginning to streak down his eyes. Tears of torment and sadness. He couldn't bare to look at the woman who wore the appearance of one he cared so deeply about in his past. He quickly turned his face away so he wouldn't have to be tortured by it any longer. "I don't know what kind of sick games ShinRa is trying to play with me but they won't work! Do you hear me? They won't work Damnit!"
Cloud bent his head low in anguish and suddenly fell into a fit of sobs and tears. Deep sympathy touched Tifa's heart. The irony of it all did not escape her. He was crying for his lost companion. He was crying for her. Tifa sat on his bed and slowly wrapped her arms around his shaking shoulders. She hugged him close as he continued to sob. "Shhh… its ok now Cloud… I know how you must feel…but it is me…"
Suddenly Cloud grew angry and thrust his arms out, pushing her away from him. "Get away from me imposter! I will not be fooled!"
Tears were forming in Tifa's eyes now. "Cloud?…" She said it so silently; so pitifully that Cloud's heart began to ache despite himself.
"Prove it." He rasped. He was beginning to become over fatigued by everything that was happening. Tifa saw this and slowly stood up. She walked to the sink and poured water into a cup then handed it to him.
Cloud looked at the cup wearily, then accepted it. His resistance was not yet strong enough to resist the much-needed liquid coolness. Cloud hungrily drained the cup in two gulps then licked his lips rewardingly. He had gone without regular food for so many days that his body was naturally dehydrated.
"More." He gasped as he handed her the cup.
A slight smile tugged at the edges of Tifa's lips as she took the cup from him and refilled it at the sink. She pulled out a pitcher from one of the cabinets and filled that with water as well then walked over and sat down next to him on his bed. After receiving the second cup of water he quickly drained it. Tifa leaned forward and poured him another cup full from the pitcher. This time he drank it slower and was able to restrain his urge to down the whole thing rapidly. Tifa watched him for a while as he nursed his drink, taking small sips now.
"You were out for 4 days." She said finally.
Cloud did not respond. He continued to take sips, staring off into space.
"You're one lucky guy, you know that? If it wasn't for your friend Zack, you would probably be dead right now."
That got a response. Cloud suddenly turned to face her with anxious eyes then dropped his cup and gripped her shoulders tightly with both hands. "Zack?!? Where's Zack? Where's Aeris? Tell me! What have you done with them?"
Tifa closed her eyes against the intense pain. "Nothing." She muttered. "I told you already! I'm your friend! I'm Tifa!"
Cloud shut his eyes tightly, not wanting to look into the hurt face of this woman. "Prove it!" He said. "If you really are Tifa, then prove it to me!"
Tifa nodded slowly then opened her eyes and stared at his with emotion and feeling. "Please?" She asked innocently. "You're hurting me."
Cloud couldn't stop the rush of regret that assaulted him. Even if this was an imposter, he couldn't stand to see those eyes trained on him. He couldn't bare to hurt her anymore then he already had. He quickly released her and lowered his head mumbling a soft apology.
Tifa smiled lightly. She looked up into the rafters thinking back to the time when life was so much simpler. "Do you remember Cloud…" She said softly. "Do you remember the night you made a promise to me? A promise that no matter what happened, you would always be there for me?"
Cloud's eyes snapped wide. His heart pounded loudly and tears were once again streaking from his eyes. With all of his might, he willed himself to nod.
Tifa was similarly becoming filled with emotion by the memory. "…You said you would return to me where ever you ended up in life. That you would return to me and protect me."
Cloud closed his eyes and let out a soft sob of happiness and regret. Tifa continued.
"You told me that you would be my knight in shining armor." A soft giggle escaped her lips at the fond memory. "and that no matter what, you would save me from any-"
"Kind of danger whatsoever…even if it was a fire dragon…" Cloud finished. Tifa looked up at him softly and tears began to form in her eyes. Tears already marked Clouds face.
Suddenly Cloud lunged forth and embraced Tifa in a tight hug. Tifa reciprocated with a hug of her own with equal intensity. "Oh Cloud…" she whispered as more tears fell from her face.
Cloud was sobbing with tears of happiness. "Tifa…" He said in a tight voice. "Oh Tifa I've missed you so much! I … I thought I'd never… Oh Tifa!" He couldn't finish his statement as he was too overcome with emotion to say anything more. Thus the two of them just sat there in each other's arms, cherishing their moment of togetherness.
****
From behind the slightly opened door, a tormented Aeris looked on in overwhelming Grief. She had initially come to check up on Cloud like she had always done at this time. She had just finished training with Zack and was going to sit with Cloud for a few hours. When she heard voices from within she was elated that Cloud was finally awake but before she burst inside, something held her back and so she was compelled to listen. By the sounds of the conversation, her heart sank lower and lower until she finally couldn't take it anymore.
'So that's it then…' She told herself mentally. 'That woman is actually Tifa…The girl cloud told me he had nearly died fighting to protect… The girl Cloud was in love with during his youth…' Aeris couldn't help the jealousy and sadness that gripped her heart. She immediately tore herself away from the door in anguish and ran towards the back door of the bar crying her heart out. Everyone else was doing something else so no one noticed, no one except Jessie, who noticed the young woman's tortured soul all too well.
****
Zack walked casually down the corridors of the Avalanche hideout, heading towards the room Cloud was currently in. He was sure Aeris would already be there. She was always there at this time. He had initially planed to practice more by himself and sharpen up his skills but then he figured the young green-eyed woman might get lonely. He also decided that it would be nice to pay Cloud a second visit for the day. Thus he sheathed his broadsword and was presently on his way. Zack walked up to the slightly ajar room only to hear a pair of voices from within.
A grin quickly formed on his face. Cloud was awake. He promptly reached for the door to swing it open when suddenly a rough hand grabbed his shoulder. By reflex, Zack was about to retaliate until he recognized the voice along with the hand.
"We need to talk!"
"Barret?" Zack turned around to face the Avalanche leader. "What's up?"
Barret gave him a serious look. "Meet me in my office." With that, he turned and walked back down the corridor.
Zack scratched the back of his head in confusion then glanced back at the door he was about to enter. Finally he closed his eyes and walked discouragingly towards Barret's office.
****
Aeris sat alone in the field where she and Zack usually trained. She wiped her dry eyes and stared gloomily out at the landscape of the desolate area. She had no more tears to shed yet the ache in her heart was sign enough that she was still troubled by the scene she had witnessed only a few moments earlier.
She let out a deep sigh as her mind ran rampant with all kinds of thoughts. She had excelled in ways she never thought she would. Thanks to Zack, she had developed skills that would protect her from menaces, which she would normally hide from. She also learned to train her mind to a level where she could blot out troublesome thoughts while in the heat of combat. Zack had taught her all of this. 'But for what reason?' She thought to herself sadly. 'I was depressed about Cloud and that's what led him to teach me the art of fighting. He trained me simply so that I could take my mind off of the man who haunts my dreams. But now look at me? All that training was for nothing!'
She thought back on her reaction to Cloud and Tifa's conversation and cringed inwardly. 'I ran away just like a frightened little girl… maybe that's all I am to Cloud… a little girl who needs protecting… I'm nothing more to him then just a … SISTER FIGURE!'
Aeris closed her eyes to blot out the anguish of this new train of thought. She slowly cupped her face in her hands as she tried to get a hold of her troubled thoughts.
"You ok over there?" A voice asked from the distance.
Aeris recognized the voice immediately and turned her head. "Jessie…? I'm sorry, we never really got the chance to talk before. I wanted to thank you for helping me back at the bar… and also I wanted to thank you for helping Cloud…"
Jessie closed her eyes with a knowing smile traced on her lips. She slowly walked over to Aeris and took a seat next to the troubled woman.
"Ya know you really don't have to be so secretive. I know exactly what you're going through."
Aeris blinked rapidly. "Huh?"
Jessie sighed. "You're upset about what's going on between Cloud and Tifa because you feel something for Cloud. Am I right?"
Aeris nodded slowly with a perplexed expression on her face. "B- but how did you…"
Jessie smiled lightly. "It's written all over your face hon. How could anyone not notice?"
Aeris stared down despondently. "I just don't know what to do. I mean if Cloud is really in love with her I don't want to come between them… It's just that…"
"It's just that what Aeris? Come on, think about it! You've only known this guy Cloud for how long? Maybe a week? Half of which time, he was knocked unconscious! Look Aeris, I really think you are rushing through this. So you and Cloud are extremely physically attracted to one another, how many times does that happen?"
"But there's something between us! I know there is. Whenever I'm with him I feel…"
"Attraction? Some sort of connection which you can't explain? Honey whatever it is, it can't be love. You don't know enough about him to be in love with him."
Aeris was quiet for a moment and stared vacantly into the dust covered distance. Finally she sighed heavily. "Maybe I am… Maybe I am rushing things way too far…. So what do you think I should do?"
Jessie smiled lightly. "Get to know him better. Look, don't try and hurry into a relationship especially when he just found out that his childhood friend is still alive! He's probably got all kinds of mixed feelings right now. Just give him some time to breathe. Let him think this through. I'm not saying he'll automatically turn to Tifa, I'm simply saying that you should allow him to make his own decision and to understand where he's coming from."
Aeris continued staring at the ground but nodded her head slowly.
"Hey!" Jessie said, clutching her shoulder. "At the same time, you shouldn't just be sitting on the side waiting to find out if you're only second best!"
Aeris looked up at the young Avalanche woman. "What do you mean?"
"Cheer up for crying out loud! Stop being so damn gloomy all the time! You should find your own happiness. Don't wait for others to bring it to you!"
Suddenly something snapped in Aeris and memories of Zack's previous words began circulating through her mind once again. 'Life can be what you make of it…'
It was all starting to make sense to her now. The reason why Zack had been trying to get her mind off of cloud, the reason why Jessie was talking with her now. She was simply torturing herself. Just like she had done years ago. She kept on thinking there was something wrong with her when in fact it wasn't her but simply the situation she and Cloud had created for themselves.
Aeris smiled and looked up at Jessie with bright eyes. "Thank you Jessie. I think I understand now."
Jessie returned the smile then stood up. "That's the way to think about things. Stop worrying about what other people think of you and rely on your own self-made happiness."
Aeris nodded. "Yeah, I'm beginning to see what you mean."
"Yup, well I have some more things to do around the bar but if you ever need to talk, I'll be there for you Aeris. Just give me a holler."
Aeris smiled again. "Thank you Jessie. I will."
****
Tifa laughed heartily as Cloud told her jokes of his times together with Zack during the past eight years. Cloud was sitting perfectly upright on his bed while Tifa was once again sitting in the chair next to him.
"Are you serious?" Tifa asked, rubbing tears of laughter from her eyes. Zack actually attacked his own Chocobo when the two of you were first trying to catch one?"
Cloud nodded as he was shaking with laughter. "Yes! It was hilarious. Zack is always trying to show off to everyone. It doesn't matter who they are."
Tifa nodded. "I guess…"
Tifa suddenly looked down in sadness. "I only wish my life was as eventful in the past eight years. Ever since the incident, I had traveled to Midgar and have been doing everything I could to pay Shinra back for what they did to me and my hometown. It's been like a constant nightmare."
Cloud placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Tifa… I'm sorry."
Tifa nodded and sighed heavily at the tragic memory.
Cloud slowly put his hand under Tifa's chin so that she could look him in the face. "Tifa… I've got a favor to ask you. I need to know what's been going on while I was out. How did I get here? Can you tell me what's happened to my friends?"
Tifa nodded once again and closed her eyes. "Yes Cloud. I'll tell you everything you need to know."
****
"So what's this all about?" Zack asked casually as he leaned back in one of the chairs situated in Barret's office.
Barret gave him a steady look. "Ok I'm gonna make this real short. You were training with Aeris right? I watched you. Where did you learn to fight like that? I've only seen those moves once before and based on the knowledge of who was using them at that time, it doesn't say a lot for you right now."
Zack scratched the back of his head in mild interest. "Oh? Who was using them then?"
"DON'T BULL$HIT ME!" Barret seethed in unbridled anger, slamming his fists down on his desk to emphasis his point. "Those fighting styles are only known among the Shinra. The fact that you, a mere 'mercenary', knows them says only one thing on your behalf. It says that you're a traitor spying on us!"
Zack quickly raised his arms up to ward off Barret's accusations. "Now wait just a minute! I'm not a spy for Shinra! I hate those bastards! They took away my family and my hometown! They destroyed my life! I want nothing more then to tear them apart!"
Barret glared at the young black haired man with unconvinced eyes. Finally he rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily. "Look, I'm only going to ask you this once. Did you learn those moves from Shinra?"
Zack lowered his head. "… Yes…"
Barret nodded then stared straight into Zack's hazel brown eyes for what seemed like hours. Finally, the dark skinned man broke eye contact and sat back down in his chair. "To be honest, I don't know what to make of you right now. You don't have the same look about you that all the other Shinra soldiers have. I don't know were you stand but from all accounts on your behavior, I'm willing to put a temporary trust in you."
Zack broke out with a smile and prepared to speak but Barret suddenly cut him off.
"However… I'll be watching you like a hawk on this coming mission. As of right now, your loyalty is at question and depending on how you do on this first mission will determine whether I can continue to trust you or not. By your request, I held off this mission until your partner woke up. I'm sure you're aware that he is awake. Jessie's been monitoring him for the past few days and gave me the confirmation that he was awake a few minutes before I tracked you down. Now that he's up there's nothing holding us back from the mission."
Zack thought to object, willing to argue that Barret should give Cloud time to regain his strength but judging by the man's new found apprehension towards him, he decided not to chance it. Instead Zack simply nodded his head in understanding.
"Right… Notify your friends. The mission starts first thing tomorrow. Be prepared."
::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::
Author's note: Thank you for reading. Sorry about the wait, School's been kinda bugging me for a bit but hopefully I'll get the rest of the chapters out faster. Once again, thank you and please stay tuned for chapter 12.
-Cordis