Disclaimer ----- Yeah I don't own the characters or terms used in this fic. All characters are copyright to Squaresoft and not me....damn.
THE HEDGEHOG'S DILEMMA
There he stood. Waiting. For what, he didn't quite know. He failed to come to the realisation
that it was now over, his quest to save the world had ended. Now, he was just one...
FLASHBACK
Sephiroth...
The man he wanted to be and the man he wanted to kill stood in front of him. Cloud watched as
his nemesis slowly raised the mighty masamune to combat position. The final battle had begun.
Cloud stared into the mako eyes of his enemy as the memories flooded back to him.
Zack...
Nibelheim...
Mother...
Aeris...
'They shall be avenged...'
With that, the battle had ended quicker than it had begun. Cloud's limit was up, much to
Sephiroth's dismay. In a swift burst of rage, Cloud attacked Sephiroth with all the energy and
strength present in his body.
...Omnislash...
For one moment. One glorious yet dismal moment, all was quiet. The roles had changed for the
final time.
The hunter was now the hunted...
Blood pulsed out of the man who once struck fear into the hearts of many. A mere shell of his
former self, Sephiroth stared back at his former comrade. However, there was something different
about the look in his eyes. All the arrogance and pride that had once been present there
had now deteriorated into nothingness, and what was visable instead, was pure fear.
Cloud stared back, half in relief, half in non-belief.
He had won.
END FLASHBACK
The world had never been so calm. It had been a whole day since that day. His friends celebrated
at the newly dubbed '7th Heaven' in Kalm for their much deserved victory. Yet, Cloud could not
bring himself to celebrate. Alone again, he stared up to the stars who for now were his only companions.
'What now?' he thought. 'Sephiroth is dead. Jenova is obselete. Once again, my life has no meaning.'
...Aeris...
Without her, he could never experience happiness again. Without an enemy, he could never feel alive again.
The Hedgehog's Dilemma
The closer he got to someone the more the spikes that was his existence dug in to them. Aeris was a prime example of what happens when someone gets too close to Cloud Strife. She would never be there anymore...he had nothing left.
All that awaited him now was...death.
Suicide never seemed so appealing. From one death, a new found happiness could be reborn. Once again, he could be reunited with his mother, the one he missed so much. Zack, possibly his only real buddy.
And Aeris, the woman he still believed he loves.
Only one thing was keeping him from executing this act. One person. One soul.
Tifa.
She was always there for him, through thick and thin. She gave him courage when he felt afraid, and she gave
him hope when it seemed all was lost. Her smile could weaken his knees, just as her spirit could melt his heart. But could he live for her?
AT THE PARTY
'Cloud where are you...?'
Tifa Lockheart searched frantically through the familiar faces and strangers of the party. None of these faces however, was him.
'Cloud...why do you hide from me? Can't you see that I want to help you? Can't you see that I love you...'
Thats when it struck her... Why did she love him? She had been subject to rejection, pain, and heartache. All at the hands of Cloud. But yet, she could not bring herself to hate him. The way he scratched his head when he got nervous, how he would go red everytime he was around her, and how somehow she knew as long as he was there, everything would be okay.
Tifa searched frantically when suddenly she ran into an unsuspecting Barret.
"Whoa! Shit Tifa watch where you goin' okay!?" he said trying to keep his balance.
"Barret...I'm sorry I...Cloud, have you seen him at all tonight?" she managed to ask.
"Sorry can't help you there. What you need to talk to Spike about anyways?"
"I..I just haven't seen him since the incident and...I..I'm starting to worry" she said with tears in her eyes.
"Tifa you...really love that airhead don't ya?"
"...Yes, I do. No matter how pointless this love is..." she said, the tears began to fall down her cheek.
"Tifa, you more than a friend to Cloud. As much as he LOVED Aeris, do you really believe that she would have done
all the things you have for his spikey-headed ass? I think you know the answer, and there's no a doubt in my mind
that he knows it too."
Tifa stared at Barret almost in disbelief for a moment.
'Is this the same Barret that I remember?' she thought to herself, almost giggling out loud.
"Barret?"
"Yeah?"
"........Thanks ya big lug."
"I should pound ya for that...."
BACK OUTSIDE
'Barret....Cid....Red XIII....Cait Sith....Yuffie....Vincent. How will their lives change if I
cease to exist? Not one bit! Sure they'll be sad, but after a while they would be better off.
They've used me to save this world, what need to they have for me now? At least...that is what I
used to think. She changed all that. She and Aeris. They showed me that friendship goes deeper
then that, and I the fool believed it!'
Even through death, Cloud was once again torn between the sweet flowergirl from the slums,
and his childhood friend... no...childhood 'acquaintance'.
'Acquaintance'
That word stuck in his head for several minutes after that.
'My past is all a lie. So much so that I don't even know who I am anymore. I don't know Tifa,
I just think I do. How can a simple 'acquaintance' that didn't even know I existed like me now?'
However, Cloud knew deep in his heart that Tifa did love him. In some strange way she cared so
much for him that she rescued his mind from imprisonment.
'No one else would have ever done that. Not even her...'
Aeris. Did she love him? Or did she love the Zack part of him? In a way, he didn't care. The
way she made him feel when she was alive was good enough reason to embrace death and meet with
her again.
'Tifa has never made me feel the same as Aeris had.'he thought. 'A friend...that is all Tifa is,
a friend...'
He knew now what he had to do. He lifted his buster sword, the sword that would be the start
and finish of this fantasy, and pointed the blade at his heart.
'All good things must end...sometime.'
He forced the sword towards his heart with all his might, when out of nowhere, a pare of slender
hands pushed it out oh his own. Cloud took a step back to watch the sword as it plummeted to the
soft earth below, before turning to look at the person who pushed it away. He was unsuprised
when he saw Tifa staring back into his eyes.
"Cloud what the hell do you think you are doing?!" She screamed in confusion.
Cloud took a moment to give his childhood 'acquaintance' a cold stare before answering in monotone.
"Ending this life, to be with her again."
Her. She knew already who he meant. Who else could it be? Aeris of course. Tifa quickly turned away
trying to avoid his gaze, as tears welled up in her eyes. She wiped them away and turned back.
"So you're just going to giveup?! You're just going to throw away your life because...she...
isn't here?! People die Cloud, but they don't expect their friends to kill themselves at the loss
of them!"
"She was more than a friend Tifa!! Can't you understand that! Of course you don't, you don't
know what to love someone means..." he said almost evilly.
Tifa stopped a second as the hurtful words began to sink in. 'I don't know how to love? You are so
wrong Cloud...' Tifa thought.
Cloud could see the tears begin to roll down her beautiful cheeks, and his heart began to melt.
He suddenly felt an urge to reach out and hold her, and tell her he was sorry.
'No. Its better if she hates me, it'll make it easier when the time does come...'
"Good Night Tifa." Cloud spoke avoiding her gaze, as he began to walk down the hill towards Kalm.
As hurt as Tifa was by the words said to her by the man she loved, she could not let him walk away.
She had left so many words unsaid. She must say them now...
"CLOUD!" she scremed as she ran down the hill after him. She stopped about 5 meters
away from him and gazed into his eyes.
"I know...that you love Aeris, and....if you are to take your life, I need you to know
something..." The tears flowing freely now. She stuttered trying to say these words, yet she
never took her eyes of his the whole time.
"Cloud...I..love you. Ever since you came back in my life that day in Sector 7,
I could never think of anything else. I tried to sum up the courage to tell you but, she came,
and I never could..."
"Shut up." Cloud interrupted her with his eyes tightly shut.
"Don't make up some bullshit Tifa! Just because you say these stupid words that you don't
mean will not give me a reason to live!" He said with his eyes wide open now.
"Cloud...you don't understand. I speak the truth!! The day you made the second promise to me
at the 7th Heaven, the night at the Gold Saucer, the day before we fought Sephiroth! Would I have
done any of those if I didn't love you?!"
Tifa was crying so hard now she lost track of what she was saying. Cloud stared back in disbelief.
He was shocked but yet, he felt something else. All of a sudden he felt...wanted.
"You can't love me...what have I done to make you love me?" he said faintly.
"You didn't have to do anything...Cloud." she attempted a weak smile.
'Tifa...I realise now. It was always you. Aeris never would have saved me from the the life stream,
only you would have. Only you.'
From hearing Tifa's words, he certified his earlier thought. Tifa had never made him feel the way
Aeris had...she made him feel even better. He loved Tifa...
"Somehow, I always knew I loved you. Theres something you gave me that always made Aeris second best and always will...and that was your love" he said finally looking up to meet her gaze.
They stared at each other for several seconds, until finally Cloud closed the gap between them, and
took her in his arms. Tifa was now crying in happiness, as was the man she was holding. They held
each other for several minutes never changing that position, and not speaking a word. They were
beyond words now...
Cloud was the one to break the sweet embrace as he slid his fingers from her back, till they were
interwined with her own soft gentle ones. His gaze never left her eyes as the serenity passed
through them. Cloud was filled with happiness but yet still felt a twinge of nervousness build in
his stomach when he realised he didn't know what to do next. Not wanting to spoil the mood like
he always had before, he suddenly became deep in thought. He wouldn't need to worry however, as
she has already acted first...
Tifa pulled him towards her as she pressed her lips softly against his. Cloud was taken
fully by suprise which soon wore away as he savoured their first kiss...
Seconds passed before they both pulled away breathless in more ways than one.
Cloud finally seized the moment as he stared deeply into her eyes.
"I love you...and I was a fool for not realising it before..." He said finally.
Tifa giggled lightly before she replied smiling.
"You still are a fool Cloud...but you're my fool." she said as her smile faded.
Cloud then pulled her back in his arms and kissed he once again. He gently tilted her head back
and deepened the kiss even further. As their tongues gently touched, both knew that they were
never going to be lonely again from that moment on. As the kiss became more passionate, suddenly
a voice was heard from down the hill.
"YO TIFA WATCH IT! I think the poor guy is tongue tied!!!"
'Barret...' she thought.
Suddenly laughter could be heard as the couple sadly broke the kiss. Still in each others embace,
they turned to see their friends watching them with large smiles implanted on their faces.
"Well at least Cloud has got something to DO now!" Cid said trying to contain his laughter.
Tifa glared evilly back at Cid before turning back to her lover.
"Come on Cloud, lets go..."
The couple broke their embace and walked down the hill hand in hand.
The Dilemma was over, and the fantasy had just begun...
~FIN~
So ummm....WHAT DID YOU THINK!? This was merely a challenge I set myself to see if I could do a romance fic. Please no flames, only wanted criticism please! How can I improve and and generally what do you think of the fic itself?
Thanks for ya time,
GRIEVER