Chapter 3 - Recovered Hearts
The next morning Cloud awoke to find that no one but him occupied the bedroom. He looked at the clock by the table at his side, which said six-fifteen AM. He had no idea what time the sun had rose but it was already shining brightly outside, so he was probably supposed to have been up and ready a while back.
He jumped straight out of his bed and put his clothes on, before rushing out of the room and down the stairs. After leaving the inn he ran north through the town until he reached the beginning of the path to the mountains that was just next to the great Mansion.
Sephiroth stood there with the three other soldiers by his side. Even as Cloud approached him his eyes seemed to stay in the same positions, never once shifting to look at a sudden moving object.
"Ah," he said as Cloud finally stood before him. "I see you're finally ready."
"Sorry I held you up, sir. Won't happen again."
"Oh don't worry. You didn't hold us up at all. We're waiting for the guide, so as soon as she gets here we're moving out."
A man of about forty years of age stepped in between Cloud and Sephiroth and pointed his finger at the General's eyes.
"Listen General," he said firmly. Cloud seemed to recognize the man. "If anything happens to her I swear I'll break every bone in your-"
"Trust me, trust me," Sephiroth said, interrupting the small man. "Everyone here will be okay."
"Yes, well if my daughter comes back with even a scratch I'll-"
"I'll be okay, dad!" came a small voice that interrupted the man once again. "I have all these soldiers to protect me!"
The girl was young, maybe about fifteen years old and her long, black hair reached the top of her thighs, hanging like a shining, wavy ribbon. She wore a large, excitingly coloured hat, a white blouse, a short, red skirt and small, brown hiking boots.
"Hi everyone!" she said to the soldiers cheerfully. "I'm Tifa Lockheart."
Cloud's heart suddenly skipped a beat as he heard the name. He turned around to face the young girl and couldn't believe what he was seeing. Tifa had been his best friend during his childhood and he had known her all his life. She was still just as beautiful as she had ever been and her joyful attitude had remained with high spirits.
"Tifa!" he said with a shudder. "You're the guide?"
"That's right," she said confidently. "It just so happens that I'm the number one guide in this town."
Cloud looked at her carefully, trying to work out if she recognized him. Her eyes showed little surprise of him being there.
"Well…" he said stuttering. "…well…don't you…remember me?"
She smiled gently. "Of course I do, Cloud. Nice to see you come back here after two years." She seemed to have missed Cloud all this time and anyone could sense her anger to see him return after such a long time
"I can't let you get involved in this!" Cloud said with anxiety. "It's too dangerous!"
His concern and frustration of Tifa journeying through the mountains was clearly perceptible. He didn't want to come back after two years and then let her get killed in the mission.
"There's no problem if you protect her," Sephiroth said in a wise voice as he walked slowly up the path. "Now let's go."
Cloud didn't know what to say. He wasn't about to argue with the General about getting another guide, but then could he really protect Tifa enough to prevent her getting hurt? Either way the situation was already fixed and she was going whether he liked it or not…which he didn't.
Just as everyone began to walk up the stony path a man ran in front of Sephiroth with a small black camera in his hands.
"Mr. Sephiroth!" he said loudly. "Please let me take one picture for a memento!"
The General's eyes rolled in their sockets and as he walked in front of the mansion the photographer held his camera up to position. Sephiroth stood next to Cloud and Tifa, performing no pose whatsoever.
Tifa gently held Cloud's cold hand and stood close to him, trying to make sure the long handle of Sephiroth's sword didn't prod her in the eye.
"Say cheese!" shouted the photographer loudly with his finger on the shoulder of the small camera. Tifa was the only one to say cheese, while Cloud just gave a mumble. Sephiroth said nothing at all.
The man's finger went down, the camera clicked and a white flash occupied the square, disappearing immediately. Sephiroth walked away immediately, not waiting to hear a reply from the photographer.
"Thank you very much," the man said. "I'll give each of you a copy once I get it developed."
Neither Cloud nor Sephiroth could actually care for a copy and as neither of them had real homes it was unlikely the man could send them one. Still, Tifa was the sort of person not to waste anything and she would soon have a new photo on her wall in no time.
The cold, misty air of the Nibel Mountains suited its evil, menacing appearance. The mountains themselves were like none of the usual ones in other parts of the world. No cone-shaped mounds of rock with peaks of snow at the top were here.
These were different. They were more like gigantic trees in a huge, fossilized forest, black spikes protruding from them and pointing towards the sky. The whole land was a bed of malevolence with the fog crawling across each thorn of the mountains.
There was only one small path that went through the mountains and that was the one that led all the way to the Mako Reactor at the peak of the tallest mountain, Mount Nibel. It ran all the way from the town and went through the valleys of various peaks before winding its way up Mount Nibel and to the flat rock clearing at the peak.
The travelers hiked in single-file with Tifa leading at the front. Even the soldiers at the far back of the group could easily see her large hat, so no problems arose with anyone getting lost or splitting apart from everyone else.
They all strolled along the narrow, white path of gravel quite happily at the beginning of the journey and little conversation took place between the soldiers. However, Cloud had been walking up ahead with Tifa to make it easier to protect her from any beasts that might live within the caves in the mountains. She found his pointless actions rather amusing as she had lived by the mountains all her life and knew how to fight. She trained in martial arts and was used to battling young dragons and flying blue-wings.
"So," she said to Cloud as they walked down a steep section of the path, "How have they been treating you all this time?"
"Who?" asked Cloud, steamy, white breath coming out from his mouth. "Shinra?"
"Yeah," Tifa replied with a nod.
"Okay, I guess. Foods fine."
"They're based at Midgar aren't they?"
"Yeah, but the military's based at Vadd City. Never been to the capital."
"Oh."
Despite their long separation it was difficult trying to talk about what had happened during the past two years. Cloud found it uncomfortable walking beside Tifa with nothing to say and was tempted to slowly drop behind with the other soldiers. There was so much he wanted her to know, but he could hardly think of a way to express his thoughts by words. He could tell that she was the same way and he knew how uncomfortable she felt too.
"They gave me some Materia to use out here," he said, breaking the silence. "Fire magic."
"Really?" Tifa asked surprised. "Show me."
Cloud reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out the round, red ball with steam drifting away from it. It glowed intensely as he wrapped his fingers around it and swirling flames of fire could be seen inside it, like a mystical lava lamp.
"Wow," Tifa said, slowing down her pace to get a better look at it. "Do you know how to use it?"
"Sure," Cloud replied self-assuredly. "I was using it back at Vadd. The General says I can't use it unless we encounter any threats though."
"Why not?" Tifa asked as she felt the top of the ball, red translucent steam surrounding her fingers. "Is it dangerous?"
"No, it's not that," Cloud said as he put the materia back into his pocket. "I'm quite good with using materia. It's just that the magic runs out if you use it too much. The more it glows, the stronger it is. The more it dims, the weaker it is. When the magic has been used up it stops glowing completely."
"Cool," Tifa said, interested in the wonderful matter that had been used by Shinra during most of its supremacy. "I've never used any before."
"Not many people have," Cloud said, once again indicating his desire to protect her. "Do you still train with Nobi?"
"His name is Nuba," Tifa replied firmly, never quite sure why Cloud disliked her combat master so much. "And yes, he still trains me."
"Oh. That's good. I think everyone should learn to defend themselves."
"Yes," Tifa replied. "But I guess it depends on where you live. I go into these mountains all the time, so I should be prepared to fight off any creatures here."
"Have there been more monsters recently?"
"Yes and much bigger ones, too; more intelligent. They come down to the town when the sun sets and that's why the streets are always empty. Kind of like a curfew."
Cloud looked high up at Mount Nibel, its huge, spiny, black peak poking through the clouds.
"Well it's the Mako Reactor up there that's causing them," he said, pointing to the huge crag. "As soon as we reach it, we'll counterbalance the problem, or so the General says. I don't know how easy it will be though."
"Can I help?"
"This is purely soldier business," Cloud replied sternly with no regard to Tifa's abilities. "A woman wouldn't last ten seconds in there."
Tifa looked at him with revulsion and slight disgust. "What's that supposed to mean?" she said as she put her hands by her hips and stopped on the gray path. Cloud stopped too to face her. The other soldiers were far behind, not in sight in fact, as they were behind a steep run of the path.
"What?" Cloud asked with a shrug, not realizing the true standpoint of his comment. "It's true. Women are weaker than men. We've gone through tons of training. And I know you've been doing martial arts all your life, but I doubt you could take on several enemies at a time."
Tifa groaned heavily. "You are so-"
She stopped for a while, trying to think of a word to describe Cloud's judgment of her skills.
"So what?" he asked.
She said nothing. She had many words she could use to describe his attitude, but she didn't want to start an argument or sound as offensive as he was. It was frustrating for her that after these past two years that he had been a member of the Shinra Military he still hadn't changed much. Still the same self-centered, egocentric, insensitive bearing remained within him.
And so the group continued along the path that ran through the mountains, before finally approaching the foot of Mount Nibel. It towered over them like a giant beast trapped in time, its spiky, rock branches bending out and twisting in all directions. The path had stopped at a canyon that separated the foot of the mountain from the rest of them, and a long rickety wooden bridge ran across it over the misty depths below.
"Is that thing safe?" Cloud asked Tifa as the other soldiers approached from behind.
"It has been for the past twenty years," Tifa replied as she walked onto it. "Don't worry. You should make it across."
The long bridge rocked gently from side to side as Tifa walked across it and the posts that supported it from both sides of the canyon seemed to be tugged a little with every step she took.
"You sure?" Cloud asked nervously. "It doesn't look safe to me."
The other soldiers, led by Sephiroth, soon arrived at the canyon and stood by Cloud, staring at the bridge as Tifa almost reached the halfway point.
"Come on," Sephiroth soon said and then began to go up the bridge as well. Cloud followed him behind, holding onto the rope railings tightly, and the other soldiers followed further behind.
As he walked up slowly he looked down at the blackness that was right beneath his feet. There appeared to be no bottom to the canyon and all that could be seen within it was the damp, misty air that swirled around in peculiar patterns.
Tifa was up ahead and had almost reached the top when soon Cloud looked behind and saw that the posts at the edge of the canyon were sliding out of their holes. Suddenly the bridge began to fall a few metres and the whole group found themselves holding tight to the rope railings as it kept shaking from the drop.
"Tifa!" Cloud shouted loudly, his voice echoing several times. "I thought you said this thing was safe!"
"I thought it was!" she shouted back as she reached the other side of the canyon, away from the danger of another drop. "Hurry! The posts are coming loose!"
Cloud quickly lay down on his front and grabbed hold of the wooden steps that ran along the bottom of the bridge. The posts disconnected from one edge of the canyon and the bridge began to drop down quickly. Cloud held on tightly as the water vapor rushed around his face. Eventually the bridge bashed against the side of the mountain that Tifa was at and remained hanging, rocking from side to side.
"Cloud!" Tifa cried, concerned as she peered over the edge of the canyon to try to catch a glimpse of anyone holding onto the bridge still. There was nothing. The moment of panic had suddenly faded into an uncomfortable silence. She stayed crouched and quiet, hardly believing the situation.
Suddenly the blade of a sword stabbed onto the edge and a man dressed in black pulled himself up by the handle. It was Sephiroth.
Tifa stood up surprised, and Sephiroth rested his sword on the sheath at his back.
"Move out of my way, child," he said as he stepped away from the edge and walked past Tifa. "You were foolish to lead us along such a ill-fated path."
"That was the only path!" Tifa exclaimed. "You asked that I take you to the reactor and that's what I'm doing."
"The bridge was completely unsafe. How was it that the posts came out so easily and with such little weight upon them?"
"I have no idea. It's always been strong, I never thought it would-"
"Yes," Sephiroth said, interrupting Tifa. "Well we can't remain here. I have a mission to complete. Come on."
He walked away and towards the gray path that spiraled up Mount Nibel.
"Wait!" Tifa cried. "Aren't you going to wait for Cloud?"
"He didn't make it," Sephiroth said and then turned away. "Now come on."
"What!" Tifa said, not accepting his statement. "He must have made it!"
"I saw the armored soldiers fall down into the canyon. If they couldn't make it then that small child wouldn't have made it either. Trust me, I can do the rest of the mission on my own."
"You don't even care about your fellow men?" Tifa shouted angrily and in frustration. She wouldn't leave the edge and was constantly peering over at the bridge. "You're the general! They were your responsibility!"
"Actually it was you who led us across this bridge."
"Well you should at least stay and wait to see if any survived."
Sephiroth sighed and turned around, putting his sword into the ground. "Fine," he said quietly. "Five minutes." He sat down at a rock and put his head down.
Tifa was relieved to hear the General agree to stay, but still her concern for Cloud remained.
"Cloud!" she shouted loudly. "Are you there?"
There was still no answer and the only sound was the wind whistling through the canyon. Tears dropped down the side of Tifa's cheeks. She hadn't realized before just how terrible it would be if he were dead, but now she knew how much she cherished him, despite his personality flaws.
"He's gone, girl," said Sephiroth bluntly. "Get over it."
Tifa said nothing.
The minutes passed and Sephiroth soon stood up. "Now I'm going to the reactor. I suggest you join me. You won't be safe here by yourself."
"No," Tifa said angrily as she turned around to face him. "I'm not leaving until I see Cloud."
"By the time you see Cloud you'll be with him in heaven," Sephiroth said. "Neither of you will manage to take on the monsters without me. And trust me, they're watching you right now, waiting for a chance to strike. I promised your father you wouldn't die out here, so don't be a pain. Just stay with me."
"Forget it," Tifa replied as more and more tears ran down her face. "I'm not going to leave Cloud here and neither should you."
Sephiroth was going to argue no longer, realizing that it would take more than words to take Tifa away from the cliff. However, he couldn't continue on the mission without her, like he had threatened to. She was under his responsibility, but he felt beaten as he sat back down to continue waiting with her. A while longer and he would have to drag her away by force. She remained at the edge and sat down, putting her head in her hands, and continued to cry quietly…
The next morning Cloud awoke to find that no one but him occupied the bedroom. He looked at the clock by the table at his side, which said six-fifteen AM. He had no idea what time the sun had rose but it was already shining brightly outside, so he was probably supposed to have been up and ready a while back.
He jumped straight out of his bed and put his clothes on, before rushing out of the room and down the stairs. After leaving the inn he ran north through the town until he reached the beginning of the path to the mountains that was just next to the great Mansion.
Sephiroth stood there with the three other soldiers by his side. Even as Cloud approached him his eyes seemed to stay in the same positions, never once shifting to look at a sudden moving object.
"Ah," he said as Cloud finally stood before him. "I see you're finally ready."
"Sorry I held you up, sir. Won't happen again."
"Oh don't worry. You didn't hold us up at all. We're waiting for the guide, so as soon as she gets here we're moving out."
A man of about forty years of age stepped in between Cloud and Sephiroth and pointed his finger at the General's eyes.
"Listen General," he said firmly. Cloud seemed to recognize the man. "If anything happens to her I swear I'll break every bone in your-"
"Trust me, trust me," Sephiroth said, interrupting the small man. "Everyone here will be okay."
"Yes, well if my daughter comes back with even a scratch I'll-"
"I'll be okay, dad!" came a small voice that interrupted the man once again. "I have all these soldiers to protect me!"
The girl was young, maybe about fifteen years old and her long, black hair reached the top of her thighs, hanging like a shining, wavy ribbon. She wore a large, excitingly coloured hat, a white blouse, a short, red skirt and small, brown hiking boots.
"Hi everyone!" she said to the soldiers cheerfully. "I'm Tifa Lockheart."
Cloud's heart suddenly skipped a beat as he heard the name. He turned around to face the young girl and couldn't believe what he was seeing. Tifa had been his best friend during his childhood and he had known her all his life. She was still just as beautiful as she had ever been and her joyful attitude had remained with high spirits.
"Tifa!" he said with a shudder. "You're the guide?"
"That's right," she said confidently. "It just so happens that I'm the number one guide in this town."
Cloud looked at her carefully, trying to work out if she recognized him. Her eyes showed little surprise of him being there.
"Well…" he said stuttering. "…well…don't you…remember me?"
She smiled gently. "Of course I do, Cloud. Nice to see you come back here after two years." She seemed to have missed Cloud all this time and anyone could sense her anger to see him return after such a long time
"I can't let you get involved in this!" Cloud said with anxiety. "It's too dangerous!"
His concern and frustration of Tifa journeying through the mountains was clearly perceptible. He didn't want to come back after two years and then let her get killed in the mission.
"There's no problem if you protect her," Sephiroth said in a wise voice as he walked slowly up the path. "Now let's go."
Cloud didn't know what to say. He wasn't about to argue with the General about getting another guide, but then could he really protect Tifa enough to prevent her getting hurt? Either way the situation was already fixed and she was going whether he liked it or not…which he didn't.
Just as everyone began to walk up the stony path a man ran in front of Sephiroth with a small black camera in his hands.
"Mr. Sephiroth!" he said loudly. "Please let me take one picture for a memento!"
The General's eyes rolled in their sockets and as he walked in front of the mansion the photographer held his camera up to position. Sephiroth stood next to Cloud and Tifa, performing no pose whatsoever.
Tifa gently held Cloud's cold hand and stood close to him, trying to make sure the long handle of Sephiroth's sword didn't prod her in the eye.
"Say cheese!" shouted the photographer loudly with his finger on the shoulder of the small camera. Tifa was the only one to say cheese, while Cloud just gave a mumble. Sephiroth said nothing at all.
The man's finger went down, the camera clicked and a white flash occupied the square, disappearing immediately. Sephiroth walked away immediately, not waiting to hear a reply from the photographer.
"Thank you very much," the man said. "I'll give each of you a copy once I get it developed."
Neither Cloud nor Sephiroth could actually care for a copy and as neither of them had real homes it was unlikely the man could send them one. Still, Tifa was the sort of person not to waste anything and she would soon have a new photo on her wall in no time.
The cold, misty air of the Nibel Mountains suited its evil, menacing appearance. The mountains themselves were like none of the usual ones in other parts of the world. No cone-shaped mounds of rock with peaks of snow at the top were here.
These were different. They were more like gigantic trees in a huge, fossilized forest, black spikes protruding from them and pointing towards the sky. The whole land was a bed of malevolence with the fog crawling across each thorn of the mountains.
There was only one small path that went through the mountains and that was the one that led all the way to the Mako Reactor at the peak of the tallest mountain, Mount Nibel. It ran all the way from the town and went through the valleys of various peaks before winding its way up Mount Nibel and to the flat rock clearing at the peak.
The travelers hiked in single-file with Tifa leading at the front. Even the soldiers at the far back of the group could easily see her large hat, so no problems arose with anyone getting lost or splitting apart from everyone else.
They all strolled along the narrow, white path of gravel quite happily at the beginning of the journey and little conversation took place between the soldiers. However, Cloud had been walking up ahead with Tifa to make it easier to protect her from any beasts that might live within the caves in the mountains. She found his pointless actions rather amusing as she had lived by the mountains all her life and knew how to fight. She trained in martial arts and was used to battling young dragons and flying blue-wings.
"So," she said to Cloud as they walked down a steep section of the path, "How have they been treating you all this time?"
"Who?" asked Cloud, steamy, white breath coming out from his mouth. "Shinra?"
"Yeah," Tifa replied with a nod.
"Okay, I guess. Foods fine."
"They're based at Midgar aren't they?"
"Yeah, but the military's based at Vadd City. Never been to the capital."
"Oh."
Despite their long separation it was difficult trying to talk about what had happened during the past two years. Cloud found it uncomfortable walking beside Tifa with nothing to say and was tempted to slowly drop behind with the other soldiers. There was so much he wanted her to know, but he could hardly think of a way to express his thoughts by words. He could tell that she was the same way and he knew how uncomfortable she felt too.
"They gave me some Materia to use out here," he said, breaking the silence. "Fire magic."
"Really?" Tifa asked surprised. "Show me."
Cloud reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out the round, red ball with steam drifting away from it. It glowed intensely as he wrapped his fingers around it and swirling flames of fire could be seen inside it, like a mystical lava lamp.
"Wow," Tifa said, slowing down her pace to get a better look at it. "Do you know how to use it?"
"Sure," Cloud replied self-assuredly. "I was using it back at Vadd. The General says I can't use it unless we encounter any threats though."
"Why not?" Tifa asked as she felt the top of the ball, red translucent steam surrounding her fingers. "Is it dangerous?"
"No, it's not that," Cloud said as he put the materia back into his pocket. "I'm quite good with using materia. It's just that the magic runs out if you use it too much. The more it glows, the stronger it is. The more it dims, the weaker it is. When the magic has been used up it stops glowing completely."
"Cool," Tifa said, interested in the wonderful matter that had been used by Shinra during most of its supremacy. "I've never used any before."
"Not many people have," Cloud said, once again indicating his desire to protect her. "Do you still train with Nobi?"
"His name is Nuba," Tifa replied firmly, never quite sure why Cloud disliked her combat master so much. "And yes, he still trains me."
"Oh. That's good. I think everyone should learn to defend themselves."
"Yes," Tifa replied. "But I guess it depends on where you live. I go into these mountains all the time, so I should be prepared to fight off any creatures here."
"Have there been more monsters recently?"
"Yes and much bigger ones, too; more intelligent. They come down to the town when the sun sets and that's why the streets are always empty. Kind of like a curfew."
Cloud looked high up at Mount Nibel, its huge, spiny, black peak poking through the clouds.
"Well it's the Mako Reactor up there that's causing them," he said, pointing to the huge crag. "As soon as we reach it, we'll counterbalance the problem, or so the General says. I don't know how easy it will be though."
"Can I help?"
"This is purely soldier business," Cloud replied sternly with no regard to Tifa's abilities. "A woman wouldn't last ten seconds in there."
Tifa looked at him with revulsion and slight disgust. "What's that supposed to mean?" she said as she put her hands by her hips and stopped on the gray path. Cloud stopped too to face her. The other soldiers were far behind, not in sight in fact, as they were behind a steep run of the path.
"What?" Cloud asked with a shrug, not realizing the true standpoint of his comment. "It's true. Women are weaker than men. We've gone through tons of training. And I know you've been doing martial arts all your life, but I doubt you could take on several enemies at a time."
Tifa groaned heavily. "You are so-"
She stopped for a while, trying to think of a word to describe Cloud's judgment of her skills.
"So what?" he asked.
She said nothing. She had many words she could use to describe his attitude, but she didn't want to start an argument or sound as offensive as he was. It was frustrating for her that after these past two years that he had been a member of the Shinra Military he still hadn't changed much. Still the same self-centered, egocentric, insensitive bearing remained within him.
And so the group continued along the path that ran through the mountains, before finally approaching the foot of Mount Nibel. It towered over them like a giant beast trapped in time, its spiky, rock branches bending out and twisting in all directions. The path had stopped at a canyon that separated the foot of the mountain from the rest of them, and a long rickety wooden bridge ran across it over the misty depths below.
"Is that thing safe?" Cloud asked Tifa as the other soldiers approached from behind.
"It has been for the past twenty years," Tifa replied as she walked onto it. "Don't worry. You should make it across."
The long bridge rocked gently from side to side as Tifa walked across it and the posts that supported it from both sides of the canyon seemed to be tugged a little with every step she took.
"You sure?" Cloud asked nervously. "It doesn't look safe to me."
The other soldiers, led by Sephiroth, soon arrived at the canyon and stood by Cloud, staring at the bridge as Tifa almost reached the halfway point.
"Come on," Sephiroth soon said and then began to go up the bridge as well. Cloud followed him behind, holding onto the rope railings tightly, and the other soldiers followed further behind.
As he walked up slowly he looked down at the blackness that was right beneath his feet. There appeared to be no bottom to the canyon and all that could be seen within it was the damp, misty air that swirled around in peculiar patterns.
Tifa was up ahead and had almost reached the top when soon Cloud looked behind and saw that the posts at the edge of the canyon were sliding out of their holes. Suddenly the bridge began to fall a few metres and the whole group found themselves holding tight to the rope railings as it kept shaking from the drop.
"Tifa!" Cloud shouted loudly, his voice echoing several times. "I thought you said this thing was safe!"
"I thought it was!" she shouted back as she reached the other side of the canyon, away from the danger of another drop. "Hurry! The posts are coming loose!"
Cloud quickly lay down on his front and grabbed hold of the wooden steps that ran along the bottom of the bridge. The posts disconnected from one edge of the canyon and the bridge began to drop down quickly. Cloud held on tightly as the water vapor rushed around his face. Eventually the bridge bashed against the side of the mountain that Tifa was at and remained hanging, rocking from side to side.
"Cloud!" Tifa cried, concerned as she peered over the edge of the canyon to try to catch a glimpse of anyone holding onto the bridge still. There was nothing. The moment of panic had suddenly faded into an uncomfortable silence. She stayed crouched and quiet, hardly believing the situation.
Suddenly the blade of a sword stabbed onto the edge and a man dressed in black pulled himself up by the handle. It was Sephiroth.
Tifa stood up surprised, and Sephiroth rested his sword on the sheath at his back.
"Move out of my way, child," he said as he stepped away from the edge and walked past Tifa. "You were foolish to lead us along such a ill-fated path."
"That was the only path!" Tifa exclaimed. "You asked that I take you to the reactor and that's what I'm doing."
"The bridge was completely unsafe. How was it that the posts came out so easily and with such little weight upon them?"
"I have no idea. It's always been strong, I never thought it would-"
"Yes," Sephiroth said, interrupting Tifa. "Well we can't remain here. I have a mission to complete. Come on."
He walked away and towards the gray path that spiraled up Mount Nibel.
"Wait!" Tifa cried. "Aren't you going to wait for Cloud?"
"He didn't make it," Sephiroth said and then turned away. "Now come on."
"What!" Tifa said, not accepting his statement. "He must have made it!"
"I saw the armored soldiers fall down into the canyon. If they couldn't make it then that small child wouldn't have made it either. Trust me, I can do the rest of the mission on my own."
"You don't even care about your fellow men?" Tifa shouted angrily and in frustration. She wouldn't leave the edge and was constantly peering over at the bridge. "You're the general! They were your responsibility!"
"Actually it was you who led us across this bridge."
"Well you should at least stay and wait to see if any survived."
Sephiroth sighed and turned around, putting his sword into the ground. "Fine," he said quietly. "Five minutes." He sat down at a rock and put his head down.
Tifa was relieved to hear the General agree to stay, but still her concern for Cloud remained.
"Cloud!" she shouted loudly. "Are you there?"
There was still no answer and the only sound was the wind whistling through the canyon. Tears dropped down the side of Tifa's cheeks. She hadn't realized before just how terrible it would be if he were dead, but now she knew how much she cherished him, despite his personality flaws.
"He's gone, girl," said Sephiroth bluntly. "Get over it."
Tifa said nothing.
The minutes passed and Sephiroth soon stood up. "Now I'm going to the reactor. I suggest you join me. You won't be safe here by yourself."
"No," Tifa said angrily as she turned around to face him. "I'm not leaving until I see Cloud."
"By the time you see Cloud you'll be with him in heaven," Sephiroth said. "Neither of you will manage to take on the monsters without me. And trust me, they're watching you right now, waiting for a chance to strike. I promised your father you wouldn't die out here, so don't be a pain. Just stay with me."
"Forget it," Tifa replied as more and more tears ran down her face. "I'm not going to leave Cloud here and neither should you."
Sephiroth was going to argue no longer, realizing that it would take more than words to take Tifa away from the cliff. However, he couldn't continue on the mission without her, like he had threatened to. She was under his responsibility, but he felt beaten as he sat back down to continue waiting with her. A while longer and he would have to drag her away by force. She remained at the edge and sat down, putting her head in her hands, and continued to cry quietly…