It did not take Tifa long to start a fire with a Fira Materia, as Cid and Cloud changed to dry clothes. Aeris, in her long pink dress and red jacket, leaned against a pillar of the pagoda, like a doll playing at sleep. Tifa had been watching her from the corners of her eyes. Tifa looked at Aeris sadly, for she had been a comrade, and warily, for she had also loved Cloud. It was a precarious and conflicting balance of emotions. It maddened her.
"So what's next?" she asked, voice trembling slightly.
Cloud, who had been turning the Magicite shard over and over in his hands, shrugged. Cid remained silent.
Tifa hesitated, then said, "This is wrong, Cloud." She rose from her spot and kneeled beside him. "I've been thinking about this. Aeris' time is passed. She's dea--"
"NO!" Cloud bellowed, his voice cutting through the silence like a knife. He blinked, looking startled at himself.
Tifa winced, threw her arms up to protect her. When no blows landed on her, she opened her eyes, and regarded him warily. Cloud was still seated, his ankles crossed, but his hands were clenched. He no longer had the magicite in his hands; Tifa noticed he had thrown it so it landed right in front of Aeris.
"No," he began again, more slowly. His hands were still balled up into fists. "We have to do this. We have to try! We owe it to her! How could we not, after all she's done for us-- done for the world?"
"Cloud," Tifa said. Her fingers were intertwined, held up before her face in a pleading gesture. "Cloud, this is wrong. I want to see Aeris again, too. But this is wrong.
"She's dead, Cloud." A tear rolled down her left cheek, followed by another. "You shouldn't do this."
Cloud stared blankly at her, not believing his ears. "Tifa, what are you saying? What do you mean I shouldn't do this?" He gripped his head in his hands, and doubled over. His brow furrowed into an anguished look, his jaw working in a soundless wail. "Tifa, how could you say such a thing? Don't you care about Aeris?"
"Cloud-- Are you okay?" Tifa rose slightly from her crouch, and reached her hand out to him. Cid shot his arm out, pressed her back. Tifa spun on the older man, anger flashing in her eyes, but suddenly disappearing when she saw him give a slight shake of the head.
She looked down, and noticed his gloved hand tensing around the haft of his spear-lance. Was he serious? Cloud couldn't be driven to that. Could he?
He had been possessed before.... There were times that Cloud wasn't entirely himself. Tifa clenched her hands into fists, feeling helpless.
"How can you say that, Tifa? Answer me!" Cloud erupted at last, his spittle flying, his face contorted in rage.
"Calm down, boy," Cid warned in a level voice.
Cloud's eyes rested on him. A low growl started in the deep of his throat, and became a deep bass rumble. His own hands started to curl around the bandaged hilt of his sword. Barely exerting an effort, he unsheathed his Ultima blade and brought it up into an offensive stance. As blade scraped against scabbard, a distinct ring of metal hung in the air.
Cid pushed Tifa away and leveled his spear-lance with the Ultima blade. "He's gone. Pushed over the freaking, blasted edge." He took a moment to glare at her and bark an order. "Wake up, girl! You know what to do!"
Tifa jerked, as though awoken from a dream. She nodded at him although he was no longer watching. Cloud took advantage of the opportunity; a moment's distraction was all he needed.
The two men leapt at each other as one, their weapons swinging simultaneously as though choreographed. Sparks jumped as blade met steel haft. Cloud pushed Cid away with a wordless snarl, and then stepped in with a thrust. Cid twisted his wrist, deflecting the heavy blade easily.
"Now, Tifa! NOW!" he screamed, never daring to remove his eyes from Cloud.
SILENCE, Tifa screamed at the top of her lungs.
"So what's next?" she asked, voice trembling slightly.
Cloud, who had been turning the Magicite shard over and over in his hands, shrugged. Cid remained silent.
Tifa hesitated, then said, "This is wrong, Cloud." She rose from her spot and kneeled beside him. "I've been thinking about this. Aeris' time is passed. She's dea--"
"NO!" Cloud bellowed, his voice cutting through the silence like a knife. He blinked, looking startled at himself.
Tifa winced, threw her arms up to protect her. When no blows landed on her, she opened her eyes, and regarded him warily. Cloud was still seated, his ankles crossed, but his hands were clenched. He no longer had the magicite in his hands; Tifa noticed he had thrown it so it landed right in front of Aeris.
"No," he began again, more slowly. His hands were still balled up into fists. "We have to do this. We have to try! We owe it to her! How could we not, after all she's done for us-- done for the world?"
"Cloud," Tifa said. Her fingers were intertwined, held up before her face in a pleading gesture. "Cloud, this is wrong. I want to see Aeris again, too. But this is wrong.
"She's dead, Cloud." A tear rolled down her left cheek, followed by another. "You shouldn't do this."
Cloud stared blankly at her, not believing his ears. "Tifa, what are you saying? What do you mean I shouldn't do this?" He gripped his head in his hands, and doubled over. His brow furrowed into an anguished look, his jaw working in a soundless wail. "Tifa, how could you say such a thing? Don't you care about Aeris?"
"Cloud-- Are you okay?" Tifa rose slightly from her crouch, and reached her hand out to him. Cid shot his arm out, pressed her back. Tifa spun on the older man, anger flashing in her eyes, but suddenly disappearing when she saw him give a slight shake of the head.
She looked down, and noticed his gloved hand tensing around the haft of his spear-lance. Was he serious? Cloud couldn't be driven to that. Could he?
He had been possessed before.... There were times that Cloud wasn't entirely himself. Tifa clenched her hands into fists, feeling helpless.
"How can you say that, Tifa? Answer me!" Cloud erupted at last, his spittle flying, his face contorted in rage.
"Calm down, boy," Cid warned in a level voice.
Cloud's eyes rested on him. A low growl started in the deep of his throat, and became a deep bass rumble. His own hands started to curl around the bandaged hilt of his sword. Barely exerting an effort, he unsheathed his Ultima blade and brought it up into an offensive stance. As blade scraped against scabbard, a distinct ring of metal hung in the air.
Cid pushed Tifa away and leveled his spear-lance with the Ultima blade. "He's gone. Pushed over the freaking, blasted edge." He took a moment to glare at her and bark an order. "Wake up, girl! You know what to do!"
Tifa jerked, as though awoken from a dream. She nodded at him although he was no longer watching. Cloud took advantage of the opportunity; a moment's distraction was all he needed.
The two men leapt at each other as one, their weapons swinging simultaneously as though choreographed. Sparks jumped as blade met steel haft. Cloud pushed Cid away with a wordless snarl, and then stepped in with a thrust. Cid twisted his wrist, deflecting the heavy blade easily.
"Now, Tifa! NOW!" he screamed, never daring to remove his eyes from Cloud.
SILENCE, Tifa screamed at the top of her lungs.