Something About Us
By Frank Candiloro
Cloud Strife stared at the pool that he had buried Aeris in at the Forgotten Capital. He sighed. Life just wasn't the same without her. Sure, he defeated both Sephiroth and Shinra, but he would trade both of those things if it meant he could see Aeris one more time.
"Tifa," Cloud said. "I...I miss her."
Tifa Lockhart beside him nodded. "So do I. But it is in the past now and the future is what really matters." Tifa said.
Cloud nodded. He was lucky that Tifa was alive. She was his childhood friend, they had known each other since they were kids. They fought Shinra together, and Sephiroth as well, although Cloud had finished him off. He was glad that Tifa was still here on this planet.
"Come on guys." Barret Wallace said. "Let's go back."
Cloud, Tifa and Barret walked away from the pond. They made it back to the entrance of the Forgotten Capital. They were about to leave when a tall man with no hair, sunglasses and a white shirt under a black blazer appeared. Cloud gasped. It was Rude from the Turks! The last time they fought was when Cloud and the others returned to Midgar to stop Hojo from blowing up Midgar. Rude, Reno and Elena had escaped. But now Rude was back.
"Rude! What do you want?" Cloud said, clasping onto the handle of his sword, intending to swipe it at him.
Rude shrugged. He pulled out a shotgun. "I'm delivering a message from Tseng." He said.
"What?! Tseng? But he died back in the Temple Of The Ancients!" Barret said.
Rude shook his head. "Oh no no no. He was just injured badly. But he recovered. And he wants to settle the score with you. So I came here with a message." Rude said.
Rude walked up to Tifa. "Tifa, my sweet Tifa. All this time I have adored you, despite the fact that we are enemies." Rude said. He started pacing back and forth. "If there was any justice in this world, we would be together. Oh well."
"Rude, what are you trying to say?" Tifa demanded.
"What I'm trying to say is..." Rude started. He pointed his gun at Tifa and cocked back the hammer. "It is such a shame to do this, but I must, because I am a Turk."
"NO YOU CAN'T!!!" Cloud said. He ran up to him, but it was too late. Rude fired the gun. The bullet made an impact in Tifa's chest. She looked shocked, but then fell to the ground.
"NOOOOOOOO!!!!" Cloud shouted. "YOU BASTARD!!!"
Rude started running. Cloud and Barret started chasing him. Rude ran past the Highwind. Suddenly, the Highwind rose up in the air and fired bullets at Rude. Rude slumped to the ground, dead.
The Highwind landed. The pilot, Cid Highwind, got out.
Cid ran towards Cloud. "What the hell is-"
He stopped when he saw Tifa lying on the ground.
Cloud picked Tifa up. Tifa looked at him.
"Cloud...it's over..." Tifa whispered.
Cloud tried to fight back the tears that were coming through. "No, it ain't over, we'll get some help, everything will be all right." He said, stuttering.
"No...Cloud...this is...the...end...for me." Tifa whispered.
Cloud shook his head. "It's gonna be allright! Really it is!" Cloud said angrily.
Tifa leaned closer to Cloud. "Cloud...promise me...you'll stop the Turks..."
"I promise." Cloud said.
Tifa's eyes closed. Her body was heavy. Tifa didn't move.
Cloud looked at her with wide eyes for a moment, then started crying. He couldn't believe it. First Aeris, now Tifa! It wasn't fair.
Barret looked sad. So did Cid.
* * *
"I just can't believe this happened." Cloud said. "Tifa was my best friend."
"I know. I'm terribly sorry this happened. I feel somewhat guilty for this." Vincent Valentine said.
Cloud stared at him. "Don't be stupid! It wasn't your fault!" He shouted.
"But I was a former Turk. And he was a Turk too." Vincent said.
"Listen, Vince, it ain't your fault. It's Rude's fault, not yours. And don't forget that!" Cloud said.
Reeve, formerly Cait Sith, walked forward at that time. "Tifa's locked up in the glass chamber. Where should we bury her?" He said.
"Both of her parents are dead. We should bury her with them at Nibelheim." Cloud said.
"When will that be?" Reeve said.
"Not now. Tommorow." Cloud said.
"All right Cloud." Reeve said. He walked off.
Cloud walked to his room on the Highwind. He sat down on the table and put his hands to his face, still crying.
* * *
The funeral began. The funeral was in the Shinra mansion. Tifa was placed in a coffin. She was buried in a grave next to her parents. Cloud placed some flowers in a small vase and put in in front of the tombstone.
"Hey, can we stay here tonight?" Yuffie asked.
"I suppose so." Cloud said.
"Are you sure about that?" Red XIII said. "We don't have to stay if you don't want to."
"Look, I'm fine, we'll stay here! Here is fine!! Okay?!" Cloud burst out.
Cloud ran up to the inn, paid his money and walked into his room, slamming the door. Red XIII sighed. Cloud is upset, he thought to himself, so I better not bother him.
* * *
Cloud tried to get some sleep that night, but he absolutely could not. He kept on tossing and turning in his bed. Cloud lay on his back and stared at the ceiling for a while, thinking about Tifa...
When they first met....
IT MIGHT NOT BE, THE RIGHT TIME,
I MIGHT NOT BE, THE RIGHT ONE...
Cloud meeting Tifa in Nibelheim 5 years ago...
BUT THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT US, I WANT TO SAY,
CAUSE THERE'S SOMETHING BETWEEN US ANYWAY...
Cloud saving Tifa from Sephiroth 5 years ago...
I MIGHT NOT BE THE RIGHT ONE,
IT MIGHT NOT BE THE RIGHT TIME...
The childhood promise...
BUT THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT US I'VE GOT TO DO,
SOME KIND OF SECRET I WILL SHARE WITH YOU...
The Lifestream...
I NEED YOU MORE THAN ANYTHING IN MY LIFE
I WANT YOU MORE THAN ANYTHING IN MY LIFE
And before fighting Sephiroth...
I'LL MISS YOU MORE THAN ANYONE IN MY LIFE
I LOVE YOU MORE THAN ANYONE IN MY LIFE.
Thoughts about Tifa flowed in his head for two hours before finally falling asleep.
* * *
As soon as Cloud woke up, he woke up with a mission, to stop the Turks once and for all!
Cloud knocked on everyone's door and asked them to gather for a meeting near the well.
Everyone arrived at the well. Cloud spoke up.
"We are here today, to discuss our new mission." Cloud said.
"An' what is that?" Barret said grumpily. He wasn't too happy about getting up so early in the morning.
"We are going to stop the Turks! I made a promise to Tifa just before she died, that I would take care of Tseng once and for all!" Cloud said.
"But do you actually think you can beat him?" Cid said.
"I KNOW I can!" Cloud said. "Are you with me?"
It was quiet for a moment. Then Cid spoke up.
"Yeah! We'll do it!" Cid said.
The others all cheered along with him.
"We need to know where he is." Cloud said.
"He might be in Shinra Headquarters, if he wants to bring back Shinra. We should go there." Vincent said.
"Allright! We'll go the same way we returned to Midgar to stop Hojo, parachuting to Sector 8!" Cid said.
"Wouldn't it be easier with we jes climbed the cable in Wall Market?" Barret asked.
Cloud shook his head. "It wouldn't work. The cable has disappeared. It was probably used to install the cannon into Midgar. No need to worry about that now! Everybody get to the Highwind!
Everybody ran to the Highwind. Cid started it up and flew off.
* * *
They arrived in Shinra Headquarters after having to go through Sector 8 and the winding tunnel.
They made it to the top. Sure enough, Tseng was sitting there.
"TSENG!!!" Cloud yelled. "You are going to get it!!"
Tseng looked up. "Oh it's you." He said.
"Why did you have to kill Tifa?!" Barret said.
"I didn't kill Tifa, Rude did." Tseng said.
"But why? Why did you commmand him to?" Cloud said.
Tseng stood up. And walked up to Cloud.
"Because Aeris is gone, and I had a crush on her." Tseng said.
"What has that got to do with anything?" Cloud demanded.
"I felt angry that Aeris has perished. We have known each other since we were kids. I was devastated when I heard she was dead, although we were enemies." Tseng said.
Tseng flicked back a loose strand of hair back. "So I wanted you to experience the same thing I experienced, what it is like to lose a child hood friend!" Tseng said angrily.
"But we didn't kill Aeris, Sephiroth did!" Yuffie protested.
"It does not matter." Tseng said.
"Let's have out Tseng, you and me, right now. Outside on the balcony." Cloud said.
Tseng laughed. "You wish to challenge moi?" He said.
"You bet your cold Turk ass I will!" Cloud said.
Vincent winced at that remark. He was a Turk once.
"Ok then. We'll make it a fist fight then. Let's go." Tseng said.
* * *
Cloud and Tseng were facing each other. Their tops were taken off, with them only wearing pants and shoes.
Tseng smiled wickedly. "Let's begin."
"YOU'LL PAY!!!" Cloud shouted. He began running up to Tseng and was punching him. Tseng was anticipating his every move. Cloud tried to get in, but he couldn't.
"Did you actually think this would be easy you spikey haired idiot!" Tseng said.
Cloud continued to punch. Tseng cornered him onto the wall of the building.
"Look Tseng, I just want to tell you one thing, WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!?!" Cloud screamed, pointing to Tseng's side.
Tseng looked. Cloud took the oppurtunity to punch Tseng in the stomach and then in the jaw. Tseng, unprepared for the move, was sent flying back.
Tseng got up, wiping blood off that had drippled down from his chin. He was mad! He grabbed Cloud and pushed him to the balcony.
Tseng was holding Cloud over the balcony, head first. For a moment, it looked like the end for Cloud.
"Don't kill me Tseng. Don't take your anger out on me." Cloud said.
"Look on the bright side, you'll be joining Aeris and Tifa very very soon." Tseng said.
With that, Tseng was about to push Cloud over, but Cloud grabbed on to the bar. He placed Tseng's head in between his legs and pushed it forward.
Cloud was hanging on the bars, but Tseng was not so lucky. Tseng's head fell out of Cloud's shoulder and he fell, screaming all the way.
Cloud looked, using one hand to hold onto the bar. Tseng was gone, dead.
Cloud hoist himself up and jumped over.
Everyone started cheering him.
"That was awesome!" Yuffie said.
"You impressed me, even if I was a former member of Shinra." Reeve said.
"Yeah... but I did it for Tifa. Actually, not just Tifa, but Aeris, as well!" Cloud said.
"Come on Cloud. Let's go home." Barret said.
And when that was said, everyone walked off the balcony and down the stairs to the Highwind.
THE END
This story was written by Frank Candiloro. Copyright Frank Candiloro 2001.
Final Fantasy VII, characters, the Highwind and locations are property of Squaresoft Ltd.
The song "Something About Us" was written and composed by Daft Punk from the album "Discovery".
All rights reserved.
By Frank Candiloro
Cloud Strife stared at the pool that he had buried Aeris in at the Forgotten Capital. He sighed. Life just wasn't the same without her. Sure, he defeated both Sephiroth and Shinra, but he would trade both of those things if it meant he could see Aeris one more time.
"Tifa," Cloud said. "I...I miss her."
Tifa Lockhart beside him nodded. "So do I. But it is in the past now and the future is what really matters." Tifa said.
Cloud nodded. He was lucky that Tifa was alive. She was his childhood friend, they had known each other since they were kids. They fought Shinra together, and Sephiroth as well, although Cloud had finished him off. He was glad that Tifa was still here on this planet.
"Come on guys." Barret Wallace said. "Let's go back."
Cloud, Tifa and Barret walked away from the pond. They made it back to the entrance of the Forgotten Capital. They were about to leave when a tall man with no hair, sunglasses and a white shirt under a black blazer appeared. Cloud gasped. It was Rude from the Turks! The last time they fought was when Cloud and the others returned to Midgar to stop Hojo from blowing up Midgar. Rude, Reno and Elena had escaped. But now Rude was back.
"Rude! What do you want?" Cloud said, clasping onto the handle of his sword, intending to swipe it at him.
Rude shrugged. He pulled out a shotgun. "I'm delivering a message from Tseng." He said.
"What?! Tseng? But he died back in the Temple Of The Ancients!" Barret said.
Rude shook his head. "Oh no no no. He was just injured badly. But he recovered. And he wants to settle the score with you. So I came here with a message." Rude said.
Rude walked up to Tifa. "Tifa, my sweet Tifa. All this time I have adored you, despite the fact that we are enemies." Rude said. He started pacing back and forth. "If there was any justice in this world, we would be together. Oh well."
"Rude, what are you trying to say?" Tifa demanded.
"What I'm trying to say is..." Rude started. He pointed his gun at Tifa and cocked back the hammer. "It is such a shame to do this, but I must, because I am a Turk."
"NO YOU CAN'T!!!" Cloud said. He ran up to him, but it was too late. Rude fired the gun. The bullet made an impact in Tifa's chest. She looked shocked, but then fell to the ground.
"NOOOOOOOO!!!!" Cloud shouted. "YOU BASTARD!!!"
Rude started running. Cloud and Barret started chasing him. Rude ran past the Highwind. Suddenly, the Highwind rose up in the air and fired bullets at Rude. Rude slumped to the ground, dead.
The Highwind landed. The pilot, Cid Highwind, got out.
Cid ran towards Cloud. "What the hell is-"
He stopped when he saw Tifa lying on the ground.
Cloud picked Tifa up. Tifa looked at him.
"Cloud...it's over..." Tifa whispered.
Cloud tried to fight back the tears that were coming through. "No, it ain't over, we'll get some help, everything will be all right." He said, stuttering.
"No...Cloud...this is...the...end...for me." Tifa whispered.
Cloud shook his head. "It's gonna be allright! Really it is!" Cloud said angrily.
Tifa leaned closer to Cloud. "Cloud...promise me...you'll stop the Turks..."
"I promise." Cloud said.
Tifa's eyes closed. Her body was heavy. Tifa didn't move.
Cloud looked at her with wide eyes for a moment, then started crying. He couldn't believe it. First Aeris, now Tifa! It wasn't fair.
Barret looked sad. So did Cid.
* * *
"I just can't believe this happened." Cloud said. "Tifa was my best friend."
"I know. I'm terribly sorry this happened. I feel somewhat guilty for this." Vincent Valentine said.
Cloud stared at him. "Don't be stupid! It wasn't your fault!" He shouted.
"But I was a former Turk. And he was a Turk too." Vincent said.
"Listen, Vince, it ain't your fault. It's Rude's fault, not yours. And don't forget that!" Cloud said.
Reeve, formerly Cait Sith, walked forward at that time. "Tifa's locked up in the glass chamber. Where should we bury her?" He said.
"Both of her parents are dead. We should bury her with them at Nibelheim." Cloud said.
"When will that be?" Reeve said.
"Not now. Tommorow." Cloud said.
"All right Cloud." Reeve said. He walked off.
Cloud walked to his room on the Highwind. He sat down on the table and put his hands to his face, still crying.
* * *
The funeral began. The funeral was in the Shinra mansion. Tifa was placed in a coffin. She was buried in a grave next to her parents. Cloud placed some flowers in a small vase and put in in front of the tombstone.
"Hey, can we stay here tonight?" Yuffie asked.
"I suppose so." Cloud said.
"Are you sure about that?" Red XIII said. "We don't have to stay if you don't want to."
"Look, I'm fine, we'll stay here! Here is fine!! Okay?!" Cloud burst out.
Cloud ran up to the inn, paid his money and walked into his room, slamming the door. Red XIII sighed. Cloud is upset, he thought to himself, so I better not bother him.
* * *
Cloud tried to get some sleep that night, but he absolutely could not. He kept on tossing and turning in his bed. Cloud lay on his back and stared at the ceiling for a while, thinking about Tifa...
When they first met....
IT MIGHT NOT BE, THE RIGHT TIME,
I MIGHT NOT BE, THE RIGHT ONE...
Cloud meeting Tifa in Nibelheim 5 years ago...
BUT THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT US, I WANT TO SAY,
CAUSE THERE'S SOMETHING BETWEEN US ANYWAY...
Cloud saving Tifa from Sephiroth 5 years ago...
I MIGHT NOT BE THE RIGHT ONE,
IT MIGHT NOT BE THE RIGHT TIME...
The childhood promise...
BUT THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT US I'VE GOT TO DO,
SOME KIND OF SECRET I WILL SHARE WITH YOU...
The Lifestream...
I NEED YOU MORE THAN ANYTHING IN MY LIFE
I WANT YOU MORE THAN ANYTHING IN MY LIFE
And before fighting Sephiroth...
I'LL MISS YOU MORE THAN ANYONE IN MY LIFE
I LOVE YOU MORE THAN ANYONE IN MY LIFE.
Thoughts about Tifa flowed in his head for two hours before finally falling asleep.
* * *
As soon as Cloud woke up, he woke up with a mission, to stop the Turks once and for all!
Cloud knocked on everyone's door and asked them to gather for a meeting near the well.
Everyone arrived at the well. Cloud spoke up.
"We are here today, to discuss our new mission." Cloud said.
"An' what is that?" Barret said grumpily. He wasn't too happy about getting up so early in the morning.
"We are going to stop the Turks! I made a promise to Tifa just before she died, that I would take care of Tseng once and for all!" Cloud said.
"But do you actually think you can beat him?" Cid said.
"I KNOW I can!" Cloud said. "Are you with me?"
It was quiet for a moment. Then Cid spoke up.
"Yeah! We'll do it!" Cid said.
The others all cheered along with him.
"We need to know where he is." Cloud said.
"He might be in Shinra Headquarters, if he wants to bring back Shinra. We should go there." Vincent said.
"Allright! We'll go the same way we returned to Midgar to stop Hojo, parachuting to Sector 8!" Cid said.
"Wouldn't it be easier with we jes climbed the cable in Wall Market?" Barret asked.
Cloud shook his head. "It wouldn't work. The cable has disappeared. It was probably used to install the cannon into Midgar. No need to worry about that now! Everybody get to the Highwind!
Everybody ran to the Highwind. Cid started it up and flew off.
* * *
They arrived in Shinra Headquarters after having to go through Sector 8 and the winding tunnel.
They made it to the top. Sure enough, Tseng was sitting there.
"TSENG!!!" Cloud yelled. "You are going to get it!!"
Tseng looked up. "Oh it's you." He said.
"Why did you have to kill Tifa?!" Barret said.
"I didn't kill Tifa, Rude did." Tseng said.
"But why? Why did you commmand him to?" Cloud said.
Tseng stood up. And walked up to Cloud.
"Because Aeris is gone, and I had a crush on her." Tseng said.
"What has that got to do with anything?" Cloud demanded.
"I felt angry that Aeris has perished. We have known each other since we were kids. I was devastated when I heard she was dead, although we were enemies." Tseng said.
Tseng flicked back a loose strand of hair back. "So I wanted you to experience the same thing I experienced, what it is like to lose a child hood friend!" Tseng said angrily.
"But we didn't kill Aeris, Sephiroth did!" Yuffie protested.
"It does not matter." Tseng said.
"Let's have out Tseng, you and me, right now. Outside on the balcony." Cloud said.
Tseng laughed. "You wish to challenge moi?" He said.
"You bet your cold Turk ass I will!" Cloud said.
Vincent winced at that remark. He was a Turk once.
"Ok then. We'll make it a fist fight then. Let's go." Tseng said.
* * *
Cloud and Tseng were facing each other. Their tops were taken off, with them only wearing pants and shoes.
Tseng smiled wickedly. "Let's begin."
"YOU'LL PAY!!!" Cloud shouted. He began running up to Tseng and was punching him. Tseng was anticipating his every move. Cloud tried to get in, but he couldn't.
"Did you actually think this would be easy you spikey haired idiot!" Tseng said.
Cloud continued to punch. Tseng cornered him onto the wall of the building.
"Look Tseng, I just want to tell you one thing, WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!?!" Cloud screamed, pointing to Tseng's side.
Tseng looked. Cloud took the oppurtunity to punch Tseng in the stomach and then in the jaw. Tseng, unprepared for the move, was sent flying back.
Tseng got up, wiping blood off that had drippled down from his chin. He was mad! He grabbed Cloud and pushed him to the balcony.
Tseng was holding Cloud over the balcony, head first. For a moment, it looked like the end for Cloud.
"Don't kill me Tseng. Don't take your anger out on me." Cloud said.
"Look on the bright side, you'll be joining Aeris and Tifa very very soon." Tseng said.
With that, Tseng was about to push Cloud over, but Cloud grabbed on to the bar. He placed Tseng's head in between his legs and pushed it forward.
Cloud was hanging on the bars, but Tseng was not so lucky. Tseng's head fell out of Cloud's shoulder and he fell, screaming all the way.
Cloud looked, using one hand to hold onto the bar. Tseng was gone, dead.
Cloud hoist himself up and jumped over.
Everyone started cheering him.
"That was awesome!" Yuffie said.
"You impressed me, even if I was a former member of Shinra." Reeve said.
"Yeah... but I did it for Tifa. Actually, not just Tifa, but Aeris, as well!" Cloud said.
"Come on Cloud. Let's go home." Barret said.
And when that was said, everyone walked off the balcony and down the stairs to the Highwind.
THE END
This story was written by Frank Candiloro. Copyright Frank Candiloro 2001.
Final Fantasy VII, characters, the Highwind and locations are property of Squaresoft Ltd.
The song "Something About Us" was written and composed by Daft Punk from the album "Discovery".
All rights reserved.