*Warning*- The characters of Final Fantasy VII in no way belong to me (damn), and therefore I take no credit for the characters, which are all copyright to Square Soft Inc and everyone else who owns Final Fantasy VII! Can you tell I'm not good at writing these things? This story may contain spoilers and some violence, but besides that I don't think there should be too many problems! Please email me if you have any queries or comments… thanks! *^_~*
Chapter Five: Reunited
The reunion the next day was, although joyous and fortunate, a bitter one. After Aeris had managed to contact Tifa, the others had set out early the next day to find their lost party members. Tifa, Vincent, Rufus and Elena had sat around anxiously, all desperately relieved to be leaving the island after those few days there. Elena had been the first to spot the jetboat that was speeding towards them to pick them up, and she squealed with excitement at being reunited with her fellow Turks. Even quiet Vincent jumped to his feet in relief, and Tifa couldn't help grinning as wide as a chesire cat.
As the boat had pulled up, despite the great joy to see their friends alive, there was a slightly worried look that shadowed Aeris' cheerful face. And, as Tifa had looked at the boat, she saw why. While Barret, Aeris, Yuffie and Cait Sith were on the boat, there was no sign of Cloud, Cid or Red XIII. Her face fell, and she tried to smile as Yuffie flung herself at Tifa in delight. Yuffie seemed oblivious to the saddened faces of those around her. Even Barret had trouble keeping a normal face when it was so blatantly obvious that their other friends were missing. Rufus and Elena hung back, both looking slightly too proud to join in the reunion. And, also, they knew they weren't welcomed by the other group.
"Erm…" started Rufus hesitantly. Barret shot him a cold glare, but Tifa shook her head warningly at him. Barret looked at her in confusion, as did Yuffie and Cait. Aeris didn't look the faintest bit surprised, however. Tifa blushed, and Rufus quietened.
"He… um, helped us," Tifa said uncomfortably. "Without him and Elena…" She trailed off, and everyone knew that the divergence that had so long separated the ignorant Rufus Shinra from the rebellious Avalanche had finally been filled, in the most unlikely circumstances. Barret's frown softened, and he held out a heavy hand awkwardly to Rufus, who took it just as uncomfortably and they shook. Tifa felt slightly awed watching them, for never had she even thought that Rufus and Barret would do anything but try to kill one another.
"Yer friend's back in Mideel," Barret muttered, pulling his hand away. Elena's eyes lit up.
"Reno and Rude?" she asked eagerly, happy at the thought of rejoining the other Turks again. Aeris bit her bottom lip, and Barret said nothing. Elena's face darkened, and her smile faded. "What happened to them?"
"Well, yer friend Reno is alright, I s'pose," Barret began, thinking of the red-haired Turk who had spent the entire time while in Mideel in a small bar. "But, erm, we never found the other one of yer friends…" Elena's eyes welled up with tears, as she thought of Rude. He had been the solid founding of the Turks, while she and Reno constantly fought. He never took either side, always staying neutral. The thought of him being gone forever… Cait suddenly spoke up uneasily.
"We couldn't locate Cloud, Red XIII or Rude," he said quietly, his hands clutched together. Elena's face paled, and she didn't say anything. "But this could mean that they aren't dead at all. The radar couldn't pick up any sign of them under the water in the mile radius of where we were… surprised… by Sephiroth. They could have swum ashore somewhere. Aeris has been psychically trying to reach them all since the accident, as she has been trying to reach you. Fortunately we located you, but as for Cloud, Red and Rude…" He shrugged. "We can still hope to find them, however." Tifa hadn't said anything, but now she turned to Cait in a soft voice.
"Cait, you were in the Tiny Bronco when it happened, weren't you?" she asked. Cait nodded. "Did you see anything, such as where Sephiroth headed afterwards or where Cloud landed?" He shook his head.
"I'm programmed to go into automatic shutdown when there is a possibility of excessive water clogging in my system. I saw nothing."
Yuffie let go of Tifa, stepping onto the sand lightly. Vincent glanced at Cait with a thoughtful expression.
"You never mentioned Cid in all this," he said. Barret shifted restlessly, while Aeris gave Vincent a sad smile.
"He's in a coma back in the hospital in Mideel," she said miserably. "We tried everything we could to wake him up, but he hasn't even responded. The doctors said he was hit by flying shrapnel, and it knocked him deeply unconscious." Tifa gasped in shock, while Vincent stared at the ground. They had lost two of the group so far, with a possibility that they would lose a third.
"We should probably get back," Tifa mumbled, climbing aboard. Vincent, Rufus and Elena followed her lead, and with heavy hearts the group headed back to Mideel.
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Tifa sighed as she looked down on Cid's sleeping form. He looked so peaceful. To anyone else, he would appear to be in a light sleep, but you only had to look around him to see the reality. Several machines, all beeping madly, were connected to him in some way or another. And that doctor – what was her name? Dr. Meria, that was it- had said that his comatose condition was slowing worsening. Tifa touched the long gash that ran across Cid's forehead lightly, tracing the stitches. Besides the cut, he appeared the same. He even had that small amount of stubble on his chin, Tifa noticed fondly. The door creaked slowly, and she looked up to see Yuffie enter timidly. Her normally bright face was drawn, and she gave Tifa a small smile.
"Has anything happened?" she asked softly. Tifa shook her head. Yuffie came and stood next to Tifa, her gaze on Cid. "It's so quiet without his constant cursing. Even Barret misses it." Tifa nodded, allowing the words to wash over her. Yuffie sat down on one of the small cushioned chairs in the room, and ran a hand through her hair.
"We're all split up now," she said wistfully. "Will we ever be the same stupid bunch of losers we were before?" Tifa, however, had no answer to that.
A slight rumble shook the ground, and Tifa tensed nervously.
"What was that?" she asked, licking her dry lips. She was in no condition for battle, so she hoped that it wasn't a monster. After living on only small fish and berries for the past few days, she was a little worse for wear. As were Vincent, Rufus and Elena. Yuffie dashed outside, calling something about checking with the others. Tifa stayed by Cid's side, worried. It couldn't be Sephiroth, could it? A pit of dread in her stomach deepened, and she found herself compelled to look out the window. But, besides the slight rumbling, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Her eyes widened as her gaze fell upon a small crack in the hospital ground, and she stepped back cautiously.
Some pure green liquid was spilling out, and she could tell from the heavy stench what it was. Mako. Before long, the small spurt had turned into a fountain, and she had to duck to avoid being sprayed with Mako. She hadn't know that Mako gathered so close to the surface of Mideel… could it possibly be an opening to the Lifestream? She gasped as drops of Mako landed on Cid's face, and shoved a machine over the crack to stop it. The machine beeped shrilly, and to her horror, started buzzing. Cid's heart monitor sped up, but Tifa didn't notice. She pulled the machine back, and frantically tried to step on the crack with her shoe.
"Yeeouch!" she cried as the liquid hit her skin. She longed to curl up and clutch the burning area, but Cid was in more danger than her. She unhooked some of the machines, gently pulling out the small needle attached to his wrist. The crack widened, and the Mako started pouring onto the floor. Tifa desperately prayed that the machines weren't necessary for Cid's being alive, and shoved the bed out from against the wall. It would easily fit through the doorway, but avoiding being showered by Mako was a different matter. Tifa waited, and then flung the bed with accurate aim towards the doorway. It slowed just outside the door, and she sighed with relief.
But now she was faced with the problem of getting herself out. The Mako crack had split across the floor now, a small gap in the ground. It flowed around her feet, and was quickly going to reach her ankles. She prepared to leap towards the door, but another crack opened up and she was hit with a full blast of the putrid smelling fluid. She gasped for air, feeling a burning sensation rush all over her. The pain was unbelievable, and she collapsed to her knees in numb shock. She barely even noticed as someone strongly grabbed her arms, and pulled her to safety, away from the Mako flooded hospital room.
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"Cloud…" Tifa couldn't bring herself to open her eyes, as they felt like lead. She was lying in someone's arms, and she couldn't remember why. It had to be Cloud. A nagging thought at the back of her head told her otherwise, but she ignored it. Of course it was Cloud. She tried to sit up, and felt sharp pains shoot through her. Her mind felt foggy, but she couldn't even remember why. She struggled to open her eyes, and finally managed to open them weakly.
"Are… you okay?" asked a tense voice. Everything was still blurry, and she could only make out a pair of blue eyes. She nodded vaguely, feeling safe for now in this person's arms. She wasn't sure if it was Cloud, but something told her it wasn't. Her sight was coming back to her, and she focused on the person holding her. Light orange hair… Rufus?! He sensed her alarm, and held her a bit tighter.
"It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you!" he said firmly. She quietened down, and closed her eyes.
"I… miss Cloud…" she mumbled. And she did. She missed everything about him, from his stupid lopsided half grin to the way he'd always lie and tell her that everything was going to be okay. And the way he would gaze at her calmly with his pensive blue eyes. She missed him so much. And now she remembered that no one had seen Cloud for days, and worry filled her. She sat up weakly, feeling faint. Rufus shared her worried frown, and loosened his grip.
Tifa looked down at herself, and saw that she was covered with a thin green layer of Mako. She grimaced, still aching slightly. But she couldn't have healed this quickly…
"I used a Restore Materia," Rufus admitted. "Found it in your bag." She nodded, looking around her. They were near the hospital, on the side close to the forest.
"Where are the others?" she asked feebly, wobbling as she tried to get to her feet. Rufus pointed to where she could see Barret talking to some man with a goatee. Rufus helped her to stand, and she looked at him in gratefulness. He flushed slightly red, and looked away. As they neared where Barret stood, she spotted Aeris who looked really happy. She wondered why.
"So, all dis time, you've been controllin' that damn cat?" Barret was saying in disbelief. The man nodded. He looked distinctly familiar, but Tifa couldn't place her finger on his name. Barret shook his head, then smiled when he saw Tifa. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied, then gave the man a pointed glance. "Who's that?" Barret chuckled, as if it were some joke.
"That's yer Cait Sith," he said. Tifa raised her eyebrows, as the man suddenly turned shy. He looked so familiar; where was he from?
"I'm Reeve, head of the Urban Development at Shinra," the man said to Tifa, holding out his hand. She took it curiously and shook his hand. She'd known Cait was a robot, but… this man controlled him? Reeve… he was a high employee of Shinra in Midgar. That was how she knew him. "You, um, might want to wash that Mako off," he said awkwardly. Tifa laughed, already taking a liking to Reeve. He was so much like Cait; it was scary. Aeris called her name, and she turned to see Cid giving her a goofy grin from his hospital bed.
"You're awake!" she shrieked, running over and throwing her arms around him. He winced, and she saw that he had a new bandage around his head.
"Mako s***," he said. "Woke me up; got a f***ing headache though." He looked shocked as Tifa grinned at him. "What the f*** is up with you, huh?" Tifa just shook her head in happiness, realising just how much she had missed his constant foul language. She beamed down at him, making Cid shift uncomfortably. "I got a bloody hole in my head, I know that," he grumbled.
Yuffie and Cait were playing cards, and Yuffie squealed when she saw Cait was cheating. Reeve blushed, as Cait told Yuffie he'd been programmed to cheat. Barret approached Cid heartily, giving him a high-five.
"You moron," Barret said. "You had us all worried!" Cid just gave him a smirk, sitting up. Then Barret's face grew serious, and Cid knew what he was about to ask.
"Yes," he said, his voice barely audible. "I saw Sephiroth." He sounded strangely different. Tifa and Aeris sat on the bed, while Reeve, Rufus and Barret stood. Vincent had gone off somewhere by himself, and Elena was nowhere to be seen, probably at the bar with Reno getting drunk. Barret glanced at Cid expectantly, waiting for him to go on. He nodded.
"The SOB just watched as you guys took the plunge. Didn't do a f***ing thing. Though, you wouldn't expect the sad a** b***ard to help you when he caused that s*** in the first place. Anyway, he just ignored me and hibernating Cait, and I think he headed the direction we were going to start with. Then, I got hit by some f***king metal and Cait slept. I don't remember anything else." Tifa noticed Aeris' pensive expression.
"The Temple of Ancients," she mused, her green eyes cloudy. "The Planet… it cries out… something is not the way it should be." Everyone turned to look at Aeris in confusion, wondering what she meant. Aeris just shook her head, and ran towards the forest. Tifa sighed.
"We should probably head to the Temple of Ancients," Barret stated.
"I'll send Cait along with you," Reeve said, gesturing to the cat atop the Moggle nearby. Yuffie looked up.
"I'm coming too!" she declared, jumping up. Cid was reluctant to stay behind, but agreed that he wasn't in the best shape. Tifa said that she would go with them, and guessed that Aeris and Vincent would probably agree to come as well. Rufus hesitantly offered to come, and blushed when Tifa gave him a warm smile. That's funny, Tifa thought secretly. I've never seen him act that way before… Elena and Reno decided to stay behind with Cid, mostly because they were too intoxicated to even walk. Rufus shook his head in disgust at them, but they didn't seem to notice.
"Well, I'll go get Vin-" Tifa didn't get to finish her sentence, as Vincent and Aeris both came back. They decided to leave straight away, as they had already wasted enough time in Mideel. Everyone going to the Temple hopped aboard the Hurricane, another of Shinra's jetboats and the one that had rescued Tifa from the island the day before.
Tifa was the last to climb onboard, hoping the boat had a shower, and Reno waved stupidly as he unhooked the rope tying the boat to the jetty. Barret snorted, and went to check on Vincent and Aeris who were controlling the boat. Yuffie and Cait went to the captain's cabin to play cards, leaving Rufus and Tifa on the deck. Rufus went to the head of the boat, the wind whipping his coat. Tifa stayed at the back, leaning over and watching the propellers chop up the water. She stared down at the churning waters, drawing back when she thought she saw Cloud's face flicker in the water.
"Oh god," she muttered. "I'm seeing things now."
"That's never good," said a voice. Tifa shrugged as Rufus came and stood next to her. For some unexplainable reason, his presence comforted her. She turned to look at Rufus, who was staring back at Mideel. His wrist was exposed, and she could see the thin line where he'd cut himself.
"Those idiot Turks," Rufus said, shaking his head. "After everything, Reno still goes to a bar and gets smashed, dragging Elena down with him. Rude would've done that too…" Tifa gave Rufus a sympathetic look.
"I'm sure he's okay," she lied, wishing the same for Cloud. She'd only just found Cloud again. She wasn't about to lose him.
"Yeah, maybe," Rufus said. He turned to Tifa, his eyes troubled. "Do you ever get the feeling that this, all this, is wrong?"
"What do you mean?" Tifa asked, but she really did know. She'd had that feeling ever since she'd seen Rufus' jetboat when the group had been heading towards the Temple of Ancients.
"Well, maybe this wasn't the way things were meant to be," Rufus said, unsure of himself.
"Maybe it was," Tifa said optimistically. "Maybe things didn't turn out right the other way, so Fate has taken a hand to turn this all around. Everyone gets a second chance." She gazed up at Rufus when she said this, and he held her gaze for a few seconds before turning away.
"Perhaps…" he said. "I guess we'll never know." Tifa nodded.
"I guess we won't."
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Author's Note:- Wasn't that a short chapter? *nods* Well, I wanted to get it finished, and the next part of the story will be a little too long for this chapter. Sorry about all the character reuniting, but remember- it has been about three days! Also, sorry to all those Cloud fans out there who are dying to see the spikey haired guy. And the Red XIII fans. And the Rude fans… anyway hope you liked! Next chapter deals with the Temple of Ancients, and *maybe* (no promises) you might hear some Cloud stuff. Stay tuned and thanks for reading!
Chapter Five: Reunited
The reunion the next day was, although joyous and fortunate, a bitter one. After Aeris had managed to contact Tifa, the others had set out early the next day to find their lost party members. Tifa, Vincent, Rufus and Elena had sat around anxiously, all desperately relieved to be leaving the island after those few days there. Elena had been the first to spot the jetboat that was speeding towards them to pick them up, and she squealed with excitement at being reunited with her fellow Turks. Even quiet Vincent jumped to his feet in relief, and Tifa couldn't help grinning as wide as a chesire cat.
As the boat had pulled up, despite the great joy to see their friends alive, there was a slightly worried look that shadowed Aeris' cheerful face. And, as Tifa had looked at the boat, she saw why. While Barret, Aeris, Yuffie and Cait Sith were on the boat, there was no sign of Cloud, Cid or Red XIII. Her face fell, and she tried to smile as Yuffie flung herself at Tifa in delight. Yuffie seemed oblivious to the saddened faces of those around her. Even Barret had trouble keeping a normal face when it was so blatantly obvious that their other friends were missing. Rufus and Elena hung back, both looking slightly too proud to join in the reunion. And, also, they knew they weren't welcomed by the other group.
"Erm…" started Rufus hesitantly. Barret shot him a cold glare, but Tifa shook her head warningly at him. Barret looked at her in confusion, as did Yuffie and Cait. Aeris didn't look the faintest bit surprised, however. Tifa blushed, and Rufus quietened.
"He… um, helped us," Tifa said uncomfortably. "Without him and Elena…" She trailed off, and everyone knew that the divergence that had so long separated the ignorant Rufus Shinra from the rebellious Avalanche had finally been filled, in the most unlikely circumstances. Barret's frown softened, and he held out a heavy hand awkwardly to Rufus, who took it just as uncomfortably and they shook. Tifa felt slightly awed watching them, for never had she even thought that Rufus and Barret would do anything but try to kill one another.
"Yer friend's back in Mideel," Barret muttered, pulling his hand away. Elena's eyes lit up.
"Reno and Rude?" she asked eagerly, happy at the thought of rejoining the other Turks again. Aeris bit her bottom lip, and Barret said nothing. Elena's face darkened, and her smile faded. "What happened to them?"
"Well, yer friend Reno is alright, I s'pose," Barret began, thinking of the red-haired Turk who had spent the entire time while in Mideel in a small bar. "But, erm, we never found the other one of yer friends…" Elena's eyes welled up with tears, as she thought of Rude. He had been the solid founding of the Turks, while she and Reno constantly fought. He never took either side, always staying neutral. The thought of him being gone forever… Cait suddenly spoke up uneasily.
"We couldn't locate Cloud, Red XIII or Rude," he said quietly, his hands clutched together. Elena's face paled, and she didn't say anything. "But this could mean that they aren't dead at all. The radar couldn't pick up any sign of them under the water in the mile radius of where we were… surprised… by Sephiroth. They could have swum ashore somewhere. Aeris has been psychically trying to reach them all since the accident, as she has been trying to reach you. Fortunately we located you, but as for Cloud, Red and Rude…" He shrugged. "We can still hope to find them, however." Tifa hadn't said anything, but now she turned to Cait in a soft voice.
"Cait, you were in the Tiny Bronco when it happened, weren't you?" she asked. Cait nodded. "Did you see anything, such as where Sephiroth headed afterwards or where Cloud landed?" He shook his head.
"I'm programmed to go into automatic shutdown when there is a possibility of excessive water clogging in my system. I saw nothing."
Yuffie let go of Tifa, stepping onto the sand lightly. Vincent glanced at Cait with a thoughtful expression.
"You never mentioned Cid in all this," he said. Barret shifted restlessly, while Aeris gave Vincent a sad smile.
"He's in a coma back in the hospital in Mideel," she said miserably. "We tried everything we could to wake him up, but he hasn't even responded. The doctors said he was hit by flying shrapnel, and it knocked him deeply unconscious." Tifa gasped in shock, while Vincent stared at the ground. They had lost two of the group so far, with a possibility that they would lose a third.
"We should probably get back," Tifa mumbled, climbing aboard. Vincent, Rufus and Elena followed her lead, and with heavy hearts the group headed back to Mideel.
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Tifa sighed as she looked down on Cid's sleeping form. He looked so peaceful. To anyone else, he would appear to be in a light sleep, but you only had to look around him to see the reality. Several machines, all beeping madly, were connected to him in some way or another. And that doctor – what was her name? Dr. Meria, that was it- had said that his comatose condition was slowing worsening. Tifa touched the long gash that ran across Cid's forehead lightly, tracing the stitches. Besides the cut, he appeared the same. He even had that small amount of stubble on his chin, Tifa noticed fondly. The door creaked slowly, and she looked up to see Yuffie enter timidly. Her normally bright face was drawn, and she gave Tifa a small smile.
"Has anything happened?" she asked softly. Tifa shook her head. Yuffie came and stood next to Tifa, her gaze on Cid. "It's so quiet without his constant cursing. Even Barret misses it." Tifa nodded, allowing the words to wash over her. Yuffie sat down on one of the small cushioned chairs in the room, and ran a hand through her hair.
"We're all split up now," she said wistfully. "Will we ever be the same stupid bunch of losers we were before?" Tifa, however, had no answer to that.
A slight rumble shook the ground, and Tifa tensed nervously.
"What was that?" she asked, licking her dry lips. She was in no condition for battle, so she hoped that it wasn't a monster. After living on only small fish and berries for the past few days, she was a little worse for wear. As were Vincent, Rufus and Elena. Yuffie dashed outside, calling something about checking with the others. Tifa stayed by Cid's side, worried. It couldn't be Sephiroth, could it? A pit of dread in her stomach deepened, and she found herself compelled to look out the window. But, besides the slight rumbling, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Her eyes widened as her gaze fell upon a small crack in the hospital ground, and she stepped back cautiously.
Some pure green liquid was spilling out, and she could tell from the heavy stench what it was. Mako. Before long, the small spurt had turned into a fountain, and she had to duck to avoid being sprayed with Mako. She hadn't know that Mako gathered so close to the surface of Mideel… could it possibly be an opening to the Lifestream? She gasped as drops of Mako landed on Cid's face, and shoved a machine over the crack to stop it. The machine beeped shrilly, and to her horror, started buzzing. Cid's heart monitor sped up, but Tifa didn't notice. She pulled the machine back, and frantically tried to step on the crack with her shoe.
"Yeeouch!" she cried as the liquid hit her skin. She longed to curl up and clutch the burning area, but Cid was in more danger than her. She unhooked some of the machines, gently pulling out the small needle attached to his wrist. The crack widened, and the Mako started pouring onto the floor. Tifa desperately prayed that the machines weren't necessary for Cid's being alive, and shoved the bed out from against the wall. It would easily fit through the doorway, but avoiding being showered by Mako was a different matter. Tifa waited, and then flung the bed with accurate aim towards the doorway. It slowed just outside the door, and she sighed with relief.
But now she was faced with the problem of getting herself out. The Mako crack had split across the floor now, a small gap in the ground. It flowed around her feet, and was quickly going to reach her ankles. She prepared to leap towards the door, but another crack opened up and she was hit with a full blast of the putrid smelling fluid. She gasped for air, feeling a burning sensation rush all over her. The pain was unbelievable, and she collapsed to her knees in numb shock. She barely even noticed as someone strongly grabbed her arms, and pulled her to safety, away from the Mako flooded hospital room.
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"Cloud…" Tifa couldn't bring herself to open her eyes, as they felt like lead. She was lying in someone's arms, and she couldn't remember why. It had to be Cloud. A nagging thought at the back of her head told her otherwise, but she ignored it. Of course it was Cloud. She tried to sit up, and felt sharp pains shoot through her. Her mind felt foggy, but she couldn't even remember why. She struggled to open her eyes, and finally managed to open them weakly.
"Are… you okay?" asked a tense voice. Everything was still blurry, and she could only make out a pair of blue eyes. She nodded vaguely, feeling safe for now in this person's arms. She wasn't sure if it was Cloud, but something told her it wasn't. Her sight was coming back to her, and she focused on the person holding her. Light orange hair… Rufus?! He sensed her alarm, and held her a bit tighter.
"It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you!" he said firmly. She quietened down, and closed her eyes.
"I… miss Cloud…" she mumbled. And she did. She missed everything about him, from his stupid lopsided half grin to the way he'd always lie and tell her that everything was going to be okay. And the way he would gaze at her calmly with his pensive blue eyes. She missed him so much. And now she remembered that no one had seen Cloud for days, and worry filled her. She sat up weakly, feeling faint. Rufus shared her worried frown, and loosened his grip.
Tifa looked down at herself, and saw that she was covered with a thin green layer of Mako. She grimaced, still aching slightly. But she couldn't have healed this quickly…
"I used a Restore Materia," Rufus admitted. "Found it in your bag." She nodded, looking around her. They were near the hospital, on the side close to the forest.
"Where are the others?" she asked feebly, wobbling as she tried to get to her feet. Rufus pointed to where she could see Barret talking to some man with a goatee. Rufus helped her to stand, and she looked at him in gratefulness. He flushed slightly red, and looked away. As they neared where Barret stood, she spotted Aeris who looked really happy. She wondered why.
"So, all dis time, you've been controllin' that damn cat?" Barret was saying in disbelief. The man nodded. He looked distinctly familiar, but Tifa couldn't place her finger on his name. Barret shook his head, then smiled when he saw Tifa. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied, then gave the man a pointed glance. "Who's that?" Barret chuckled, as if it were some joke.
"That's yer Cait Sith," he said. Tifa raised her eyebrows, as the man suddenly turned shy. He looked so familiar; where was he from?
"I'm Reeve, head of the Urban Development at Shinra," the man said to Tifa, holding out his hand. She took it curiously and shook his hand. She'd known Cait was a robot, but… this man controlled him? Reeve… he was a high employee of Shinra in Midgar. That was how she knew him. "You, um, might want to wash that Mako off," he said awkwardly. Tifa laughed, already taking a liking to Reeve. He was so much like Cait; it was scary. Aeris called her name, and she turned to see Cid giving her a goofy grin from his hospital bed.
"You're awake!" she shrieked, running over and throwing her arms around him. He winced, and she saw that he had a new bandage around his head.
"Mako s***," he said. "Woke me up; got a f***ing headache though." He looked shocked as Tifa grinned at him. "What the f*** is up with you, huh?" Tifa just shook her head in happiness, realising just how much she had missed his constant foul language. She beamed down at him, making Cid shift uncomfortably. "I got a bloody hole in my head, I know that," he grumbled.
Yuffie and Cait were playing cards, and Yuffie squealed when she saw Cait was cheating. Reeve blushed, as Cait told Yuffie he'd been programmed to cheat. Barret approached Cid heartily, giving him a high-five.
"You moron," Barret said. "You had us all worried!" Cid just gave him a smirk, sitting up. Then Barret's face grew serious, and Cid knew what he was about to ask.
"Yes," he said, his voice barely audible. "I saw Sephiroth." He sounded strangely different. Tifa and Aeris sat on the bed, while Reeve, Rufus and Barret stood. Vincent had gone off somewhere by himself, and Elena was nowhere to be seen, probably at the bar with Reno getting drunk. Barret glanced at Cid expectantly, waiting for him to go on. He nodded.
"The SOB just watched as you guys took the plunge. Didn't do a f***ing thing. Though, you wouldn't expect the sad a** b***ard to help you when he caused that s*** in the first place. Anyway, he just ignored me and hibernating Cait, and I think he headed the direction we were going to start with. Then, I got hit by some f***king metal and Cait slept. I don't remember anything else." Tifa noticed Aeris' pensive expression.
"The Temple of Ancients," she mused, her green eyes cloudy. "The Planet… it cries out… something is not the way it should be." Everyone turned to look at Aeris in confusion, wondering what she meant. Aeris just shook her head, and ran towards the forest. Tifa sighed.
"We should probably head to the Temple of Ancients," Barret stated.
"I'll send Cait along with you," Reeve said, gesturing to the cat atop the Moggle nearby. Yuffie looked up.
"I'm coming too!" she declared, jumping up. Cid was reluctant to stay behind, but agreed that he wasn't in the best shape. Tifa said that she would go with them, and guessed that Aeris and Vincent would probably agree to come as well. Rufus hesitantly offered to come, and blushed when Tifa gave him a warm smile. That's funny, Tifa thought secretly. I've never seen him act that way before… Elena and Reno decided to stay behind with Cid, mostly because they were too intoxicated to even walk. Rufus shook his head in disgust at them, but they didn't seem to notice.
"Well, I'll go get Vin-" Tifa didn't get to finish her sentence, as Vincent and Aeris both came back. They decided to leave straight away, as they had already wasted enough time in Mideel. Everyone going to the Temple hopped aboard the Hurricane, another of Shinra's jetboats and the one that had rescued Tifa from the island the day before.
Tifa was the last to climb onboard, hoping the boat had a shower, and Reno waved stupidly as he unhooked the rope tying the boat to the jetty. Barret snorted, and went to check on Vincent and Aeris who were controlling the boat. Yuffie and Cait went to the captain's cabin to play cards, leaving Rufus and Tifa on the deck. Rufus went to the head of the boat, the wind whipping his coat. Tifa stayed at the back, leaning over and watching the propellers chop up the water. She stared down at the churning waters, drawing back when she thought she saw Cloud's face flicker in the water.
"Oh god," she muttered. "I'm seeing things now."
"That's never good," said a voice. Tifa shrugged as Rufus came and stood next to her. For some unexplainable reason, his presence comforted her. She turned to look at Rufus, who was staring back at Mideel. His wrist was exposed, and she could see the thin line where he'd cut himself.
"Those idiot Turks," Rufus said, shaking his head. "After everything, Reno still goes to a bar and gets smashed, dragging Elena down with him. Rude would've done that too…" Tifa gave Rufus a sympathetic look.
"I'm sure he's okay," she lied, wishing the same for Cloud. She'd only just found Cloud again. She wasn't about to lose him.
"Yeah, maybe," Rufus said. He turned to Tifa, his eyes troubled. "Do you ever get the feeling that this, all this, is wrong?"
"What do you mean?" Tifa asked, but she really did know. She'd had that feeling ever since she'd seen Rufus' jetboat when the group had been heading towards the Temple of Ancients.
"Well, maybe this wasn't the way things were meant to be," Rufus said, unsure of himself.
"Maybe it was," Tifa said optimistically. "Maybe things didn't turn out right the other way, so Fate has taken a hand to turn this all around. Everyone gets a second chance." She gazed up at Rufus when she said this, and he held her gaze for a few seconds before turning away.
"Perhaps…" he said. "I guess we'll never know." Tifa nodded.
"I guess we won't."
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Author's Note:- Wasn't that a short chapter? *nods* Well, I wanted to get it finished, and the next part of the story will be a little too long for this chapter. Sorry about all the character reuniting, but remember- it has been about three days! Also, sorry to all those Cloud fans out there who are dying to see the spikey haired guy. And the Red XIII fans. And the Rude fans… anyway hope you liked! Next chapter deals with the Temple of Ancients, and *maybe* (no promises) you might hear some Cloud stuff. Stay tuned and thanks for reading!
