-Disclaimer- I do not own Final Fantasy Seven, nor do I own its places and
characters. I simply own this Fic.
Part 2: Showdown at The Pad
She knew this was unsafe, but she would lead anyone across it, especially Cloud. Tifa had to smile to herself as she jogged across the creaking and moaning bridge, glad to have him back. He was probably oblivious to it, but she'd noticed he was never more than a few feet from her, and when he was, the young man would jog to catch up.
But she couldn't ignore the presence Sephiroth gave them all, and he always seemed to be watching Cloud with a careful eye, as if he were his father, and saying what needed to be said. Nothing more than that.
The bad thing was, he always seemed to be around, never giving her a chance to speak with Cloud alone.
Tifa stopped and looked back, Sephiroth's cold gaze fixed on her, the two ShinRa guards accompanying them silent and attentive. Cloud wandered casually over the bridge, his pace slightly faster than a walk, looking around curiously.
Tifa reminded herself he hadn't been up there in years, and probably wanted to know what it was like now.
Cloud looked up and smirked, having changed a lot since before he left for Midgar, and Tifa couldn't help but notice Sephiroth had stopped abruptly.
Was something wrong?
The Great Sephiroth, as most knew him, just held his position, and she swore she felt a hole being drilled through her by the Mako eyes.
The bridge rocked as Cloud halted, giving a final groan before the ropes on the other side snapped from the pylons holding them, sending her plunging downward.
She was sure her death was coming before Cloud reached out and gripped her wrist, sending a jerk through her body. Tifa dared to look down, then up again, horrified as she saw the other ropes starting to loosen.
Sephiroth, hanging on down the bridge, didn't seem all that worried to her, and was preparing himself for the fall. He looked disappointed, if anything. One ShinRa guard had already slipped and fallen to sure doom.
'It wasn't meant to end this way.'
Famous last words, Tifa told herself, accepting her fate as the bridge plummeted for the ground.
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"Tiff!" The voice was loud and demanding, and she found herself pinned to the bed by the arms, the sheets pulled tight around her neck.
She met a pair of yellow eyes, but found the source of the voice in the face of Reno over the cat, noting how concerned he looked. Any thoughts of sleep had gone out of her head, and now she just wanted to know exactly what had happened.
"Everything alright in there?!"
What was ViYlic doing there at this time of day? Tifa asked herself only once before sinking down into the bed, oblivious to exactly where she was and how she looked.
"You alright?" Reno asked, much calmer and quieter, his brows furrowed. He decided not to bring up the fact she'd been talking about him in her sleep, but he'd come in and tried to control her thrashing a bit.
Tifa didn't reply, barely aware when Reno replied in the affirmative and ViYlic left the apartment at his request.
The ex-Turk released his grip and walked to the window, pulling back the curtains and letting in a blinding blast of daylight. He leaned on the wall, waiting to make sure she was alright for then. She looked terrible, mostly from the complete surprise of it all, or so he guessed.
Tifa finally realized a fact and looked at Reno, her uneasiness returning. "Where're my clothes?" she managed, feeling her temples throb with each word.
Reno avoided her question by answering with, "Bad dream?"
Tifa wasn't pleased, and felt a knot tighten in her stomach as she sat up, careful to make sure she covered herself with at least one of the blankets, sighing as she asked her next question. "What did we do last night?"
"You slept, I behaved myself, as tempting as it was," Reno replied honestly, suppressing a smirk. "As for the clothes, they're on the chair in the corner, as you may be able to see, not thrown around the room in a fit of passion. Tempting, like I said, but not me anymore. For now, I mean," he cleared up, ignoring the puzzled look he was given.
Tifa had to admit she was slightly impressed at the way he had acted, if he was telling the truth about it. He looked as sincere as she'd ever seen him before, and guessed his story would check out anywhere. Indeed, the clothes were on the chair as he'd said. "Well, I guess I might have to thank you for at least that," she said, faking irritation. "Now, can I have a better explanation of what happened?"
'Rude would laugh.'
Why did that phrase always come to him when he was about to do something nice? It was like a jumping record needle, but he paid it no heed, knowing Tifa needed to know. He was slightly surprised she hadn't booted him from the room yet.
"Well, after you passed out from the vodka, I brought you back in here, decided you couldn't sleep in the clothes that caught your drink, and here we are now, to put it straight," he said in a single breath.
Tifa arched a brow, pulling her knees to her chest, and pinning the blankets there.
"Now, I can tell it's probably cold, so I'll leave for now. By the way, we gotta get to the Pad soon. ViYlic said he saved all of his checks the best he could and got some. . .additions," he finished with a grin, picking up Tseng and walking out, not even bothering to shut the door behind him.
Tifa crawled out of the comfortable bed once she knew he was gone and put her feet on the floor, shivering at the cold wood below her. She walked to the chair in the corner and threw the clothes on carelessly, not too happy that they were below room temperature.
She walked into the bathroom, now knowing what it was like to wake up with a mild hangover, and grabbed her hairbrush, running it through the long strands that she somehow managed to keep straight. It was then she noticed her hair tie missing, something that puzzled her. She was sure she'd worn it the previous day, but maybe she had dropped it somewhere in her light- headedness. That she remembered, but it wasn't something she was eager to repeat.
She walked back into the bedroom, about to go when something caught her eye. A small table, long and clean, sat against the wall, something she hadn't seen before. She slowly walked over to it, noticing it held paper articles and pictures in frames. It looked like Reno did have some things he held onto after all.
One that was carelessly laid there was the article she was in from the previous day, atop a stack of other Launch Pad paper mentions.
Looks like he actually is well known.
One picture caught her eye, and she immediately recognized it as the one they'd taken at her birthday. She had been mad when they came to her door far before the sun had come up. Actually, below the Plate, there was no sun, but she knew it had been too early for it to be up.
The next article she found was one she picked up and actually read all the way through. It was from the Midgar Daily News, and straight from the inside.
''SECTOR SEVEN PLATE DROP'
Last week, all of Sector Seven was demolished as the large Plate looming above the residents' heads finally fell, said to be dropped by none other than the infamous Turk, Reno Drannor. Shortly after the disaster, it was reported that Reno had gone missing for a period of three days, then mysteriously returned as if nothing had happened. "Oh, but he changed. I could see it in his eyes," fellow Turk and friend, Tseng Lander, claimed. "
Another statement from the lips of Johnny Simmons, part of the Last Knights, one of the main gangs in Sector Seven, was this: "He came in lookin' for Tifa Lockheart, who I just found out's in AVALANCHE. Told me to make sure she got outta the Sector, from what I know now. He told me to do the same exact thing, and I gotta say that [guy's] got some guts, tryin' to kill us all. If I ever see 'im, I'll make sure he pays, but I know he meant well for Tifa.
Not tryin' to get mushy or anything, but I know one of 'em's gotta be readin' this, if it gets in the paper at all, and I think Reno knows more'n he's lettin' out." Reno Drannor was unavailable for comments, but the rest of the Turks assure me that if he were, I would get nothing else.
For now, all of Midgar will look to ShinRa for guidance on how to make it through this hard time.
- Daniel Reeve, Head of Urban Development'
"Rufus nearly had my head when he read that."
Tifa was startled, turning around to see Reno with a grim look on his face, his icy gaze telling her not to ask questions, and she had to guess he meant that about Johnny's little speech. When she thought about it, this was the first she had seen Reno with that expression on his face in a long time.
"Reno," she couldn't help but start, her eyes pleading, but he had turned her a deaf ear.
"'Bout time for work. C'mon," he muttered, sighing heavily and walking out of the room, Tifa on his heels. If anything was there to drive her away, that would probably be it, for the single sentence that he had wanted Tifa out of the Sector from Johnny's mouth almost screamed those diamond earrings were a bit more than a friendly gift, but what sane man would admit that when he might be off the hook for the time?
Besides, Tifa didn't seem like she wanted to prod him on the matter.
The two were silent as they got their coats, started out, and even when they had finally reached the Launch Pad, Reno seeming like he was brooding over something important. He really was, wondering how she'd taken the statement she'd read, and how she might act from just that little thing. True, he did seem to keep a lot of things concerning her around, but he did the same with the Turks and his drinking buddies.
But still, the Turks and his drinking buddies weren't using his bed to sleep in and his apartment to live in for the time.
They walked into the Launch Pad, looking around. ViYlic was behind the bar, a few tables were occupied by some of their good friends, and Tarah was leaning on the bar. It wasn't quite time to open up, but some people came in early for some small talk with them. Zan's bar opened that day, Reno noted, so he would most likely go over and see how it was working for him later.
"You're awake," ViYlic announced, looking directly at Tifa.
Reno couldn't ignore the glares and mouthed insults coming from Tarah, but he knew that she was aware he hadn't tried anything.
"Light-weight," Tarah laughed, following the Wutain's eyes.
Tifa looked at Tarah disapprovingly. She hadn't a comeback, however, and just hurried to the kitchen, Reno slowly following.
Before he could get there, however, Tarah swung him around and grabbed the lapels of his suit. "If you try anything, anytime, I will have your head on my wall, Reno," she hissed, letting him go and shoving him toward the kitchen, giving him a threatening glare.
Reno mumbled something that would've gotten him knocked out as he walked into the kitchen, looking around. He grabbed the apron from its hook, but didn't put it on, only walked to Tifa and stood silently. "You wanna know if Johnny's fulla shit." It wasn't a question.
Tifa was silent, but he knew that was as good as a nod. "Explain to me how you'll ever know the truth, and I'll tell it to you."
Tifa turned to give him a look, not really caring whether Johnny was telling the truth or not. What she wanted to know was why he'd done that, and if it was more than Johnny thought it to be, but she couldn't bring herself to ask. Instead, she left him with a trailed off sentence. "Reno. . .do you. . .?"
"Can we talk about this later?" Reno asked, rubbing his forehead. Yes, he guessed the truth may have been out now, but what was the truth? Did he even know? The truth was that he didn't, and he may never be able to know.
Tifa was about to object, but she saw his eyes, a mixture of confusion, pleading, and. . .hurt? She had never seen such a look from the man infront of her, and found herself nodding.
The work was absolutely silent, even the hissing of the grill as they worked inserting itself into the air. They worked faster, Reno had to admit as he grabbed the ticket for another meal, but the uneasiness in the air was absolutely unnerving. He could understand what was hanging over Tifa right now, but he really hadn't wanted her to see that. He knew there'd be a fight, too, the feeling just hanging in his mind.
Their first problem came when Tifa was a bit distracted by her own thoughts and forgot about the burger she was working on and it caught fire, a high blaze.
Reno casually smacked it with his spatula, controlling the flame until he could do it a few more times and completely extinguish it.
Tifa reddened, but was puzzled by the question of "Table eight?" from Reno. She nodded, looking up to him. "How'd you know?"
Reno put on a smirk, his mood lightening. "Table eight always causes problems."
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They actually did lighten their moods a bit, the conversation a bit heavier as they went along, but their work was not slowed, and they put in nearly twelve hours when they were finished.
Reno prayed she'd forgotten about what had happened, and was slightly surprised when they were closing and no fight had come up. He just shrugged inwardly as he walked to the main bar area, Tarah nowhere in sight.
"She took off," ViYlic stated, smirking when he saw Reno clamp his mouth shut again.
Tifa threw herself into a chair with a groan, slumping lazily into it.
"So, where're the additions?" Reno asked, looking around. As far as he could tell, it was just the same old bar, to put it straight. He gave ViYlic a questioning look, obliging as he was beckoned to the bar. He saw the Wutain kneeling behind it, pointing to a large button on the floor.
"Automatically gets the Force here. Silent alarm, really," he stated, standing up again. "And, I fixed the tables, got a few new chairs."
But, before Reno could reply, the door swung open, admitting a man who automatically caught their attention.
Tifa couldn't help but flinch back, as if hit by a blow, as she saw his long, silver hair, reminding her far too much of Sephiroth, the one who had nearly killed them all. The rest of him, however, made Sephiroth look nearly innocent.
He wore a pair of almost silver-lensed sunglasses, even at night, his hands disappearing into his pocket. His size gave Zan a run for his money, and he wore a black pair of pants, along with a white shirt, no hint of sleeves or a neck to it.
He looked almost as if this place were a dojo and not a bar.
But this man's eyes went immediately to ViYlic, his face impassive as he held his tongue.
ViYlic returned the gaze evenly, and Tifa suddenly felt so out of place her stomach churned at the thought of staying any longer.
"It took me years, but I managed to track you down from Wutai, General," the tall man hissed, his voice like a shattering window.
"I'm fresh outta medals, Andreeson."
Tifa was almost sure she'd seen a hint of a smile shot her way from behind the mask of concentration, a simple facade for ViYlic. She had to admit she held back her own smile, but this Andreeson character seemed all business, his eyes flaring at his remark.
'Wait. . . General?'
She looked to Reno for a bit of guidance, but found his eyes on the man who'd stepped in unannounced.
"So, wanna settle this here and now, one on one?" ViYlic asked as if he were an old friend, rubbing his taped wrists.
"To the death?" Andreeson questioned.
A nod was his answer.
Tifa stood up to make an objecting, but found herself being eased back down by Reno's hand, an arm sliding around her shoulders, but this was mostly for restraint, and she knew it. Reno wouldn't do this unless that was exactly what it was.
"This is his fight," the ex-Turk murmured, knowing even she wasn't good enough to take down Andreeson. He had a way of comforting people, and he knew he was good when he got Elena to finally pull herself together after Tseng's death.
"How'd you find me?" ViYlic asked, shoving a table carelessly out of the way. It looked like Andreeson wanted a fair fight this time.
"Tifa Lockheart tends to attract a lot of attention to a place," the man stated coolly, his ankles aching from him holding their ready-to-be-dealt blows back.
"You're pushin' it, dammit," Reno growled.
Tifa tensed as Andreeson's eyes locked on her for a moment, the same gaze of Sephiroth, even. Who was this guy, why did Reno refuse to step in, why was he fighting ViYlic, and why did he know everything? All of this went through Tifa's head as the two stared each other down, the floor cleared out as if it were a usual event.
Before either of the ones uninvolved knew what was happening, the two were sending and blocking hits, neither with an immediately noticeable advantage, but Andreeson clearly was doing the better work.
Tifa watched in awe, noting how fast both of them were. ViYlic was a lot more nimble than the taller, and used speed to his advantage, his hands unable to be followed.
But Andreeson blocked each hit, and when he saw an opening, his hands flew to it and he bore down upon his adversary, usually getting in around five hits until ViYlic knocked him off-guard and followed on that. He had to admit, ViYlic seemed to've gotten some training in.
Reno figured they would both just wear each other down until he saw an opening ViYlic hadn't bothered to cover, and he knew Andreeson was just waiting for the time to follow up on that. Tifa had settled down a bit, still trying to get up once in a while, but he didn't release his arm, maybe just a reminder someone was as nervous as he was, the ex-Turk thought, knelt down behind her chair.
Tifa strained against his grip as Andreeson launched the first kick she had seen, connecting with ViYlic's jaw, but she saw that he seemed only a bit stunned.
ViYlic spun around, meeting Andreeson's first with his right forearm, and the two froze simultaneously. ViYlic looked over his shoulder, taking in gasps of air before he spoke. "You've just made the biggest mistake of your life."
Tifa heard it, and she had seen it before that. By bringing his arm up, Andreeson had left his side unprotected, and ViYlic wasn't at all hesitant to follow up on it. She was again shocked at the speed of the next attack.
The Wutain spun on his heel, coming almost completely around as he bent and rammed his shoulder into Andreeson's side, feeling the air being pushed out of the man, to put this feud to rest. He felt a slight achievement as the man crumpled to the ground, breathing harder than ever. ViYlic paced a slow circle around him, knowing this was basically over.
"You once. . .defeated. . .Sephiroth. I did not. . .expect. . .to win," Andreeson choked out, now on his deathbed, and he knew it.
ViYlic couldn't suppress his smile, leaning down to look Andreeson in the face. "Then you're a moron for trying."
He brought his right foot back past his left, lifting himself from the ground completely. He made a kind of crescent shape as he spun through the air, landing once again on his right foot, but this time, it was planted on the breaking spine of Andreeson, and then only the dead man left in his place.
The bar went deathly silent, only the howling of the winds through the alleys on either side of it inserting themselves into the calm.
The victor stared at the frozen, shocked expression still in the lifeless eyes of Andreeson, making a silent prayer to himself that he may be forgiven for what he had just done. Slowly and calmly, ViYlic silently lifted his foot from the man and walked over him, striding out the door without a word.
Tifa and Reno sat there for a moment longer, their eyes still on the lifeless form that had minutes ago been one of the best fighters they'd seen. Tifa sighed shakily, feeling Reno tightening his arm a bit, now for a bit of reassurance to them both.
"The bar's not openin' tomorrow, and he ain't comin' back for a while. C'mon, grab your coat," Reno sighed into her ear, feeling the involuntary shudder run down her back.
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Even the apartment seemed to have silenced itself, but Tifa didn't understand why they were so impacted by the 'loss.' They hadn't known the man, but what did that matter? She was more interested in Reno's reaction, something she'd never seen from him.
'No regrets.'
She'd somewhere seen the Turk Code posted, and isn't that exactly what had been there? She turned to look at Reno, about to ask for an explanation, but the look in his eyes told her he was wanting the same thing.
Tseng had already taken his usual spot on the man's shoulder, a true companion to him. He knew he was leaving some information away from Tifa when he told her the story of ViYlic, but he never expected it to go this fast. Her second day on the job, and she'd already seen their bouncer kill someone, the largest brawl in the Launch Pad's history break out, and had unintentionally found her way into his apartment.
He wordlessly led her to the couch, both of them sitting down as Reno told her what he could, what he'd left out of the story. "I was in SOLDIER, believe it or not, but I was pulled out by Tseng to get into the Turks. One o' the guys that roomed with me was Andreeson. That kid always had this glint in his eyes like he was plotting the destruction of the damn Planet."
"The war started, of course, and Sephiroth went off to battle, but took the newest First Class SOLDIER with 'im. You probably guessed, but that was Andreeson. Well, rumors flew leftn' right about another General from Wutai who knew more than Sephiroth did when it came to battle, but nobody believed 'im. Except, of course. . ."
"Andreeson," Tifa finished for him softly, making mental notes for when the pieces came together.
Reno nodded. "I was the gossip around the building, so, naturally, I knew about alla this. Well, Andreeson was gone for a long time 'til he finally came back, from Wutai of all places, and said he didn't want them invading the town."
"Sephiroth declined, and just pressed the attacks, tellin' him to just suck it up and fight," he stated flatly.
"Well, the day finally came when the General happened to start fighting, and Andreeson did just that. Shot the bastard in the side of the head, but he didn't know at the time he wasn't dead."
"ViYlic," Tifa said in disbelief, receiving a nod.
"It's an odd coincidence I got to workin' for ViYlic, but I did, and he said he didn't give a shit about ShinRa anymore, just Andreeson. Well, you just saw the first time he came in, and I guess they put it to rest with him."
Tifa didn't hide her surprise, but she doubted even a Wutai General could just pick up those fighting skills somewhere. She knew it first-hand, anyway, that someone needed to be taught things like that, and not by themselves.
Maybe she was so mad that Andreeson was such a great fighter, and that she'd watched him die. For lack of a better reason, she just took that and nodded, hugging her knees to her chest.
''Tifa Lockheart tends to attract a lot of attention to a place.''
No, she was sad because she had caused what had happened. That was exactly the reason, and she may have even run ViYlic off because she was around.
'It would've been better if I'd never left Kalm.'
"Well, you're probably dead-tired, so I guess we should just call it a night."
The voice brought her temporarily from her brooding, but as she looked to Reno, she couldn't help but notice that if she had stayed in Kalm, she wouldn't be here, and would most likely lock herself in her house. No, if she'd stay in Kalm, she'd still be alone, but Reno. . . With Reno, she felt she was no longer alone, just another unlucky one in life.
She didn't mean he was, but she couldn't really feel alone with Reno. But, the truth was, she was as lonely as the next person.
Her eyes suddenly felt heavy.
'You're acting like a kid. Don't let yourself cry, dammit.'
Reno whistled lightly, waving a hand infront of Tifa's eyes to bring her to reality. That was proof enough that she was tired, so he just stood up, shaking his head slightly. He'd brought her into all this mess, but he had to wonder if it was really worth it. Yes, it was. But he knew this wouldn't be the end of their problems, because it never did seem to just end for the two of them.
He led her into the room she was staying in for the time, not even noticing how swayed her movements were before they were actually in the moonlight from the window.
"It's my fault," she said softly, not being able to say anything in a real voice. Her eyes were clenched shut, but she doubted that would help. What was wrong with her? Truth had hit her hard, in the form of another First Class SOLDIER, and once started, she'd found hundreds of things to cry about.
Reno was now fully aware of her 'condition,' and placed his hands on her shoulders. He was barely surprised when she fell into him and closed him in her own arms, sobbing heavily into his chest while he just patted her back, resting his chin on her head.
He had a feeling something like this might happen. He just slowly walked over to the bed and sat down on it, Tifa curling up like an abused child in his embrace. He rocked slowly back and forth, as he'd done with Elena after the incident with Tseng, softly trying to calm her.
The minutes seemed to drag by, but her cries were downed to soft whimpers eventually, her head still buried against him. Yes, she'd screwed up this time, and she really hadn't wanted to do this infront of him.
"It's not your fault. ViYlic told me this day'd probably come, and you just wound up there when it did. True, you do bring a crowd or two, but that doesn't mean anything's your fault, Tiff. Andreeson was just trying to get under your skin, and I don't really give a shit if it worked or not, but none of this was your fault. Don't even think of it that way," he said softly, thinking he got his point across when she fell silent.
Three days straight, and it always seemed to include a bar. Reno sat like this for a few more minutes, until he finally figured out she was asleep, the rise and fall of her side the only clue she was still alive. But he couldn't leave now. He wasn't absolutely sure why as he slowly shifted and laid down, still keeping one arm around her as he grabbed the nearest blanket and threw it over them.
Right or not, he was going to stay here the night, just to let them both know they weren't alone.
And he fell asleep holding her silent form, his head resting on her shoulder.
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"Reno Drannor."
Reno's head snapped up, not paying any attention that he went right through Tifa's arm, staring in shock as Tseng rounded the bed, clicking his tongue.
"Tseng?!"
The deceased Turk nodded, a smirk on his face. "And I have been laughing, but I believe you've been doing the best things you can, Reno."
Reno narrowed his eyes, but knew that was a usual Tseng reply. "How'd you get here?"
"Dream walking, really," Tseng replied, sitting carelessly on the bed. "You and Tifa Lockheart. I figured it might come to that, from what I heard from Rude."
"We're not a couple."
Tseng, still in his Turk suit as well, just shrugged with a smile. "Maybe, maybe not. It could always be more than you want to admit, Reno. I think you want more than you know you want. Please forgive me for sounding like a riddle box, but you know exactly what I mean. I can see it even now."
Reno fell silent, knowing Tseng had a point. "Why're you here?" he asked abruptly, now knowing Tifa wasn't even really 'there.'
"To tell you that. I'll come back a few times, if you want, but I figure you should look a bit deeper inside to find the truth, as corny as it sounds. Think of me as a kind of. . .guardian angel that gives lectures," he said dismissively, looking real enough to Reno.
The other just gave him a look. "I didn't need help with the lecture part, but I really don't get why the hell you're here."
Tseng replied, standing up, "You care more than you think, and you just need to realize that."
Reno was silent, watching him as he started to the door. "You gonna be back?"
Tseng put a foot out the door, the limb disappearing into a green portal- like surface. He looked over his shoulder with a Turk-worthy smirk. "I'm the voice in your head. I'm always there."
And with a bang-like sound, Reno returned to his dreamless rest.
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But the dream walks weren't quite over, and the next was Tifa's.
"I still don't see why," Aeris Gainsborough groaned, stamping her foot like a child.
"She trusts you, in a way," Tseng replied, looking around the area known as the Lifestream. Actually, death was no different than life. Everyone he had once known was there, save for those still living, and all could be seen below them.
He lowered himself down onto one of the benches, sighing and stretching. The area was a green fog, and no ground was in sight.
Sephiroth, who'd learned of his mistakes, stood silently among them. Aeris, Tseng, and Rufus were all arguing over something he didn't care about, but his interest rose as Aeris separated herself from the group and the other two walked off into nothing.
The silver-haired man followed and offered her a bit of advice. "You can't get in."
Aeris looked surprised as she spun around. She felt the need to reply, although she wanted to ignore him, for she didn't think of him at all like a crazed, mass-murderer. "How do you know?" she asked, sitting down and crossing her legs.
Sephiroth followed suit, much to her displeasure, deciding to go along for the ride. "Because I tried yesterday, and it simply gave her a nightmare."
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It wasn't surprising that he cared, but Tifa wanted to knock him out then and there as they made their descent into the forgotten city.
Cloud led her on, his pace quick, only they weren't just heading anywhere.
She was wordless as she pointed down the stairs to Aeris, who knelt silently at the Altar.
Cloud led her farther, until they were right behind Aeris, then suddenly unsheathed the massive blade from his back. He walked forward until he held the metal over her head, but was cut off.
Tifa stared in shock as Sephiroth leaped from the spiral staircase, driving his Masamune down through Cloud. She couldn't help the shriek from emerging from her throat, but stopped as she was picked up by the neck and pressed against the wall, Sephiroth glaring at her.
"Would you shut up?!"
Tifa fell to the floor, rubbing her neck as Aeris came up to them and looked at Sephiroth, a smug grin on her face.
The tall man gave her a dark look. "Okay, maybe you were able to get in."
Aeris shrugged, looking down to Tifa and helping her up. She couldn't help but enlarge her grin at Tifa's expression.
Hadn't they been through this once, and hadn't the outcome been different the first time? Tifa asked herself this before looking between the two of them, now fully knowing when and where she was. "You're. . .dead. . .?"
Sephiroth just nodded, resting a hand upon Aeris' shoulder.
"And you killed her?" Tifa asked, finding this hard to believe.
"Yep," Aeris chirped.
Finding no answer coming, Tifa finished the circle with, "And I helped kill you?" looking at Sephiroth.
"Allow me to explain," he offered warmly, waving his free hand.
Tifa gasped in surprise as the city warped into what looked like the top of a building.
"The Lifestream allows you to do many things you cannot, or could not rather, do on the real Planet, such as dream walk. But, of course, there are downsides to this. If the person has a negative feeling toward the other who has taken the dream walk, there will be a possibility of brain damage."
"Luckily, Drannor woke you up before the dream had finished yesterday."
Tifa jolted, but felt nothing as they moved over the city, floating through the streets. She recognized it as the Upper Plate of Midgar, but let Sephiroth continue.
"Most of the time, dream walking is harmless to a person, but, as I said, it can have a bad effect. If you'd like to know how I know all of this," he said, Midgar coming to a halt as he turned to look at her, suspended in what he could call mid-air, "consider me a Lifestream Elder. Now, because we were able to get through to you this time, there will be no effects to you."
Tifa sighed inwardly, knowing it was all probably still a dream, but she felt she could take his word for it. "So, why're you here?"
"Reno asked the same thing," Aeris said with a grin, then continuing. "I don't really know why, but don't go to the bar tomorrow. Make sure Reno knows some good friends who can hide you, or both of you, away for a while."
"Wh -" She was cut off by Sephiroth, his tone a bit colder.
"If I were you, I wouldn't question a Cetra who's trying to save your life," he snapped.
Aeris glared at him. "Don't be so mean. It's probably the first time the man who nearly destroyed the Planet tried to do the same thing."
Sephiroth settled for just glaring back at her, but gave a last statement of, "Heed the warning, Lockheart."
And then they were both gone.
Author's Note: Yes, I understand that was a bit quick, pumping out two chapters like that, but I won't be able to do that anymore, sadly, because writing won't pay the bills until I can publish something. I think this part isn't as good as the first, but I'll try to make the next longer and more interesting. --Haze
Part 2: Showdown at The Pad
She knew this was unsafe, but she would lead anyone across it, especially Cloud. Tifa had to smile to herself as she jogged across the creaking and moaning bridge, glad to have him back. He was probably oblivious to it, but she'd noticed he was never more than a few feet from her, and when he was, the young man would jog to catch up.
But she couldn't ignore the presence Sephiroth gave them all, and he always seemed to be watching Cloud with a careful eye, as if he were his father, and saying what needed to be said. Nothing more than that.
The bad thing was, he always seemed to be around, never giving her a chance to speak with Cloud alone.
Tifa stopped and looked back, Sephiroth's cold gaze fixed on her, the two ShinRa guards accompanying them silent and attentive. Cloud wandered casually over the bridge, his pace slightly faster than a walk, looking around curiously.
Tifa reminded herself he hadn't been up there in years, and probably wanted to know what it was like now.
Cloud looked up and smirked, having changed a lot since before he left for Midgar, and Tifa couldn't help but notice Sephiroth had stopped abruptly.
Was something wrong?
The Great Sephiroth, as most knew him, just held his position, and she swore she felt a hole being drilled through her by the Mako eyes.
The bridge rocked as Cloud halted, giving a final groan before the ropes on the other side snapped from the pylons holding them, sending her plunging downward.
She was sure her death was coming before Cloud reached out and gripped her wrist, sending a jerk through her body. Tifa dared to look down, then up again, horrified as she saw the other ropes starting to loosen.
Sephiroth, hanging on down the bridge, didn't seem all that worried to her, and was preparing himself for the fall. He looked disappointed, if anything. One ShinRa guard had already slipped and fallen to sure doom.
'It wasn't meant to end this way.'
Famous last words, Tifa told herself, accepting her fate as the bridge plummeted for the ground.
==========================================================================
"Tiff!" The voice was loud and demanding, and she found herself pinned to the bed by the arms, the sheets pulled tight around her neck.
She met a pair of yellow eyes, but found the source of the voice in the face of Reno over the cat, noting how concerned he looked. Any thoughts of sleep had gone out of her head, and now she just wanted to know exactly what had happened.
"Everything alright in there?!"
What was ViYlic doing there at this time of day? Tifa asked herself only once before sinking down into the bed, oblivious to exactly where she was and how she looked.
"You alright?" Reno asked, much calmer and quieter, his brows furrowed. He decided not to bring up the fact she'd been talking about him in her sleep, but he'd come in and tried to control her thrashing a bit.
Tifa didn't reply, barely aware when Reno replied in the affirmative and ViYlic left the apartment at his request.
The ex-Turk released his grip and walked to the window, pulling back the curtains and letting in a blinding blast of daylight. He leaned on the wall, waiting to make sure she was alright for then. She looked terrible, mostly from the complete surprise of it all, or so he guessed.
Tifa finally realized a fact and looked at Reno, her uneasiness returning. "Where're my clothes?" she managed, feeling her temples throb with each word.
Reno avoided her question by answering with, "Bad dream?"
Tifa wasn't pleased, and felt a knot tighten in her stomach as she sat up, careful to make sure she covered herself with at least one of the blankets, sighing as she asked her next question. "What did we do last night?"
"You slept, I behaved myself, as tempting as it was," Reno replied honestly, suppressing a smirk. "As for the clothes, they're on the chair in the corner, as you may be able to see, not thrown around the room in a fit of passion. Tempting, like I said, but not me anymore. For now, I mean," he cleared up, ignoring the puzzled look he was given.
Tifa had to admit she was slightly impressed at the way he had acted, if he was telling the truth about it. He looked as sincere as she'd ever seen him before, and guessed his story would check out anywhere. Indeed, the clothes were on the chair as he'd said. "Well, I guess I might have to thank you for at least that," she said, faking irritation. "Now, can I have a better explanation of what happened?"
'Rude would laugh.'
Why did that phrase always come to him when he was about to do something nice? It was like a jumping record needle, but he paid it no heed, knowing Tifa needed to know. He was slightly surprised she hadn't booted him from the room yet.
"Well, after you passed out from the vodka, I brought you back in here, decided you couldn't sleep in the clothes that caught your drink, and here we are now, to put it straight," he said in a single breath.
Tifa arched a brow, pulling her knees to her chest, and pinning the blankets there.
"Now, I can tell it's probably cold, so I'll leave for now. By the way, we gotta get to the Pad soon. ViYlic said he saved all of his checks the best he could and got some. . .additions," he finished with a grin, picking up Tseng and walking out, not even bothering to shut the door behind him.
Tifa crawled out of the comfortable bed once she knew he was gone and put her feet on the floor, shivering at the cold wood below her. She walked to the chair in the corner and threw the clothes on carelessly, not too happy that they were below room temperature.
She walked into the bathroom, now knowing what it was like to wake up with a mild hangover, and grabbed her hairbrush, running it through the long strands that she somehow managed to keep straight. It was then she noticed her hair tie missing, something that puzzled her. She was sure she'd worn it the previous day, but maybe she had dropped it somewhere in her light- headedness. That she remembered, but it wasn't something she was eager to repeat.
She walked back into the bedroom, about to go when something caught her eye. A small table, long and clean, sat against the wall, something she hadn't seen before. She slowly walked over to it, noticing it held paper articles and pictures in frames. It looked like Reno did have some things he held onto after all.
One that was carelessly laid there was the article she was in from the previous day, atop a stack of other Launch Pad paper mentions.
Looks like he actually is well known.
One picture caught her eye, and she immediately recognized it as the one they'd taken at her birthday. She had been mad when they came to her door far before the sun had come up. Actually, below the Plate, there was no sun, but she knew it had been too early for it to be up.
The next article she found was one she picked up and actually read all the way through. It was from the Midgar Daily News, and straight from the inside.
''SECTOR SEVEN PLATE DROP'
Last week, all of Sector Seven was demolished as the large Plate looming above the residents' heads finally fell, said to be dropped by none other than the infamous Turk, Reno Drannor. Shortly after the disaster, it was reported that Reno had gone missing for a period of three days, then mysteriously returned as if nothing had happened. "Oh, but he changed. I could see it in his eyes," fellow Turk and friend, Tseng Lander, claimed. "
Another statement from the lips of Johnny Simmons, part of the Last Knights, one of the main gangs in Sector Seven, was this: "He came in lookin' for Tifa Lockheart, who I just found out's in AVALANCHE. Told me to make sure she got outta the Sector, from what I know now. He told me to do the same exact thing, and I gotta say that [guy's] got some guts, tryin' to kill us all. If I ever see 'im, I'll make sure he pays, but I know he meant well for Tifa.
Not tryin' to get mushy or anything, but I know one of 'em's gotta be readin' this, if it gets in the paper at all, and I think Reno knows more'n he's lettin' out." Reno Drannor was unavailable for comments, but the rest of the Turks assure me that if he were, I would get nothing else.
For now, all of Midgar will look to ShinRa for guidance on how to make it through this hard time.
- Daniel Reeve, Head of Urban Development'
"Rufus nearly had my head when he read that."
Tifa was startled, turning around to see Reno with a grim look on his face, his icy gaze telling her not to ask questions, and she had to guess he meant that about Johnny's little speech. When she thought about it, this was the first she had seen Reno with that expression on his face in a long time.
"Reno," she couldn't help but start, her eyes pleading, but he had turned her a deaf ear.
"'Bout time for work. C'mon," he muttered, sighing heavily and walking out of the room, Tifa on his heels. If anything was there to drive her away, that would probably be it, for the single sentence that he had wanted Tifa out of the Sector from Johnny's mouth almost screamed those diamond earrings were a bit more than a friendly gift, but what sane man would admit that when he might be off the hook for the time?
Besides, Tifa didn't seem like she wanted to prod him on the matter.
The two were silent as they got their coats, started out, and even when they had finally reached the Launch Pad, Reno seeming like he was brooding over something important. He really was, wondering how she'd taken the statement she'd read, and how she might act from just that little thing. True, he did seem to keep a lot of things concerning her around, but he did the same with the Turks and his drinking buddies.
But still, the Turks and his drinking buddies weren't using his bed to sleep in and his apartment to live in for the time.
They walked into the Launch Pad, looking around. ViYlic was behind the bar, a few tables were occupied by some of their good friends, and Tarah was leaning on the bar. It wasn't quite time to open up, but some people came in early for some small talk with them. Zan's bar opened that day, Reno noted, so he would most likely go over and see how it was working for him later.
"You're awake," ViYlic announced, looking directly at Tifa.
Reno couldn't ignore the glares and mouthed insults coming from Tarah, but he knew that she was aware he hadn't tried anything.
"Light-weight," Tarah laughed, following the Wutain's eyes.
Tifa looked at Tarah disapprovingly. She hadn't a comeback, however, and just hurried to the kitchen, Reno slowly following.
Before he could get there, however, Tarah swung him around and grabbed the lapels of his suit. "If you try anything, anytime, I will have your head on my wall, Reno," she hissed, letting him go and shoving him toward the kitchen, giving him a threatening glare.
Reno mumbled something that would've gotten him knocked out as he walked into the kitchen, looking around. He grabbed the apron from its hook, but didn't put it on, only walked to Tifa and stood silently. "You wanna know if Johnny's fulla shit." It wasn't a question.
Tifa was silent, but he knew that was as good as a nod. "Explain to me how you'll ever know the truth, and I'll tell it to you."
Tifa turned to give him a look, not really caring whether Johnny was telling the truth or not. What she wanted to know was why he'd done that, and if it was more than Johnny thought it to be, but she couldn't bring herself to ask. Instead, she left him with a trailed off sentence. "Reno. . .do you. . .?"
"Can we talk about this later?" Reno asked, rubbing his forehead. Yes, he guessed the truth may have been out now, but what was the truth? Did he even know? The truth was that he didn't, and he may never be able to know.
Tifa was about to object, but she saw his eyes, a mixture of confusion, pleading, and. . .hurt? She had never seen such a look from the man infront of her, and found herself nodding.
The work was absolutely silent, even the hissing of the grill as they worked inserting itself into the air. They worked faster, Reno had to admit as he grabbed the ticket for another meal, but the uneasiness in the air was absolutely unnerving. He could understand what was hanging over Tifa right now, but he really hadn't wanted her to see that. He knew there'd be a fight, too, the feeling just hanging in his mind.
Their first problem came when Tifa was a bit distracted by her own thoughts and forgot about the burger she was working on and it caught fire, a high blaze.
Reno casually smacked it with his spatula, controlling the flame until he could do it a few more times and completely extinguish it.
Tifa reddened, but was puzzled by the question of "Table eight?" from Reno. She nodded, looking up to him. "How'd you know?"
Reno put on a smirk, his mood lightening. "Table eight always causes problems."
==========================================================================
They actually did lighten their moods a bit, the conversation a bit heavier as they went along, but their work was not slowed, and they put in nearly twelve hours when they were finished.
Reno prayed she'd forgotten about what had happened, and was slightly surprised when they were closing and no fight had come up. He just shrugged inwardly as he walked to the main bar area, Tarah nowhere in sight.
"She took off," ViYlic stated, smirking when he saw Reno clamp his mouth shut again.
Tifa threw herself into a chair with a groan, slumping lazily into it.
"So, where're the additions?" Reno asked, looking around. As far as he could tell, it was just the same old bar, to put it straight. He gave ViYlic a questioning look, obliging as he was beckoned to the bar. He saw the Wutain kneeling behind it, pointing to a large button on the floor.
"Automatically gets the Force here. Silent alarm, really," he stated, standing up again. "And, I fixed the tables, got a few new chairs."
But, before Reno could reply, the door swung open, admitting a man who automatically caught their attention.
Tifa couldn't help but flinch back, as if hit by a blow, as she saw his long, silver hair, reminding her far too much of Sephiroth, the one who had nearly killed them all. The rest of him, however, made Sephiroth look nearly innocent.
He wore a pair of almost silver-lensed sunglasses, even at night, his hands disappearing into his pocket. His size gave Zan a run for his money, and he wore a black pair of pants, along with a white shirt, no hint of sleeves or a neck to it.
He looked almost as if this place were a dojo and not a bar.
But this man's eyes went immediately to ViYlic, his face impassive as he held his tongue.
ViYlic returned the gaze evenly, and Tifa suddenly felt so out of place her stomach churned at the thought of staying any longer.
"It took me years, but I managed to track you down from Wutai, General," the tall man hissed, his voice like a shattering window.
"I'm fresh outta medals, Andreeson."
Tifa was almost sure she'd seen a hint of a smile shot her way from behind the mask of concentration, a simple facade for ViYlic. She had to admit she held back her own smile, but this Andreeson character seemed all business, his eyes flaring at his remark.
'Wait. . . General?'
She looked to Reno for a bit of guidance, but found his eyes on the man who'd stepped in unannounced.
"So, wanna settle this here and now, one on one?" ViYlic asked as if he were an old friend, rubbing his taped wrists.
"To the death?" Andreeson questioned.
A nod was his answer.
Tifa stood up to make an objecting, but found herself being eased back down by Reno's hand, an arm sliding around her shoulders, but this was mostly for restraint, and she knew it. Reno wouldn't do this unless that was exactly what it was.
"This is his fight," the ex-Turk murmured, knowing even she wasn't good enough to take down Andreeson. He had a way of comforting people, and he knew he was good when he got Elena to finally pull herself together after Tseng's death.
"How'd you find me?" ViYlic asked, shoving a table carelessly out of the way. It looked like Andreeson wanted a fair fight this time.
"Tifa Lockheart tends to attract a lot of attention to a place," the man stated coolly, his ankles aching from him holding their ready-to-be-dealt blows back.
"You're pushin' it, dammit," Reno growled.
Tifa tensed as Andreeson's eyes locked on her for a moment, the same gaze of Sephiroth, even. Who was this guy, why did Reno refuse to step in, why was he fighting ViYlic, and why did he know everything? All of this went through Tifa's head as the two stared each other down, the floor cleared out as if it were a usual event.
Before either of the ones uninvolved knew what was happening, the two were sending and blocking hits, neither with an immediately noticeable advantage, but Andreeson clearly was doing the better work.
Tifa watched in awe, noting how fast both of them were. ViYlic was a lot more nimble than the taller, and used speed to his advantage, his hands unable to be followed.
But Andreeson blocked each hit, and when he saw an opening, his hands flew to it and he bore down upon his adversary, usually getting in around five hits until ViYlic knocked him off-guard and followed on that. He had to admit, ViYlic seemed to've gotten some training in.
Reno figured they would both just wear each other down until he saw an opening ViYlic hadn't bothered to cover, and he knew Andreeson was just waiting for the time to follow up on that. Tifa had settled down a bit, still trying to get up once in a while, but he didn't release his arm, maybe just a reminder someone was as nervous as he was, the ex-Turk thought, knelt down behind her chair.
Tifa strained against his grip as Andreeson launched the first kick she had seen, connecting with ViYlic's jaw, but she saw that he seemed only a bit stunned.
ViYlic spun around, meeting Andreeson's first with his right forearm, and the two froze simultaneously. ViYlic looked over his shoulder, taking in gasps of air before he spoke. "You've just made the biggest mistake of your life."
Tifa heard it, and she had seen it before that. By bringing his arm up, Andreeson had left his side unprotected, and ViYlic wasn't at all hesitant to follow up on it. She was again shocked at the speed of the next attack.
The Wutain spun on his heel, coming almost completely around as he bent and rammed his shoulder into Andreeson's side, feeling the air being pushed out of the man, to put this feud to rest. He felt a slight achievement as the man crumpled to the ground, breathing harder than ever. ViYlic paced a slow circle around him, knowing this was basically over.
"You once. . .defeated. . .Sephiroth. I did not. . .expect. . .to win," Andreeson choked out, now on his deathbed, and he knew it.
ViYlic couldn't suppress his smile, leaning down to look Andreeson in the face. "Then you're a moron for trying."
He brought his right foot back past his left, lifting himself from the ground completely. He made a kind of crescent shape as he spun through the air, landing once again on his right foot, but this time, it was planted on the breaking spine of Andreeson, and then only the dead man left in his place.
The bar went deathly silent, only the howling of the winds through the alleys on either side of it inserting themselves into the calm.
The victor stared at the frozen, shocked expression still in the lifeless eyes of Andreeson, making a silent prayer to himself that he may be forgiven for what he had just done. Slowly and calmly, ViYlic silently lifted his foot from the man and walked over him, striding out the door without a word.
Tifa and Reno sat there for a moment longer, their eyes still on the lifeless form that had minutes ago been one of the best fighters they'd seen. Tifa sighed shakily, feeling Reno tightening his arm a bit, now for a bit of reassurance to them both.
"The bar's not openin' tomorrow, and he ain't comin' back for a while. C'mon, grab your coat," Reno sighed into her ear, feeling the involuntary shudder run down her back.
==========================================================================
Even the apartment seemed to have silenced itself, but Tifa didn't understand why they were so impacted by the 'loss.' They hadn't known the man, but what did that matter? She was more interested in Reno's reaction, something she'd never seen from him.
'No regrets.'
She'd somewhere seen the Turk Code posted, and isn't that exactly what had been there? She turned to look at Reno, about to ask for an explanation, but the look in his eyes told her he was wanting the same thing.
Tseng had already taken his usual spot on the man's shoulder, a true companion to him. He knew he was leaving some information away from Tifa when he told her the story of ViYlic, but he never expected it to go this fast. Her second day on the job, and she'd already seen their bouncer kill someone, the largest brawl in the Launch Pad's history break out, and had unintentionally found her way into his apartment.
He wordlessly led her to the couch, both of them sitting down as Reno told her what he could, what he'd left out of the story. "I was in SOLDIER, believe it or not, but I was pulled out by Tseng to get into the Turks. One o' the guys that roomed with me was Andreeson. That kid always had this glint in his eyes like he was plotting the destruction of the damn Planet."
"The war started, of course, and Sephiroth went off to battle, but took the newest First Class SOLDIER with 'im. You probably guessed, but that was Andreeson. Well, rumors flew leftn' right about another General from Wutai who knew more than Sephiroth did when it came to battle, but nobody believed 'im. Except, of course. . ."
"Andreeson," Tifa finished for him softly, making mental notes for when the pieces came together.
Reno nodded. "I was the gossip around the building, so, naturally, I knew about alla this. Well, Andreeson was gone for a long time 'til he finally came back, from Wutai of all places, and said he didn't want them invading the town."
"Sephiroth declined, and just pressed the attacks, tellin' him to just suck it up and fight," he stated flatly.
"Well, the day finally came when the General happened to start fighting, and Andreeson did just that. Shot the bastard in the side of the head, but he didn't know at the time he wasn't dead."
"ViYlic," Tifa said in disbelief, receiving a nod.
"It's an odd coincidence I got to workin' for ViYlic, but I did, and he said he didn't give a shit about ShinRa anymore, just Andreeson. Well, you just saw the first time he came in, and I guess they put it to rest with him."
Tifa didn't hide her surprise, but she doubted even a Wutai General could just pick up those fighting skills somewhere. She knew it first-hand, anyway, that someone needed to be taught things like that, and not by themselves.
Maybe she was so mad that Andreeson was such a great fighter, and that she'd watched him die. For lack of a better reason, she just took that and nodded, hugging her knees to her chest.
''Tifa Lockheart tends to attract a lot of attention to a place.''
No, she was sad because she had caused what had happened. That was exactly the reason, and she may have even run ViYlic off because she was around.
'It would've been better if I'd never left Kalm.'
"Well, you're probably dead-tired, so I guess we should just call it a night."
The voice brought her temporarily from her brooding, but as she looked to Reno, she couldn't help but notice that if she had stayed in Kalm, she wouldn't be here, and would most likely lock herself in her house. No, if she'd stay in Kalm, she'd still be alone, but Reno. . . With Reno, she felt she was no longer alone, just another unlucky one in life.
She didn't mean he was, but she couldn't really feel alone with Reno. But, the truth was, she was as lonely as the next person.
Her eyes suddenly felt heavy.
'You're acting like a kid. Don't let yourself cry, dammit.'
Reno whistled lightly, waving a hand infront of Tifa's eyes to bring her to reality. That was proof enough that she was tired, so he just stood up, shaking his head slightly. He'd brought her into all this mess, but he had to wonder if it was really worth it. Yes, it was. But he knew this wouldn't be the end of their problems, because it never did seem to just end for the two of them.
He led her into the room she was staying in for the time, not even noticing how swayed her movements were before they were actually in the moonlight from the window.
"It's my fault," she said softly, not being able to say anything in a real voice. Her eyes were clenched shut, but she doubted that would help. What was wrong with her? Truth had hit her hard, in the form of another First Class SOLDIER, and once started, she'd found hundreds of things to cry about.
Reno was now fully aware of her 'condition,' and placed his hands on her shoulders. He was barely surprised when she fell into him and closed him in her own arms, sobbing heavily into his chest while he just patted her back, resting his chin on her head.
He had a feeling something like this might happen. He just slowly walked over to the bed and sat down on it, Tifa curling up like an abused child in his embrace. He rocked slowly back and forth, as he'd done with Elena after the incident with Tseng, softly trying to calm her.
The minutes seemed to drag by, but her cries were downed to soft whimpers eventually, her head still buried against him. Yes, she'd screwed up this time, and she really hadn't wanted to do this infront of him.
"It's not your fault. ViYlic told me this day'd probably come, and you just wound up there when it did. True, you do bring a crowd or two, but that doesn't mean anything's your fault, Tiff. Andreeson was just trying to get under your skin, and I don't really give a shit if it worked or not, but none of this was your fault. Don't even think of it that way," he said softly, thinking he got his point across when she fell silent.
Three days straight, and it always seemed to include a bar. Reno sat like this for a few more minutes, until he finally figured out she was asleep, the rise and fall of her side the only clue she was still alive. But he couldn't leave now. He wasn't absolutely sure why as he slowly shifted and laid down, still keeping one arm around her as he grabbed the nearest blanket and threw it over them.
Right or not, he was going to stay here the night, just to let them both know they weren't alone.
And he fell asleep holding her silent form, his head resting on her shoulder.
==========================================================================
"Reno Drannor."
Reno's head snapped up, not paying any attention that he went right through Tifa's arm, staring in shock as Tseng rounded the bed, clicking his tongue.
"Tseng?!"
The deceased Turk nodded, a smirk on his face. "And I have been laughing, but I believe you've been doing the best things you can, Reno."
Reno narrowed his eyes, but knew that was a usual Tseng reply. "How'd you get here?"
"Dream walking, really," Tseng replied, sitting carelessly on the bed. "You and Tifa Lockheart. I figured it might come to that, from what I heard from Rude."
"We're not a couple."
Tseng, still in his Turk suit as well, just shrugged with a smile. "Maybe, maybe not. It could always be more than you want to admit, Reno. I think you want more than you know you want. Please forgive me for sounding like a riddle box, but you know exactly what I mean. I can see it even now."
Reno fell silent, knowing Tseng had a point. "Why're you here?" he asked abruptly, now knowing Tifa wasn't even really 'there.'
"To tell you that. I'll come back a few times, if you want, but I figure you should look a bit deeper inside to find the truth, as corny as it sounds. Think of me as a kind of. . .guardian angel that gives lectures," he said dismissively, looking real enough to Reno.
The other just gave him a look. "I didn't need help with the lecture part, but I really don't get why the hell you're here."
Tseng replied, standing up, "You care more than you think, and you just need to realize that."
Reno was silent, watching him as he started to the door. "You gonna be back?"
Tseng put a foot out the door, the limb disappearing into a green portal- like surface. He looked over his shoulder with a Turk-worthy smirk. "I'm the voice in your head. I'm always there."
And with a bang-like sound, Reno returned to his dreamless rest.
==========================================================================
But the dream walks weren't quite over, and the next was Tifa's.
"I still don't see why," Aeris Gainsborough groaned, stamping her foot like a child.
"She trusts you, in a way," Tseng replied, looking around the area known as the Lifestream. Actually, death was no different than life. Everyone he had once known was there, save for those still living, and all could be seen below them.
He lowered himself down onto one of the benches, sighing and stretching. The area was a green fog, and no ground was in sight.
Sephiroth, who'd learned of his mistakes, stood silently among them. Aeris, Tseng, and Rufus were all arguing over something he didn't care about, but his interest rose as Aeris separated herself from the group and the other two walked off into nothing.
The silver-haired man followed and offered her a bit of advice. "You can't get in."
Aeris looked surprised as she spun around. She felt the need to reply, although she wanted to ignore him, for she didn't think of him at all like a crazed, mass-murderer. "How do you know?" she asked, sitting down and crossing her legs.
Sephiroth followed suit, much to her displeasure, deciding to go along for the ride. "Because I tried yesterday, and it simply gave her a nightmare."
==========================================================================
It wasn't surprising that he cared, but Tifa wanted to knock him out then and there as they made their descent into the forgotten city.
Cloud led her on, his pace quick, only they weren't just heading anywhere.
She was wordless as she pointed down the stairs to Aeris, who knelt silently at the Altar.
Cloud led her farther, until they were right behind Aeris, then suddenly unsheathed the massive blade from his back. He walked forward until he held the metal over her head, but was cut off.
Tifa stared in shock as Sephiroth leaped from the spiral staircase, driving his Masamune down through Cloud. She couldn't help the shriek from emerging from her throat, but stopped as she was picked up by the neck and pressed against the wall, Sephiroth glaring at her.
"Would you shut up?!"
Tifa fell to the floor, rubbing her neck as Aeris came up to them and looked at Sephiroth, a smug grin on her face.
The tall man gave her a dark look. "Okay, maybe you were able to get in."
Aeris shrugged, looking down to Tifa and helping her up. She couldn't help but enlarge her grin at Tifa's expression.
Hadn't they been through this once, and hadn't the outcome been different the first time? Tifa asked herself this before looking between the two of them, now fully knowing when and where she was. "You're. . .dead. . .?"
Sephiroth just nodded, resting a hand upon Aeris' shoulder.
"And you killed her?" Tifa asked, finding this hard to believe.
"Yep," Aeris chirped.
Finding no answer coming, Tifa finished the circle with, "And I helped kill you?" looking at Sephiroth.
"Allow me to explain," he offered warmly, waving his free hand.
Tifa gasped in surprise as the city warped into what looked like the top of a building.
"The Lifestream allows you to do many things you cannot, or could not rather, do on the real Planet, such as dream walk. But, of course, there are downsides to this. If the person has a negative feeling toward the other who has taken the dream walk, there will be a possibility of brain damage."
"Luckily, Drannor woke you up before the dream had finished yesterday."
Tifa jolted, but felt nothing as they moved over the city, floating through the streets. She recognized it as the Upper Plate of Midgar, but let Sephiroth continue.
"Most of the time, dream walking is harmless to a person, but, as I said, it can have a bad effect. If you'd like to know how I know all of this," he said, Midgar coming to a halt as he turned to look at her, suspended in what he could call mid-air, "consider me a Lifestream Elder. Now, because we were able to get through to you this time, there will be no effects to you."
Tifa sighed inwardly, knowing it was all probably still a dream, but she felt she could take his word for it. "So, why're you here?"
"Reno asked the same thing," Aeris said with a grin, then continuing. "I don't really know why, but don't go to the bar tomorrow. Make sure Reno knows some good friends who can hide you, or both of you, away for a while."
"Wh -" She was cut off by Sephiroth, his tone a bit colder.
"If I were you, I wouldn't question a Cetra who's trying to save your life," he snapped.
Aeris glared at him. "Don't be so mean. It's probably the first time the man who nearly destroyed the Planet tried to do the same thing."
Sephiroth settled for just glaring back at her, but gave a last statement of, "Heed the warning, Lockheart."
And then they were both gone.
Author's Note: Yes, I understand that was a bit quick, pumping out two chapters like that, but I won't be able to do that anymore, sadly, because writing won't pay the bills until I can publish something. I think this part isn't as good as the first, but I'll try to make the next longer and more interesting. --Haze