Chapter 21: Love Revealed
"Damn it! They don't even have a god damn T.V! I'm going to miss Dukes of Hazzard again!" Cid sat on his bunk.
"Like I said, this world doesn't seem very advanced." Red said. "I wonder when the others will be getting here?"
A knocking sound was heard at the door. Cid got up and walked towards the door. "What do you want?"
"It's your president and Cloud." Cait Siths' voice was heard.
Cid opened the door. "How are you guys doing?"
"Just fine. That was a long walk." Cloud said as he sat down on a bunk. "What do you know, no T.V."
"It's good to see you alive." Red said as he got up off the floor.
"Um. Guys." Cait Sith said.
"Yea, Cait?" Cloud responded.
"There's a big event going on down here at ShinRa, so I will see you guys later. Drag Cait Sith down with you." Reeve said through Cait Siths' speakers.
"Uh…sure." Cid said.
"Right. Reeve out." Cait Sith shut down.
"I wonder what's going on." Red said.
"Well, there's no way we can find out." Cloud said. "Might as well relax."
"I hope it has nothing to do with Shera or Rocket Town…" Cid sat down and lit up a smoke.
"There you guys are!" Tifa opened the door, carrying a couple of bags. "I got enough food to last us a couple more days on the road." Barret stepped in after her.
"Let me tell you this, foos. If you ever want ta keep your sanity, don't go shopping wit women." Tifa elbowed Barret in the stomach. The others laughed.
"So where's Yuffie and Vincent?" She asked. All of the guys shrugged.
"Well, I found out from the clerk earlier today that an airship will be arriving tomorrow morning." Red exclaimed.
"Speaking of which, did you guys see two moogles named Mosh and Mogster?" Barret said as he sat down in a chair. "Damn. No T.V."
"We know…" Cid grumbled.
"No, I don't think we did." Red said.
"I saw a moogle named Mogryo. Cid, you have a letter for him." Cloud said.
Cid reached into his pocket. "You can take it to him. I'm just going to doze off."
Well, I'll start preparing something to eat." Tifa said.
"If it's not fighting your best at, it's cooking." Barret chuckled. "…Not even the damn ShinRa channel…"
Cloud got up and took Cid's letter and left. Red, Tifa, and Barret conversed while Cid dozed in his bunk.
** *
Cloud walked to the windmill and saw Mogryo acting rather bored. He then approached him. "I have a letter from Kupockel to you, Mogryo." Cloud said.
The little moogle jumped for joy. He did a couple of flips, then fell down and grabbed the letter from Clouds hand. He quickly opened the envelope and unfolded the paper.
{Rally Kupo Mogryo,
Hi, how you doing? I'm doing fine, kupo. Today, a couple of oddly dressed people, their big cave moogle and cat, and talking lion beast came into town. They were nice folk, just a little weird. They came from the Iifa tree, which everyone knows is off limits, kupo. Could they have jumped planes from the Iifa tree? It's just a theory. But keep an eye on them; they have no idea where they are.
Sincerely,
Kupockel.}
The little moogle then looked up at Cloud. He was a weird looking one all right. That must be him. He quickly turned his back and began jotting down things with a pen on some paper, put it in an envelope, and turned around. "Hey, could you give this to my friend Jujuan?" He handed the letter, stamped with MOGNET, to Cloud.
"Jujuan…that's a funny name for a moogle." Cloud said.
"And Cloud's a funny name for a human." The moogle quickly retorted. Cloud shrugged and stuffed the letter in his pocket. He then walked away from the windmill, when he saw Yuffie and Vincent approach the inn. "The gangs all here." He sighed and returned to the inn as night fell.
** *
Cloud entered the room, but no one was there, except Tifa. The fireplace was burning. "Where'd everyone go?" Cloud asked.
"Oh! Hi Cloud. They all went out to explore the town. It's not every day you see a fairy tale town." Tifa turned from the grocery bags.
"…Yea. But remember we're not here on vacation. We gotta find a way back and defeat Judgement." Cloud said as he approached Tifa.
"…There isn't really anything we can do till the airship arrives. Relax Cloud. I'm sure the ShinRa government can handle it until we get back."
Cloud stretched his hands over his head. "How long has it been since we slept at an inn?"
Tifa sat down on the bunk, making a gesture like she wanted him to join her. "Almost a year and a half." She got closer to Cloud, who was getting an odd expression on his face. "…too long."
Cloud took a deep breath. "Yea, those days of walking to the next town, fighting monsters in between, and taking a nice sleep in an inn were great…"
"Cloud?"
"Yea?" He looked at her, who was staring, into his soft blue eyes. Her soft reddish eyes gazed at him.
"Why did we split up? I MEAN AVALANCHE, of coarse." She quickly sat straight up.
"…I don't know. I guess we all needed some time to let things cool down. Sephiroth and ShinRa and METEOR were devastating, and I guess we all needed to see our loved ones…" Cloud looked at his shoes.
"…That's not why you left, was it?" Tifa shifted herself closer to him.
"…How'd you know?"
She smiled. "Cloud... Words aren't the only thing that tell people what you're thinking..."
"He smiled back and sighed. "…I guess I left because seeing you all would remind me about what happened, the good and the bad. The destruction of sector 7, the deaths of Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge. Mideel, Sephiroth himself…"
"…But mostly about Aeris, right?"
"…Yea. It-it was my fault she died…I could have saved her."
"No you couldn't of. You were under Sephiroths' control. He did it, not you."
"…I keep telling myself that, but I never believe it."
"Cloud, life is too short to just think about what you did and didn't do. All I did while you were gone was think about you."
"…Really?" Cloud looked surprised.
"Ever since you joined AVALANCHE those many years ago, I felt myself falling for you. I…" She got closer to him, her side touching his. She placed her hand on his cheek, and looked into his soft blue mako eyes. "…I love you, Cloud Strife."
"…Tifa. I don't know what to say…"
** *
"Damn it man, go for it!" Barret said. He and the others, except Vincent and Red XIII who were touring, were staring at the window.
"This is so great! It's just like a soap opera!" Yuffie could hardly contain herself.
"Shut yer traps. That dumb ass Cloud is going to say something." Cid put his hand over Yuffie mouth.
"I can't believe you guys. Especially you, Cid and Barret. You two already have girls." Red XIII approached them from the back.
"Shut you damn mofth, foo. Either go away or shu' up!" Barret snapped.
Red shook his head. "What is so great about this? Everyone goes through it."
"But not Spiky ass." Cid said. He then turned towards the window. "Go for it man!"
Red approached and hopped onto the large barrel by the window. Barret, Cid, and Yuffie were crouched so only their eyes were visible through the window.
"We need some snacks for this." Cid finally commented.
"Or some tissues. This is so wonderful…" Yuffie blew her nose on her arm guard.
Red sighed and glanced through the window.
** *
"…You were always there for me. When I was sick, or lonely, or needed someone to cry on…." Cloud looked at her. She looked so pleading. "Especially in Mideel."
"Your thoughts were so sad, so confusing." Tifa said softly.
"…I have always felt something for you too, Tifa."
"…Yea. I saw it in your mind."
"No. It's been there even after that…. I thought of you a lot after the team split up, to."
Tifa hugged him. "Oh Cloud…"
"Tifa, I love you to…" He hugged her back. They embraced each other on the bunk by the firelight.
** *
"WAAAAAAAAAAA! IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL!" Yuffie started crying and blew her nose in her arm guard.
Barret wiped a tear off his cheek. "I guess Tifa finally got her man. Ol' spiky ass ain't so bad."
Cid took out a smoke. "I guess that makes one more to the no more fun club." Cid laughed.
"Love is a beautiful thing. I'm not sure everyone will find it thou." Red XIII looked at his feet and leaped off the barrel and slowly walked off.
"What's eating him?" Cid asked.
"I dunno. But we better let these foos have the room tonight." Barret got up and walked off. Cid nodded and walked off also. Yuffie blew her nose one more time.
"I hope Red's not talking 'bout me…" She sniffed and ran after Barret and Cid.