Outside, it was storming. Rain fell fast and the sky was black.
Inside, Tifa sat on the couch, nestled in the crook of Cloud's arm. They were watching a movie, she didn't even know which one. Simply being with him was enough for her. After the defeat of Sephiroth, Tifa had finally found the courage to tell Cloud how she felt. The glimmer of hope she had thought she'd seen that night under the Highwind was correct – he loved her back. After Reeve rebuilt Sector 7, she and Cloud moved into the new Seventh Heaven, which was still a bar for anyone and a meeting place for the former AVALANCHE members. His fingers slid through her hair, which was pulled back in a ponytail. He spoke softly, his breath hot upon her cheek.
"I...love you, Tifa." She turned slowly and kissed him on the lips. He kissed her back, pressing hard. Suddenly, a knock at the door sounded. Cloud regretfully let go as Tifa bounced up.
"That must be Cid. He was supposed to come earlier today, but he must have gotten sidetracked by Shera or something." Humming, she rode the elevator disguised as a pinball machine and walked to the door. She tucked a piece of stray hair behind her ear as she turned the doorknob.
"Hi, Cid! Why are you so..."
On the wooden porch of the bar called Seventh Heaven, there was a man in a black trench coat with a frayed collar. Rain streamed through his hair and down the coat.
His eyes bore into her, and they seemed to glimmer for a moment. Tifa frowned uneasily.
"Uh, sorry…we're closed for the night. Maybe you could try back tomorrow..." She started to close the door. Before it was halfway there, the man whipped out a gun, cocked it, and leveled it at her head.
"No, I don't think so," he said evenly. There was something familiar about that voice...
He stepped forward and she stepped back. Had she been armed, she could have easily defeated him, but she didn't walk around her home wearing the Premium Heart. She licked her lips, scrambling for ideas. Cloud had come up the pinball elevator and his eyes narrowed.
"What the hell's going on?" The man grinned and aimed at Cloud.
"Why are you here?" Tifa asked.
"You took everything away from me. Everything. You destroyed Shinra. You killed Elena and Rude. You thought you killed me, but you didn't. I'm still here. And I've come to complete the mission I was assigned."
The man's teeth were clenched, and his eyes wild. He snarled and pulled the trigger.
Tifa's mouth opened but now sound came out. Time slowed down.
No!
He fell backwards, falling, falling so slowly...
She ran to him, catching him in her arms.
Wake up, Cloud, wake up! You can't, you can't, you can't
Her skin felt like it was on fire. But her mind, her heart, her soul...everything inside was numb. It tasted like there was acid in her mouth. And it was all suspended for a moment, between hot and cold, darkness and light.
Reno smirked after firing the shot. Finally, revenge was his. The fall of Shinra, of the Turks, all was avenged. The abomination was dead.
Then, he saw Tifa. Her eyes filled with tears, running to catch Cloud. Disbelief etched all over her face, her mouth scrunched in a bitter expression.
Reno's eyes widened briefly, and then narrowed again. He chucked the gun on the floor, his mouth twisted in disgust. Turned on his heel and left.
* * *
Dried tears stung her cheeks and blood was caked everywhere. Despair engulfed her, and she drowned in it.
No escape, no hope, no light.
No Cloud.
Tifa bent forward and picked up the gun. Methodically, she checked to see it was loaded and cocked it. A tear started to slide down her cheek. She inserted the gun in her mouth.
Cold metal against her lips. Taste of gunpowder.
She held Cloud's lifeless hand with her trembling one. She pulled the trigger. And fresh blood covered the two lives already spilled on the ground.
**Moral of the story? Listening to Linkin Park and writing at 1:00 in the morning makes you crazy. No, I'm not depressed or anything. I was just listening to Linkin Park, got the idea, and wrote it.**
*Written 6/15/02*
Inside, Tifa sat on the couch, nestled in the crook of Cloud's arm. They were watching a movie, she didn't even know which one. Simply being with him was enough for her. After the defeat of Sephiroth, Tifa had finally found the courage to tell Cloud how she felt. The glimmer of hope she had thought she'd seen that night under the Highwind was correct – he loved her back. After Reeve rebuilt Sector 7, she and Cloud moved into the new Seventh Heaven, which was still a bar for anyone and a meeting place for the former AVALANCHE members. His fingers slid through her hair, which was pulled back in a ponytail. He spoke softly, his breath hot upon her cheek.
"I...love you, Tifa." She turned slowly and kissed him on the lips. He kissed her back, pressing hard. Suddenly, a knock at the door sounded. Cloud regretfully let go as Tifa bounced up.
"That must be Cid. He was supposed to come earlier today, but he must have gotten sidetracked by Shera or something." Humming, she rode the elevator disguised as a pinball machine and walked to the door. She tucked a piece of stray hair behind her ear as she turned the doorknob.
"Hi, Cid! Why are you so..."
On the wooden porch of the bar called Seventh Heaven, there was a man in a black trench coat with a frayed collar. Rain streamed through his hair and down the coat.
His eyes bore into her, and they seemed to glimmer for a moment. Tifa frowned uneasily.
"Uh, sorry…we're closed for the night. Maybe you could try back tomorrow..." She started to close the door. Before it was halfway there, the man whipped out a gun, cocked it, and leveled it at her head.
"No, I don't think so," he said evenly. There was something familiar about that voice...
He stepped forward and she stepped back. Had she been armed, she could have easily defeated him, but she didn't walk around her home wearing the Premium Heart. She licked her lips, scrambling for ideas. Cloud had come up the pinball elevator and his eyes narrowed.
"What the hell's going on?" The man grinned and aimed at Cloud.
"Why are you here?" Tifa asked.
"You took everything away from me. Everything. You destroyed Shinra. You killed Elena and Rude. You thought you killed me, but you didn't. I'm still here. And I've come to complete the mission I was assigned."
The man's teeth were clenched, and his eyes wild. He snarled and pulled the trigger.
Tifa's mouth opened but now sound came out. Time slowed down.
No!
He fell backwards, falling, falling so slowly...
She ran to him, catching him in her arms.
Wake up, Cloud, wake up! You can't, you can't, you can't
Her skin felt like it was on fire. But her mind, her heart, her soul...everything inside was numb. It tasted like there was acid in her mouth. And it was all suspended for a moment, between hot and cold, darkness and light.
Reno smirked after firing the shot. Finally, revenge was his. The fall of Shinra, of the Turks, all was avenged. The abomination was dead.
Then, he saw Tifa. Her eyes filled with tears, running to catch Cloud. Disbelief etched all over her face, her mouth scrunched in a bitter expression.
Reno's eyes widened briefly, and then narrowed again. He chucked the gun on the floor, his mouth twisted in disgust. Turned on his heel and left.
* * *
Dried tears stung her cheeks and blood was caked everywhere. Despair engulfed her, and she drowned in it.
No escape, no hope, no light.
No Cloud.
Tifa bent forward and picked up the gun. Methodically, she checked to see it was loaded and cocked it. A tear started to slide down her cheek. She inserted the gun in her mouth.
Cold metal against her lips. Taste of gunpowder.
She held Cloud's lifeless hand with her trembling one. She pulled the trigger. And fresh blood covered the two lives already spilled on the ground.
**Moral of the story? Listening to Linkin Park and writing at 1:00 in the morning makes you crazy. No, I'm not depressed or anything. I was just listening to Linkin Park, got the idea, and wrote it.**
*Written 6/15/02*