[Note from the author: Hi! ^.^ This is my first fan fiction, so go easy on me ^^; The fact that you are reading this right now thrills me, so I hope you enjoy this story. The only profanity is from two particular men.. *cough*Cid*cough*Barret*coughcough* ..And the only offensive material is for anyone who doesn't agree with the Tifa/Cloud thing. Nyeh -.- Also, the words that end and begin with // are what the characters are thinking. With that aside, open your mind and enjoy my story. ^.^ v]
~*~ Crystal Heart ~*~
Tiffany Valles
Ix Tifa xl@aol.com
Seven days A.M. (After Meteor)
Cloud shifted uneasily in his sleep. Tifa, already awake, turned her gaze toward his blanketed form, watching from an uncomfortable leather chair in the corner of the room- her old room- in her house in Nibelheim. Her eyes then wandered to the window, where she could see the sun emerge and rise on the distant horizon. The sky still radiated a light purple hue from the aftershock of Meteor. A disgusting color, really. Every once in a while, the sky would pulsate with an energy that seemed to ripple the atmosphere. You could still sense Holy in the air.. The planet had surged forth such an incredible energy that day. The day they defeated the god like Sephiroth. Tifa closed her eyes. She could still hear his laughter echoing through her memory. That sinister, cruel laughter.. And the voices of her companions as they put forth all their last effort into subjugating the winged creature.
Cloud moaned softly. Tifa's eyes snapped open. /He's remembering too../ She bit her lip as a feeling of anger surged through her being. /Him../ She thought. /All because of him.. If not, then Midgar.. would still be here.. Aeris wouldn't be gone.. There wouldn't be so much loss and pain.. And I'd still have my bar, dammit!/ Her eyes narrowed.
"Tifa..!" Cloud violently tossed, launching a soft, plump pillow to the floor, landing at Tifa's feet with a gentle thud. She stirred out of her thoughts and stood up quickly.
Marlene's little face peered secretly into the room, then left quickly as she ran into the next room.
Tifa knelt down at Cloud's side and took his hand gently, feeling slightly dizzy from her nights of endless sleeplessness. He squeezed unconsciously, his palms moist with perspiration. His sleeping face was locked in concentration, his brows narrowed and his lips pursed.
Barret's booming voice came from no where, startling Tifa. "He all right?" he asked softly, knowing of her concern. Tifa looked up at his huge form in the doorway.
"He's having a fit again." She answered faintly.
"He's been sleepin' five days straight now." Barret's own eyes were full of restlessness. This proud man has carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, and it has left him shaken. "You should rest, Tif. You been awake an' by his side all this time. You're gonna wear yourself down again."
Tifa smiled a hopeful, reassuring smile. Barret saw right through it, though. "I have to be strong for him. Besides, I'm fine." She looked away immediately from the big man's intimidating gaze, and looked back down at the fitful Cloud. Barret sighed heavily.
"Still stubborn, as always." Barret glanced at his gun arm, then looked away. He searched for something else to say, but gave up and left the room, leaving an awkward silence in his wake.
Tifa sighed. /So much happening../ She continued to stare at the sleeping Cloud. Remembering. /When Cid flew us out of the Crater, we got such a cheer from the people at just about every town we visited. Their faces were so full of shock, and joy at the same time to even be alive.. But all we could think about was Midgar. We hurried there quickly, hoping to find at least a few survivors. It was horrible. All those innocent people in the slums, and all the people in ShinRa../ She clenched her jaw and unconsciously squeezed Cloud's hand. /Well, some of them I won't miss, but still../
At that moment, Cloud's eyes opened. He sat up quickly and gasped, still in battle mode. He looked around frantically, panting from the intensity of his dreams. Tifa's eyes grew wide and sparkled with an element that had been absent for a long while now. "Cloud," she said softly, smiling. She got up quickly and automatically hugged the confused man. He embraced her back simultaneously, still regaining his senses.
"Are you ok? How do you feel?" Tifa asked, pulling away to give him a moment to gain his bearings.
"Horrible," He touched his forehead from the headache he gained with awakening. He winced and threw his legs over the side of the bed, then stood to stretch his muscles, which long awaited to be loosened from sleep. "How long have I been asleep?"
"About five days."
"Damn!" His eyes widened. "How is everything? How is everyone?? Where's everybody else?!"
Tifa lighted a smiled to calm his worries. /That smile/ He thought, feeling his gathered emotions instantly drain away. /Always so optimistic.. Even when she's hurting as much as everyone else around her../
"They're mostly all here. After we left Midgar, Nanaki went home. He said he needed to be there to protect his people, as his father did. He also wanted to tell them of all he had seen, so they could record it in their books. Vincent, being an ex-Turk, went to Junon to find out as much information as he could about what will happen next with the remaining ShinRa. CaitSith went with him. Reeve will probably be waiting there for both of them. Yuffie went home, too. She wanted to show her dad how much she'd grown. Though wether or not she could mature, I don't know." She remarked in a spiteful tone, wrinkling her nose.
Cloud rolled his eyes in agreement. "Did she take the materia after all?"
"Yeah," Tifa smiled and reached for a small pouch tucked away under her belt. "Not all of it, though." She grinned. "I kept one of each, for old times sake. But don't tell her that."
"Old times sake.." Cloud sighed.
Tifa walked over to a shelf by the uncomfortable chair and picked up a tiny wooden box, then brought it over to Cloud. "Here."
Cloud took the box and opened the lid. Inside was black velvet, folded and wrinkled all inside with a strange, familiar green object glowing within the folds. He looked up at Tifa with an expression of child-like curiosity. He spread the folds apart to find the materia, Holy. It was still warm to the touch, and glowing its typical iridescent green. Cloud's eyes softened.
"Holy.."
"I found it in the church, in Midgar, right in the middle of her garden."
Cloud didn't need to ask "who." He remembered, while searching through the wreckage of Midgar, the church was one of the few buildings left standing.
"Aeris.." Cloud stammered, feeling a wave of seemingly unbearable emotions surged over him, hitting him like a tidal wave, sending his mind swimming in painful memory of the events of not so long ago. "I wonder if.." He trailed off, his voice full of desperate hope.
Tifa just smiled, as always, reassuringly. "Come on. The others are waiting to see you."
~*~ Crystal Heart ~*~
Tiffany Valles
Ix Tifa xl@aol.com
Seven days A.M. (After Meteor)
Cloud shifted uneasily in his sleep. Tifa, already awake, turned her gaze toward his blanketed form, watching from an uncomfortable leather chair in the corner of the room- her old room- in her house in Nibelheim. Her eyes then wandered to the window, where she could see the sun emerge and rise on the distant horizon. The sky still radiated a light purple hue from the aftershock of Meteor. A disgusting color, really. Every once in a while, the sky would pulsate with an energy that seemed to ripple the atmosphere. You could still sense Holy in the air.. The planet had surged forth such an incredible energy that day. The day they defeated the god like Sephiroth. Tifa closed her eyes. She could still hear his laughter echoing through her memory. That sinister, cruel laughter.. And the voices of her companions as they put forth all their last effort into subjugating the winged creature.
Cloud moaned softly. Tifa's eyes snapped open. /He's remembering too../ She bit her lip as a feeling of anger surged through her being. /Him../ She thought. /All because of him.. If not, then Midgar.. would still be here.. Aeris wouldn't be gone.. There wouldn't be so much loss and pain.. And I'd still have my bar, dammit!/ Her eyes narrowed.
"Tifa..!" Cloud violently tossed, launching a soft, plump pillow to the floor, landing at Tifa's feet with a gentle thud. She stirred out of her thoughts and stood up quickly.
Marlene's little face peered secretly into the room, then left quickly as she ran into the next room.
Tifa knelt down at Cloud's side and took his hand gently, feeling slightly dizzy from her nights of endless sleeplessness. He squeezed unconsciously, his palms moist with perspiration. His sleeping face was locked in concentration, his brows narrowed and his lips pursed.
Barret's booming voice came from no where, startling Tifa. "He all right?" he asked softly, knowing of her concern. Tifa looked up at his huge form in the doorway.
"He's having a fit again." She answered faintly.
"He's been sleepin' five days straight now." Barret's own eyes were full of restlessness. This proud man has carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, and it has left him shaken. "You should rest, Tif. You been awake an' by his side all this time. You're gonna wear yourself down again."
Tifa smiled a hopeful, reassuring smile. Barret saw right through it, though. "I have to be strong for him. Besides, I'm fine." She looked away immediately from the big man's intimidating gaze, and looked back down at the fitful Cloud. Barret sighed heavily.
"Still stubborn, as always." Barret glanced at his gun arm, then looked away. He searched for something else to say, but gave up and left the room, leaving an awkward silence in his wake.
Tifa sighed. /So much happening../ She continued to stare at the sleeping Cloud. Remembering. /When Cid flew us out of the Crater, we got such a cheer from the people at just about every town we visited. Their faces were so full of shock, and joy at the same time to even be alive.. But all we could think about was Midgar. We hurried there quickly, hoping to find at least a few survivors. It was horrible. All those innocent people in the slums, and all the people in ShinRa../ She clenched her jaw and unconsciously squeezed Cloud's hand. /Well, some of them I won't miss, but still../
At that moment, Cloud's eyes opened. He sat up quickly and gasped, still in battle mode. He looked around frantically, panting from the intensity of his dreams. Tifa's eyes grew wide and sparkled with an element that had been absent for a long while now. "Cloud," she said softly, smiling. She got up quickly and automatically hugged the confused man. He embraced her back simultaneously, still regaining his senses.
"Are you ok? How do you feel?" Tifa asked, pulling away to give him a moment to gain his bearings.
"Horrible," He touched his forehead from the headache he gained with awakening. He winced and threw his legs over the side of the bed, then stood to stretch his muscles, which long awaited to be loosened from sleep. "How long have I been asleep?"
"About five days."
"Damn!" His eyes widened. "How is everything? How is everyone?? Where's everybody else?!"
Tifa lighted a smiled to calm his worries. /That smile/ He thought, feeling his gathered emotions instantly drain away. /Always so optimistic.. Even when she's hurting as much as everyone else around her../
"They're mostly all here. After we left Midgar, Nanaki went home. He said he needed to be there to protect his people, as his father did. He also wanted to tell them of all he had seen, so they could record it in their books. Vincent, being an ex-Turk, went to Junon to find out as much information as he could about what will happen next with the remaining ShinRa. CaitSith went with him. Reeve will probably be waiting there for both of them. Yuffie went home, too. She wanted to show her dad how much she'd grown. Though wether or not she could mature, I don't know." She remarked in a spiteful tone, wrinkling her nose.
Cloud rolled his eyes in agreement. "Did she take the materia after all?"
"Yeah," Tifa smiled and reached for a small pouch tucked away under her belt. "Not all of it, though." She grinned. "I kept one of each, for old times sake. But don't tell her that."
"Old times sake.." Cloud sighed.
Tifa walked over to a shelf by the uncomfortable chair and picked up a tiny wooden box, then brought it over to Cloud. "Here."
Cloud took the box and opened the lid. Inside was black velvet, folded and wrinkled all inside with a strange, familiar green object glowing within the folds. He looked up at Tifa with an expression of child-like curiosity. He spread the folds apart to find the materia, Holy. It was still warm to the touch, and glowing its typical iridescent green. Cloud's eyes softened.
"Holy.."
"I found it in the church, in Midgar, right in the middle of her garden."
Cloud didn't need to ask "who." He remembered, while searching through the wreckage of Midgar, the church was one of the few buildings left standing.
"Aeris.." Cloud stammered, feeling a wave of seemingly unbearable emotions surged over him, hitting him like a tidal wave, sending his mind swimming in painful memory of the events of not so long ago. "I wonder if.." He trailed off, his voice full of desperate hope.
Tifa just smiled, as always, reassuringly. "Come on. The others are waiting to see you."
