Beyond Seven
By: General Quistis (generalquistis@yahoo.com) and Xu (zhakeena@yahoo.com)
Disclaimer: Oh, ya know… it goes a little somethin' like this… we don't own anything but the story plot and our sanities… duh… whatever… -_-
Authors' Notes: This is part of our plan to sow the seeds of the Rufus/Tifa shipping um… whatever! So there! … by the way, back to one of the past chapters when Rufus sang something which Tifa had also performed in the bar, the title is "Miss You Love" by Silverchair… (Quistis's note: it's my favorite song… ;_;)
Chapter Fifteen
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"Shit… thank the heavens, I lost him…" Cid thought silently as he peeked out from the bushes. He looked around but there was no sign of Cloud. "Man, that fuckin' guy's gone berserk!" he muttered as he finally got out from the bushes. Dawn was slowly breaking and early-risers were already on the streets of Nibelheim ready to start their work.
Cid continued to walk down the streets until he reached the inn. He stopped in his tracks, remembering what happened last night. "Poor big guy…" he thought silently with a bitter look on his face as he recalled Barret's death. He sighed heavily. "I wonder where they took the body… I sure hope they buried it properly." He thought as he got inside the inn.
The man standing by the receptionist smiled at him. "Hello, Mister Highwind." The man greeted.
Cid nodded his head in greeting, thinking that the man was a member of the staff. "I'm sure you have some knowledge about the murder that happened last night?" he asked.
"Yes, I do… everyone in this town does… and we're really very afraid of him…" the man explained with a nervous look.
Cid shrugged. "As much as I'd hate to admit it… I'm also afraid of Cloud now…" he thought silently. "About Barret…" Cid trailed off when the man spoke up again. "Oh, we already buried Mister Wallace. He looked so horrible… does he have any living relatives?"
Cid remembered Marlene. "Well, he has a daughter… but we don't know where the hell she is… she got lost in the streets one day…" he explained with a sad look.
The man nodded his head. "I'm sorry to hear about that… you know, things have been going up and down these days in Nibelheim ever since President Rufus came back alive. We're really surprised, you know… I mean, the last time we saw him, he was just a little boy… the poor lad lost his mother due to an accident. Everyone from ShinRa claimed that she had fallen down the stairs while carrying a gun and then she accidentally shot herself… we don't believe that tale, though… we think that Rufus's father had something to do with the First Lady's death. It was really sad for everyone because Rufus used to be such a happy little boy who loved his mother very much… oh well, so much for that… but anyway, I feel a little bit glad for him now. I believe he's having a change of heart… though in the past, I really didn't really consider him as the evil incarnate of his father." He explained with a wink.
Cid forced a laugh. "The hell with that… but it really is surprising that he's alive… usually bad people would just die." He stated flatly.
"Oh, you know how fate plays with our lives… but usually, when you have been a bad person, you're given another chance to mend things." The man said.
Cid studied the man, thinking of him as familiar-looking. He frowned slightly. "Who the fuck are you? You sure remind me of someone from ShinRa." He told him.
The man simply smiled and shrugged then turned away. "Just think of me as a friend from now on." The man replied before he got out of the inn.
Cid was stunned but he didn't get the chance to react when he heard a voice calling from somewhere. "What the…" he began.
"Cid,"
Cid looked around but there was no one else there except for the receptionist who just fell asleep on the job. His frown deepened as he turned his gaze to the direction of the Church. He suddenly had an urge to go there. "Hell…" he cursed as he ran outside the inn and rushed to the Church. He stopped when he finally got there, hoping that Cloud isn't there to just say "BOO!" and kill him like he was some kind of helpless horror movie murder victim or something. Cid clenched his fists as he pushed the door open. It gave a low creaky sound.
Cid stepped inside the Church and gazed at the altar where the faint sunlight of the newly risen sun shone down from the skies through the stained glass windows of the Church.
His eyes grew wide in awe when he saw a young lady on her knees, her hands clasped together in a prayer. She faced the altar and stared unblinkingly at it with her wide green eyes.
"A…Ae…" he stammered.
The girl turned to face him and she smiled sweetly. "Hello, Cid." She greeted with a casual tone; though her voice sounded like something made out of echoing chimes which sounded rather comforting.
He could see through her, like she was a ghost… "Heck, she is a fuckin' ghost! She can't really be here… I'm just imagining things… she should already be in the Promised Land!" he thought angrily as he continued to stare at her.
The girl stood up but didn't move to come closer to him. In return, he just froze there by the door but he can clearly hear her voice. "Have you seen Cloud?" she asked with an inquiring but sweet tone.
Cid shook his head. "A…Aerith, I… Cloud… uh… uhm… Tifa… Rufus… Barret… I… Aerith…" he stammered nervously.
Aerith smiled comfortingly at him. "I know what happened, don't worry," she replied.
"Why are you here?" he asked, trying to gather enough courage to speak to the ghost.
"For Cloud." She replied.
"How?" he asked.
"Two ways. Either he dies or I come back." She said before tears suddenly fell from her eyes.
Cid blinked in awe. "Wh…why are you crying?" he asked.
She just smiled at him. "Because I am sad…" she replied before she faded away, leaving him stunned. "What the fuck…" he began. He shook his head in shame as he covered his mouth. "Man… this is a Church…" he thought silently before he took one last look at the altar, remembering Aerith. He removed his hand from his mouth and frowned as he walked out of the Church, thinking, "I have to find Cloud…"
***
Rufus got inside the ShinRa Mansion with the sleeping Marlene in his arms.
"President Rufus," Scarlet and Reno came rushing to him.
Rufus frowned at them. "Dark Nation's in the car with Red XIII. Take Dark Nation to the treatment room, she's very injured." He said with a low tone before rushing upstairs.
Reno watched as the President climbed up the stairs with the little girl in his arms. He smiled gently, realizing that Rufus wasn't that cold-hearted after all.
Scarlet had gone outside to the car but Reno still stood there, observing the two. Finally, he spoke up when Rufus reached the second floor. "President Rufus," he began.
Rufus stopped and looked down, eyeing Reno curiously.
"Don't mind me asking but who's the little girl?" he asked.
Rufus had this stern look but he answered the question easily with a certain tone, "My daughter."
Reno looked away for a second, his eyes wide in surprise, thinking of ways on how Rufus could possibly have a daughter. Then, he recalled that the girl was Marlene. He turned back to Rufus. "Isn't she that Barret's daughter?" he asked.
Rufus nodded slightly. "I know that. But he's dead. I can't just leave her alone… she's just a little girl. She needs a father to take care of her so I've decided to adopt her." he told him.
"Bu…but aren't you too young to be a father?" Reno asked.
Rufus eyed him annoyingly. "I'll be turning 21 next year; besides, I have all the money to raise this child." He replied with a stiff tone.
"Bu…but she needs a mother," Reno said, trying to control his smile, wanting to hint something.
Rufus smiled. "I know… that's why I'm looking for Tifa," he replied, feeling no embarrassment upon admitting the truth to Reno.
Reno nodded and he finally smiled. "I see. Well then…" he replied as he rushed up the stairs to Rufus. Rufus watched curiously as Reno approached him and gestured for Rufus to let him carry Marlene. "I believe that Scarlet led Miss Lockheart to one of the rooms last night when she arrived here. She looked very exhausted and disappointed about something… and she also looked very afraid of something." He explained as Rufus handed Marlene to him.
Rufus's eyes were wide in disbelief. "What?" he asked.
"Yes, sir. She came here last night. We just let her in… for you." Reno explained.
Rufus hesitated for a moment and then nodded. "Take Marlene to the bedroom 5 doors away from my room. Stand guard, don't let Strife touch her." he commanded.
"Yes, sir." Reno replied with a slight nod.
"What about that other young girl who came last night?" Rufus asked.
"Yuffie's in the room beside Tifa's." Reno explained before Rufus finally went off.
Rufus opened the door of the first bedroom in the hallway and looked inside but no one was there. He tried the next 5 doors but those were locked. "Damn," he cursed before he proceeded to the sixth door. He was relieved that it wasn't locked, but when he opened it and took a glance at what's inside, he just felt down. It was the old masters' bedroom.
He clenched his fists as he stepped inside, looking around, scanning carefully each item. Nothing had changed all through those years…
Rufus's frown deepened when he saw the family portrait hanging by the wall on top of the fireplace. He saw his mother with himself as a baby in her arms and President ShinRa was standing beside her, smiling proudly.
"Dad…" he thought silently. Finally, he sighed heavily and smiled gently at his father. "Even if things didn't turn out well, I'm sure mom loved you very much…" he said softly.
He wished that his late father could hear him when he said, "I just adopted a kid… I'd like you to know that I'm going to treat her like my own daughter… and don't worry, I won't treat her like shit just like what you did to me before…" he stopped himself and he looked down. "I'm sorry, dad…" the words came out easily like it had been its desire to come out for a long time already. He looked up again at the picture and focused at his father. He smiled gently. "I forgive you," he said before he turned to the door and got out.
He proceeded to the seventh room and stopped before he could hold the doorknob. "Tifa," he thought silently as he gripped the doorknob and twisted it.
Once he opened the door and stepped inside, his mouth dropped open in surprise upon seeing the sleeping figure on the bed. Very little sunlight entered the room from the little spaces in between the drapes so he crossed his fingers as he approached the sleeping girl. The more he got closer, he noticed that the girl wasn't small and had longer and darker hair. He smiled in complete happiness as he flipped his hair before he sat down on the bed beside the girl. He gently touched her face, adoring her beauty. "Tifa," he began.
He withdrew his hand when she moved.
Tifa slowly opened her tired eyes as she turned to sit up and face him. "R…Rufus?" she asked.
Before he could ask her anything, she just embraced him tightly.
Rufus was stunned, his eyes wide in surprise upon her sudden reaction. He heard her sniff and then exhaled ruggedly, realizing that she was crying. His expression softened and he smiled gently as he returned her embrace and gently patted her back.
No words were spoken between them for a few moments, but Tifa broke the silence by saying, "I thought I'd never see you again…"
Rufus closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "Sorry. I'll never leave you again." He told her reassuringly.
Tifa smiled as she buried her face in his chest. Finally, someone who would love her…
From outside the bedroom, Cloud pressed his lips together in a thin line as his frown deepened. He was seated outside the slightly opened window, listening to their conversation. He looked up at the sunny skies and his eyes narrowed. He wished that he was Rufus and that Tifa was Aerith so that they could finally be together again and he could tell her everything he had failed to tell her when she was still alive. "Is it so wrong for me to wish that you were still alive?" he thought miserably, even though his facial expression revealed nothing but coldness.
With that, he jumped off from the window and landed on the grassy garden. He saw that one of the windows in the first floor was left open so he decided to just enter and finally get rid of Rufus; but he stopped when he heard someone speak up, "Where are you going?"
Cloud recognized Vincent's voice so he turned to face him. "It's none of your business, Valentine," he snapped.
"Don't you realize that you're going to make Tifa disappointed if you kill Rufus?" Vincent asked.
"I don't care anymore. I want Aerith back." Cloud told him.
Vincent eyed him carefully. "Is Tifa your friend?" he asked.
Cloud's eyes narrowed at him. "Of course, she's been a good friend of mine ever since childhood." He replied.
"You are ruining your friendship."
Cloud and Vincent turned to look at Cid who was standing near one of the trees. Cloud clenched his fists. "She's just looking for someone to love her because I don't. When Rufus dies, she'll find another one." He snapped.
"Easy for you to say, Cloud. What happened to you? You've turned so selfish all of a sudden, you fuckin' pig?!" Cid said angrily.
"Back to my question, Cloud…" Vincent said, cutting them off before they could start an argument.
Cloud turned to him with a deep frown on his face but he didn't say anything.
Vincent scanned Cloud's eyes carefully. "I think I somewhat understood how you felt when you lost Aerith because I also felt it before when I lost someone dear to me," he began slowly with a low tone while memories of Lucrezia filled his mind. He stopped for a while after pulling himself back together, and then spoke up again with an inquiring tone, "And the feeling hurts. A true friend would never wish any harm to befall on another friend; now, would you like Tifa to feel awful if you get rid of Rufus?"
Cloud had this cold expression on his face but he didn't answer.
They just stood there for 30 minutes without saying anything, each one observing the other.
"Fuck it, Cloud! Say something! You're creeping me out, man!" Cid remarked.
Cloud scanned their faces quietly.
"You think Aerith liked the shit you did to Barret? And what about Tifa? You think Aerith liked that shit too? I'm sure that sweet girl wouldn't! Cid continued.
Vincent looked down to the ground, his eyes suddenly revealing that he has this vulnerable side.
Cloud simply nodded his head which gave out a very vague meaning for Cid and Vincent. With that, he turned and walked away.
Vincent looked at him again and followed Cloud with his gaze. "I think we'd better follow him…" he muttered…
To their alarm, Cloud made a run for it and got inside the ShinRa Mansion.