It had only taken us about three hours to get to Cid's hometown where our reunion was being held. From the deck I could see through the dark night with the help of two large spotlights from the ground, Shera, Yuffie, Nanaki, and of course Barret, along with many townspeople, speculating as the Highwind made its way towards the patch of ground. Tifa stood a foot nearby, leaning slightly as she gazed down at the people below. No doubt she did not know any of them, and no doubt was she nervous to meet them.
But my mind wasn't set on their meeting, as I looked down on the dark green grass, I was grazing for a certain blond-haired man. Seeing the fact that I did not spot Cait Sith near the others, then the blond man may not be here as of yet. Relief washed over me as I realized the reunion may be smoother than the possiblities.
Once the Highwind touched the ground, Shera and the others flocked to it's side where I helped Tifa off. She stepped up, quiet and observative, as the Yuffie came up to her, who had tears dangerously rimming her eyes. From how I know Yuffie, the Wutain can sometimes go overboard with emotions. I prepared myself for her sudden attack, and hoped Tifa had also.
With one quick move, Yuffie had now thrown her arms around Tifa, and began to bawl, "Oh my gosh, Tifa!! I am so glad you are okay-ay-ay!" her sobbing created an odd, yet amusing clicking pattern as she elongated the last word of her sentence.
Tifa, who was now utterly in disarray from the attack, held an expression full of confusion as well as fright. I came up silently to the sobbing Wutain, tapped her gently on the shoulder and asked if she could let the innocent girl go.
"Yuffie, ahem, can you please give her some air?" I began to pry her off of Tifa, and she willingly followed, stepping away with tears streaking down her face. She muttered a soft apology to Tifa before her eyes welled-up once more, and before she could sob again, I raised my voice to start the greeting between Tifa and her unknown friends.
Shera, Yuffie and the group, stepped up closer; surprisingly, Tifa shuffled her feet back nearer me, perhaps thinking that all would now pounce on her to give her a bone crushing hug.
Tension was now growing between the two groups as Cid came down to join us.
"Tifa," I turned to her then motioned to the others, "These are your friends. Those of which you have forgotten after what had happened to you."
I could see Barret, Nanaki, and Yuffie turn to me in disappointment, perhaps concerned to the fact that I was straightforward to Tifa about her problem. Unknown to them, Tifa had already knew of her situation and had happily accepted, knowing inside her that she would someday overcome it.
Tifa nodded silently, switching her view down the row of people who eyed her, and stopped in front of the view of Barret. I watched him shift in his position uncomfortably. I decided then to start the introduction with Barret.
"This is Barret," I started, motioning a hand towards the dark, bulky man. Tifa looked over to me and nodded, looking unsurprised.
"He...He was," she began to stutter and pointed a timid finger at him, "He was a leader, wasn't he?"
Our small group stood in awe, same went for me. No sooner than a minute in the introduction did she begin to recollect a memory from her hidden past. The silence was then broken off with the start of Yuffie's loud wailing sob, and an arising whoop from Barret's rumbling voice.
"I knew ya'd remember me!" he cried as he came by and patted her on the back, almost knocking her forward.
Annoyed with his action, I stepped up between them and eyed Barret warnlingly, "Let's see if she can recognize the others, shall we?" As Barret had almost always had done when lectured or spoken against, he grumbled angrily before stepping away to let me finish but was more than happy to receive a shy 'Hi Mr. Barret' from Tifa's lips.
I moved Tifa's attention to the cat-like member on four legs, "This is Red XII. You can also call him Nanaki," she immedietly went on her knees to take a better look at Nanaki, spectating the first unhuman creature she had ever seen.
Nanaki offered her a paw to shake, and she quickly took it, "Hey Tifa, hope your trip here was fun for you," Tifa smiled at him in amazement as he spoke; Nanaki just gave a soft chuckle, "Don't have to say anything right now, you can ask me anything later."
Tifa nodded, a little too much from how I saw it, "O-okay. Oh yeah, hello Mr. Nanaki," she quickly said and stood up to meet Shera as I introduced her.
"This is Shera, Cid's wife," I can see from the corner of my eye, Cid's face flushing a soft pink; Shera must have noticed it also as she giggled.
"Tifa, I'm so glad you came over! We were all worried about you!" Shera came to her with a brief and gentle hug.
"Um, thank you Mrs. Highwind," Tifa blushed a bit when smiling.
"Please," Shera noted, "Call me Shera, hun."
Tifa nodded nervously as I introduced her to the last of our small group, "Of course, the one who had just about mauled you is Yuffie," I received a glare from the Wutain, though it didn't last long as her attention came back to Tifa.
Yuffie brushed off some of her tears away and hugged Tifa, this time with no force, nevertheless Tifa seemed prepared as she stood rigid, "I am so sorry for surprising you like that, Tiff," Yuffie began to say as she stepped back from the hug, "I was just so relieved to have you here, alive!"
"It's okay Ms. Yuffie," Tifa smiled nervously; I imagined she did not have much else to say.
After the little introduction, Shera had gathered us all up in her home where dinner was fixed up for us. And so we sat, in Cid's now large kitchen (they had fixed it over the summer), eating the delicious food Shera had cooked.
Amidst the anxiety-filled evening for Tifa, she seemed to be doing a wonderful job trying to remember this and that by talking in the conversations held between her and the others. Barret had began to boast about how good Tifa's cooking was before, and Tifa shyly denied it and claimed that if she so much as try to cook a simple dish it would burn. Others began to boast about all her abilities before, and I sat and watched a whole new light in Tifa's face as she learned of her past. She didn't seem regretful or disappointed about what she could do a year ago, instead delighted to know at one time she was able to do it.
Beside the thought of the Highwind home being filled with an enjoying air, my mind was set to the minute the spike-haired man would bust through the doors of the house. My eyes darted towards the door from time to time, trying the spot the exact time the Highwind's delighted air would collapse.
Before long, dinner was over and done with and all of us retired to the living room. Tifa sat in the middle of Yuffie and a curled Nanaki on one long couch; Barret, Cid, and Shera sat on the other one across it, while I stood near the door, guarding it with the feeling that the intruder was near.
The room became more talkative than it was in the kitchen, and Tifa seemed to be more relaxed now as Yuffie told her of their funny times together. She was even more comfortable to ask Nanaki of what specie he was, and Nanaki gladly explained. There was more resurfacing of memories and boasting in the room, which lasted for about a good hour until midnight struck, and a new visitor arrived.
It was quick, and it became quiet as the door was hurled open; an angry young man stood between its doorways, face pale, contorted into a mixture of rage and desperation.
I faced him as he looked over to me, demanding as to where Tifa was at. I remained silent, all the while blocking his view behind me. It wasn't uncommon when his temper rises violently as he grabbed hold of my hidden collar and pulled. It was stupid of him, of course, seeing as how I was much taller than he would ever be, but I made no notion to think it bothered me.
"Where is she?!" he spat, I almost pitied him for I saw in his eyes, guilt. He deserved it though. He scanned the room, trying to see if she was indeed here, but the others stepped up behind me, also blocking his view. I was about to tell him to step outside for a while when a familiar hand grasped my right arm. Tifa stood behind me, peeking past my right shoulder; unfortunately I drew attention to her as I looked at her hand over my arm.
Cloud had immedietly let my collar go as his Mako-eyes slid over to the Tifa's half-hidden face, "Tifa! What happened to--" he had tried to move towards her but stopped midstep as Tifa ducked behind me more; I could feel her hand gripping my arm. It was unmistaken that she felt Cloud as a threat. I stepped up, fully blocking her as I diverted Cloud's attention back to me.
"I suppose Cait had already explained the situation here?" I asked, eyeing him with an uncaring expression; frankly I didn't think so highly of him right now.
He nodded lamely, "But, she's here. She can't have-"
"-lost her memories?" I interrupted, "It's why she is here, in order for us to help her remember. I'm sure Cait also explained that acting rash is not allowed."
"Vincent, is he a friend?" Tifa had began to ask, peering over my shoulders once more. I didn't answer her, instead I looked over to Cloud as if to ask him the same question.
Cloud gave a sigh, turning back to Tifa as realization struck him that she had in fact lost many of her memories. He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair as he spoke to her, "Yes I am, Tifa. I'm... I'm sorry if I scared you."
I could feel her body shift a little ways back, "But why did you try to hurt Vincent? He didn't do anything wrong..." her words seemed to have punctured something in my chest, and I can feel something flooding inside. A warm flattered feeling maybe? I ignored it.
Cloud's eyes lowered more into desperation, looking as if he had lost something he had always had with him; no doubt that statement was true. He didn't speak after; loss for words, and I knew I had to talk to him.
"Tifa, I want you to go with Yuffie to put your stuff in your room," I tried to turn to her but she followed me like a shadow, trying to shield Cloud's view of her. Cloud's morality, on the other hand, lowered as he watched her avoid his eyes.
Tifa looked up at me, looking concerned for me to be alone with the blond man, "No, but what if--" I shook my head in mid sentence and her brows creased into more concern, "Well, are you going to stay overnight with me in my room? I really don't want to stay by myself."
It really wasn't the time to ask me to share her room with her tonight, even so the timing was bad as not even a foot in front of me stood a man who carried a loving care for her.
"I'm sure Yuffie can stay with you," I turned to Yuffie who nodded and took hold of Tifa's arm, moving her to the hall towards the rooms Shera and Cid had available for us all. Tifa wasn't so willingly abiding as Yuffie pulled her away; she kept looking at me in worry. What's she have to be worried about? Cloud was no match against me.
I watched the two women leave the room and turned back
to the new visitor, "We need to talk outside with you, Cloud," he nodded
approvingly. We stepped outside accompanied by Barret, Cid, and Nanaki
(Shera wanted to clean up the kitchen and join Yuffie and Tifa), and I
mentally prepared to fight an arguement that I know will eventually rise.
A/N: Thanks again for all the reviews ^_^! I had to get another chapter up for you guys! More soon, I promise.
Also: Yes, I made Shera and Cid married ^_^
Disclaimer: Nope, still Squaresoft.