Chapter Two
"Whadda mean the brat just left with the Turks?!" Barret roared, waving his gun arm in the air,
"You can't have jes let her!"
"She... didn't remember anything and she wanted too," Tifa said, resting a hand on the big mans
arm in an attempt to calm him down. She exchanged glances with Cloud.
"Sh't," he cursed. He turned away, shoulders heaving, "Aren't we going after her?"
"It's her choice..." Cloud said, looking down from the deck of the Highwind, "Cid, can you take
us to Kalm after we drop Red off at Cosmo Canyon?"
"Sure thing," Cid replied, looking up with a slightly startled expression. He usually tried to
stay out of it when Baret got going; and staying out meant tuning out, "Why there?"
"I told her I'd be there," Tifa said, rocking back on her heels and back to her toes again, "In
case she changed her mind."
"I see," Red mumbled, stretching as he rose form lying down, "What about you Cloud? Are you going
to meet Aeris or are you going with Tifa?"
Cloud looked upward to the sky and for awhile did not reply. Finally he turned and faced
them all. "I thought... If I went.. I could meet Aeris again..." He paused here and looked from
one face to the next, "Maybe try to bring her back... To keep everyone together..." He sighed,
"But I think... this time.. I owe it to someone to be there for her for once," He went to Tifa and
took her hands.
"Cloud..." Tifa blushed slightly and looked away.
"Could you leave us?" Cloud asked, and everyone except Tifa filled below deck. Cloud took a deep
breath.
"I've heard the others talk... about how much in love with me you are," He let her hands go and
moved to the rail, "And how stupid I must be not to see it."
"You're my best friend, Cloud, I," Tifa stammered.
"I know.. I think I love Aeris... but when I think about it, I love you, too. I don't know how I
love either of you, only that I do.. And Aeris is gone, would she really want to come back? To
leave her Promised Land? You're my best friend too, Tifa. And I know now isn't the time to
discuss it... I'm sorry."
"Cloud...." Tifa's only reply was to repeat his name.
* * *
"Why are you following us?" Reno asked for about the sixth time as the Turks entered Junon along
with Yuffie.
"I told you!" The ninja replied, the same as before.
"..." Reno didn't reply.
"Maybe we should take her back to Wutai? She could get her memory back if she was home, couldn't
she? Elena asked.
"I'm from there? I'm foreign then!" Yuffie beamed to herself at remembering the location of her
home town.
"I've heard, tell that she and her old man don't get along. It might make matters worse." Reno
replied, felling like slapping himself on the forehead, "I need a drink."
"Bar?" Rude asked, motioning toward a bar across the street.
"Why not?" Reno shrugged and headed toward it with Rude.
"Wait!" Elena exclaimed, chasing after the men and the following Yuffie, "We can't go in there
with her, she's a minor!"
"Then take her back to your house," Reno sighed.
"Me?!" Elena gave a start.
"Yes you! You're the only other woman here," Reno rolled his eyes at her.
"But... What if she breaks something1" Elena tightened her hands into fists at her side.
"Uh... you two?" Rude said, watching as Yuffie stalked away from the group, looking hurt,
"Damnit!" Reno cursed, and jogged after the girl, "Hey, ignore her."
"Leave me alone," Yuffie replied.
"Fine," Reno shrugged, "Hope you know where you're going."
He turned and started back to the others. Yuffie continued on a few steps and stopped,
she turned and followed behind Reno.
"I... don't.." she admitted.
"I know," Reno smirked, "Take her to your place, Elena, its an order." He clapped his hand on
Rude's back, "C'mon buddy, lets go."
"This way," Elena sighed.
She lead Yuffie down the main street and to an elevator, they boarded it and began to
rise to the Upper Plate. Yuffie watched over the side as Lower Junon disappeared beneath them.
After they got off of the elevator, the bond haired Turk lead Yuffie down an number of street to
a large, multi-story building. She took her to the second floor and into her apartment.
The apartment was huge, the coffee table's, end table's, and dinning table were all made
of glass. A large glass sliding door led to a balcony in the front room. Everything was either
white, breakable, or both.
"Don't touch anything," Elena warned her as she went to the hall closet to fetch some blankets
and a pillow, "You'll have to sleep on the couch."
"That's okay," Yuffie replied absently, she picked up a small, porcelain unicorn and began to
examine it.
To her surprise she found herself resisting a sudden urge to slip it into her pocket...
"DON'T TOUCH THAT!" Elena's outburst caused Yuffie to jump and drop the figurine; shattering it
into pieces.
"S-sorry!" Yuffie replied.
"No! That cost 300 gil!" Elena collapsed to her knees, sobbing.
* * *
"...?" Rude motioned to a slightly tipsy Reno with his hand while taking a drink of his own.
"The girl?" Reno said in reply, "No clue. If she's going to keep tagging along with us we should
probably teach her to fight again. It should jog her memory just being in battle, shouldn't it?"
He took a drink and continued on, "I mean, she sure remembered how to use materia alright..."
Rude nodded at his red haired friend.
"Ugh... how'd we get into this mess in the first place? And, why didn't someone keep her from
coming with us?" Reno demanded.
"..." Rude peered at him over his shades, his mouth set in a grim line.
"Whaddya mean its my fault?!" Reno exclaimed, looking at him innocently; he paused for a minute,
"Still... she has nice legs..."
Rude rolled his eyes behind his shades and downed the rest of his whisky.
* * *
Tifa lie awake in the dark staring at the ceiling in the Kalm Inn. Cloud loved her, he
didn't know how he loved her; but she was happy that he did love her. She brushed a strand of
hair from her face. She had been wondering where she would go after it was all over, and weither
Cloud would be with her. She had never really thought about Kalm, it had just come natural to her
when she needed a place to tell Yuffie to find her. So she wasn't dead, but why did she lose her
memory? The thing that pried most on Tifa's mind was what Yuffie had said. They didn't look
familiar? Did that mean one of the Turks had? She thought she remembered Yuffie saying Reno was
cute once, but the teenager had acted as if she had liked Cloud for so long that she didn't think
of it again.
Did the ninja have a crush on Reno that was big enough for her to remember him? Tifa
heard footsteps approaching on the stairs and rolled over. Cloud reached the top of the stairs
and entered the darkened room.
"Tifa? You awake?" he whispered, when she didn't reply he shrugged to himself and took of his
boots. As he climbed into the bed next to her a thought occurred to him. He really needed some
new clothing...
* * *
The next day, Yuffie awoke to Reno shaking her like a rag doll.
"Wake UP already! I'm not this bad!" Reno exclaimed as Yuffie finally began to open her eyes.
"Huh?" Yuffie mumbled in a daze as she looked up at him.
"It's two in the afternoon. Elena's making us lunch and we have decided," he paused to make sure
she was listening, "That we're going to teach you to fight again. To see if it'll... jog any
memories."
"Alright..." Yuffie rolled out of the covers and off the couch.
She followed Reno into the kitchen groggily. Elena was putting eggs onto plates and Rude
sat at a chair with a cup of coffee.
"She's finally up?" Elena asked, more a statement than a question. She continued before Reno
could reply, "Look at you for crying out loud! You need a bath, and some new clothing. You've been
wearing that same outfit ever since I first saw you. You can borrow some of my cloths," she sighed.
"Thank you," Yuffie said, sincerely. She felt dirty and couldn't imagine why she would wear the
same outfit for so long. Then it occurred to her that she had none with her.
She took a seat at the table near where Reno had plopped down and Elena gave them each a
plate with something to drink. Juice? Yuffie wasn't sure. Cooking for several people came
naturally to Elena, since neither of her fellow Turks seemed to know the first thing about cooking. Rude might, she couldn't know for sure what all the bald man was capable of.
"Did you tell her?" Elena asked.
"Yeah," Reno replied and looked at Yuffie," That materia you had, do you still have it?"
"You mean that glowing orb?" Yuffie asked, "Yes why?"
"It's materia," Reno sighed, "You are...were... wanted for stealing materia everywhere you went,
and you were considered to be an expert on it."
"I',... a thief?" Yuffie asked. That explained the night before..
Reno, being from the slums, shrugged, "Who isn't? Anyway, we're going to give you a small materia,
to make sure you can do it again. Then we'll work on some hand to hand."
"Alright.. what kind of fighting did I do?" Yuffie mumbled through a mouth full of eggs.
"Ninja," Rude said, "You should know how to do it all."
"Whadda mean the brat just left with the Turks?!" Barret roared, waving his gun arm in the air,
"You can't have jes let her!"
"She... didn't remember anything and she wanted too," Tifa said, resting a hand on the big mans
arm in an attempt to calm him down. She exchanged glances with Cloud.
"Sh't," he cursed. He turned away, shoulders heaving, "Aren't we going after her?"
"It's her choice..." Cloud said, looking down from the deck of the Highwind, "Cid, can you take
us to Kalm after we drop Red off at Cosmo Canyon?"
"Sure thing," Cid replied, looking up with a slightly startled expression. He usually tried to
stay out of it when Baret got going; and staying out meant tuning out, "Why there?"
"I told her I'd be there," Tifa said, rocking back on her heels and back to her toes again, "In
case she changed her mind."
"I see," Red mumbled, stretching as he rose form lying down, "What about you Cloud? Are you going
to meet Aeris or are you going with Tifa?"
Cloud looked upward to the sky and for awhile did not reply. Finally he turned and faced
them all. "I thought... If I went.. I could meet Aeris again..." He paused here and looked from
one face to the next, "Maybe try to bring her back... To keep everyone together..." He sighed,
"But I think... this time.. I owe it to someone to be there for her for once," He went to Tifa and
took her hands.
"Cloud..." Tifa blushed slightly and looked away.
"Could you leave us?" Cloud asked, and everyone except Tifa filled below deck. Cloud took a deep
breath.
"I've heard the others talk... about how much in love with me you are," He let her hands go and
moved to the rail, "And how stupid I must be not to see it."
"You're my best friend, Cloud, I," Tifa stammered.
"I know.. I think I love Aeris... but when I think about it, I love you, too. I don't know how I
love either of you, only that I do.. And Aeris is gone, would she really want to come back? To
leave her Promised Land? You're my best friend too, Tifa. And I know now isn't the time to
discuss it... I'm sorry."
"Cloud...." Tifa's only reply was to repeat his name.
* * *
"Why are you following us?" Reno asked for about the sixth time as the Turks entered Junon along
with Yuffie.
"I told you!" The ninja replied, the same as before.
"..." Reno didn't reply.
"Maybe we should take her back to Wutai? She could get her memory back if she was home, couldn't
she? Elena asked.
"I'm from there? I'm foreign then!" Yuffie beamed to herself at remembering the location of her
home town.
"I've heard, tell that she and her old man don't get along. It might make matters worse." Reno
replied, felling like slapping himself on the forehead, "I need a drink."
"Bar?" Rude asked, motioning toward a bar across the street.
"Why not?" Reno shrugged and headed toward it with Rude.
"Wait!" Elena exclaimed, chasing after the men and the following Yuffie, "We can't go in there
with her, she's a minor!"
"Then take her back to your house," Reno sighed.
"Me?!" Elena gave a start.
"Yes you! You're the only other woman here," Reno rolled his eyes at her.
"But... What if she breaks something1" Elena tightened her hands into fists at her side.
"Uh... you two?" Rude said, watching as Yuffie stalked away from the group, looking hurt,
"Damnit!" Reno cursed, and jogged after the girl, "Hey, ignore her."
"Leave me alone," Yuffie replied.
"Fine," Reno shrugged, "Hope you know where you're going."
He turned and started back to the others. Yuffie continued on a few steps and stopped,
she turned and followed behind Reno.
"I... don't.." she admitted.
"I know," Reno smirked, "Take her to your place, Elena, its an order." He clapped his hand on
Rude's back, "C'mon buddy, lets go."
"This way," Elena sighed.
She lead Yuffie down the main street and to an elevator, they boarded it and began to
rise to the Upper Plate. Yuffie watched over the side as Lower Junon disappeared beneath them.
After they got off of the elevator, the bond haired Turk lead Yuffie down an number of street to
a large, multi-story building. She took her to the second floor and into her apartment.
The apartment was huge, the coffee table's, end table's, and dinning table were all made
of glass. A large glass sliding door led to a balcony in the front room. Everything was either
white, breakable, or both.
"Don't touch anything," Elena warned her as she went to the hall closet to fetch some blankets
and a pillow, "You'll have to sleep on the couch."
"That's okay," Yuffie replied absently, she picked up a small, porcelain unicorn and began to
examine it.
To her surprise she found herself resisting a sudden urge to slip it into her pocket...
"DON'T TOUCH THAT!" Elena's outburst caused Yuffie to jump and drop the figurine; shattering it
into pieces.
"S-sorry!" Yuffie replied.
"No! That cost 300 gil!" Elena collapsed to her knees, sobbing.
* * *
"...?" Rude motioned to a slightly tipsy Reno with his hand while taking a drink of his own.
"The girl?" Reno said in reply, "No clue. If she's going to keep tagging along with us we should
probably teach her to fight again. It should jog her memory just being in battle, shouldn't it?"
He took a drink and continued on, "I mean, she sure remembered how to use materia alright..."
Rude nodded at his red haired friend.
"Ugh... how'd we get into this mess in the first place? And, why didn't someone keep her from
coming with us?" Reno demanded.
"..." Rude peered at him over his shades, his mouth set in a grim line.
"Whaddya mean its my fault?!" Reno exclaimed, looking at him innocently; he paused for a minute,
"Still... she has nice legs..."
Rude rolled his eyes behind his shades and downed the rest of his whisky.
* * *
Tifa lie awake in the dark staring at the ceiling in the Kalm Inn. Cloud loved her, he
didn't know how he loved her; but she was happy that he did love her. She brushed a strand of
hair from her face. She had been wondering where she would go after it was all over, and weither
Cloud would be with her. She had never really thought about Kalm, it had just come natural to her
when she needed a place to tell Yuffie to find her. So she wasn't dead, but why did she lose her
memory? The thing that pried most on Tifa's mind was what Yuffie had said. They didn't look
familiar? Did that mean one of the Turks had? She thought she remembered Yuffie saying Reno was
cute once, but the teenager had acted as if she had liked Cloud for so long that she didn't think
of it again.
Did the ninja have a crush on Reno that was big enough for her to remember him? Tifa
heard footsteps approaching on the stairs and rolled over. Cloud reached the top of the stairs
and entered the darkened room.
"Tifa? You awake?" he whispered, when she didn't reply he shrugged to himself and took of his
boots. As he climbed into the bed next to her a thought occurred to him. He really needed some
new clothing...
* * *
The next day, Yuffie awoke to Reno shaking her like a rag doll.
"Wake UP already! I'm not this bad!" Reno exclaimed as Yuffie finally began to open her eyes.
"Huh?" Yuffie mumbled in a daze as she looked up at him.
"It's two in the afternoon. Elena's making us lunch and we have decided," he paused to make sure
she was listening, "That we're going to teach you to fight again. To see if it'll... jog any
memories."
"Alright..." Yuffie rolled out of the covers and off the couch.
She followed Reno into the kitchen groggily. Elena was putting eggs onto plates and Rude
sat at a chair with a cup of coffee.
"She's finally up?" Elena asked, more a statement than a question. She continued before Reno
could reply, "Look at you for crying out loud! You need a bath, and some new clothing. You've been
wearing that same outfit ever since I first saw you. You can borrow some of my cloths," she sighed.
"Thank you," Yuffie said, sincerely. She felt dirty and couldn't imagine why she would wear the
same outfit for so long. Then it occurred to her that she had none with her.
She took a seat at the table near where Reno had plopped down and Elena gave them each a
plate with something to drink. Juice? Yuffie wasn't sure. Cooking for several people came
naturally to Elena, since neither of her fellow Turks seemed to know the first thing about cooking. Rude might, she couldn't know for sure what all the bald man was capable of.
"Did you tell her?" Elena asked.
"Yeah," Reno replied and looked at Yuffie," That materia you had, do you still have it?"
"You mean that glowing orb?" Yuffie asked, "Yes why?"
"It's materia," Reno sighed, "You are...were... wanted for stealing materia everywhere you went,
and you were considered to be an expert on it."
"I',... a thief?" Yuffie asked. That explained the night before..
Reno, being from the slums, shrugged, "Who isn't? Anyway, we're going to give you a small materia,
to make sure you can do it again. Then we'll work on some hand to hand."
"Alright.. what kind of fighting did I do?" Yuffie mumbled through a mouth full of eggs.
"Ninja," Rude said, "You should know how to do it all."