[A/N: Well, here I am with the next chapter, up and ready to go. ^.^ Thanks again for the reviews I've been getting, they make me feel all warm and tingly inside. ^.^ This chapter, I'm sure you noticed, is a bit longer, so what are you doing reading this! Get to work on the chapter! ^.^ v Lol, enjoy :D ]
..x.x.x.x.x..
Cloud awoke from his abhorrent sleep on the bar table with a sense of urgency. He glanced up at the blurry vision of the neon clock hanging on the wall behind the bar table, where the many different types of beverages were stored. It was nearly 5 in the evening. Cloud stretched his sore muscles and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
/That's what I get for staying up all night, I suppose./ He thought lazily to himself. He looked into the remains of the soda can and heard that the fizz was gone, leaving the liquid flat. Cloud growled to himself and tossed the can into the nearby trash bin, forcing himself up to his feet.
He was immediately overcome by dizziness and was just as soon forced back down to the discomfort of his stool. /Ugh.. Only discomforting when you're ass has fallen asleep../ Cloud thought with a groan.
The image finally took over his mind again. Aeris. Cloud groaned again as his consciousness wavered in her image. /She's calling for me../ He thought with confusion. /I../ The image of Tifa finally made it's way into his blonde, spiky head. /Tifa.../ His head sunk back down to the bar table with a hurtful thud. /God, what am I gonna do?/
After some time of regaining his thoughts and putting himself together, he stood, slowly, to let the blood flow evenly. He slowly walked into the kitchen, retrieving a new can of soda to quench his newly parched throat, and walked about the house to look for the brunet woman he always reveled in the beauty of. He thudded upstairs and looked around, not calling out for her just yet, hoping he'd catch her off guard so he could sneak up behind her and hug her.
As he peered in their bedroom, he noticed some things missing. Mostly, her fighting gloves. /She must be out training again. She hadn't been able to do so in ages./ He thought to himself. It made perfect sense. Her favorite materia and fighting clothes were gone, too. Cloud smiled to himself. /Well, I'll just catch her off guard then when she comes home./ He laughed evilly to himself. /I'll give her a welcome she'll never forget./
Forcing Aeris out of his mind and keeping focused on Tifa was what he needed most right now. He bounded down the stairs, scheming his attack on the unaware Tifa when she arrived. He went to snag the sandwich she had made for him earlier, regretting his earlier actions. Or in his case, lack of actions. As he picked it up, he noticed an oddly wrinkled scrap of paper. He picked it up and read all that was legible.
"Cloud, I understand. Go find her."
He immediately dropped the chilled sandwich and unconsciously sat down on the couch. His heart skipped a beat and his mind swelled with what he thought to be joy. He stared blankly at the paper, feeling overwhelmed at the fact that Tifa really did understand him and his feelings. He needed to lay his past to rest, and finding Aeris just might help. Losing her was unbearable. Seeing her again for at least one more time would solve his conflicting heart, hopefully forever.
After a moment of soaking it in, Cloud instantly jumped up and bounded upstairs to start packing right away. He had a smile on his face wider than he could ever remember it being. He quickly adorned himself in his old fighting uniform, feeling glad that it still fit him perfectly. He opened the closet and retrieved the famed Buster Sword, which sat next to Tifa's favorite pair of fighting gloves, now dubbed *MIA. All his other swords and Tifa's gloves were placed in the dining room/bar, like trophies. Every other AVALANCHE member also gave their weapons for display in the large room. (Keeping of course, for themselves, their own weapons for times of "just in case")
Cloud grabbed his stash of Materia and some gil and hopped happily back down the stairs. He had, by now, completely forgotten about giving Tifa a surprise arrival. /I should probably wait for her../ Cloud thought hesitantly. /But I wanna get this done and over with. I have to see Aeris. Tifa will understand, I know she will. When I get back, we'll be together and happy just like before. I'll make her happy, I promise.. It's the least she deserves./ Cloud scribbled a note on the back of Tifa's, and happily bounded out the door. He went to the small stable that was built in their back yard to keep their pair of gold chocobos.
He was surprised to see that Tifa's chocobo, Blade, was gone. She usually didn't go far to train. Cloud shrugged to himself. /Well, she IS a professional, I don't doubt she left somewhere where the monsters are harder. I don't blame her, after what I put her through this morning../ He sighed inwardly, feeling the pang of regret strike his heart once more. He pulled out his chocobo, Matrix, and fed it some mimmette greens. He hopped onto the newly hyped chocobo and bounded off quickly through the Nibelheim gates to God-knows-where, to find resolve in the green eyed Cetra that he held so dearly in his heart.
.x.x.x.
Tifa had decidedly taken the mountain trail to exit her hometown. Leading her chocobo through the treacherous pathways, she avoided anything dangerous, particularly the bridges. She had twice fallen on those, both times with Cloud there to save her. This time, she was alone, and wasn't about to risk a third time. Besides, the more time she took, the better. This was more than likely the last time she would ever see her hometown, at least for a very long time.
While she passed through the narrow, dark caverns of the mountains, she pondered on wether or not she was being rational. She knew Cloud would worry, at least a little bit, but she wasn't planning on disappearing forever. She would visit her other friends and let them know she was alright. Cloud would learn of her through them, and then he could go on living happy with Aeris.
She sighed. Maybe she was bing irrational. Running away was definitely not the best option, but as she had thought before, she was tired of being the strong one.
She shook all the thoughts beyond her mental reach and decided to think about where to go, and what to do. Now that she was alone, she could do anything she wanted without having to worry about other people.
/Well, not just yet, anyway./ She thought. /I'll check in on Barret first, cus I know little Marlene will be worried to death if she finds out I'm missing./ She smiled slightly to herself. /Yes. I'll definitely need to see her first. That little cutie always brightens my day./ She remembered how Marlene helped run her bar back in the old days. Every time Tifa walked in, the little girl would run and hug her knees, smiling brightly, eyes sparkling, proclaiming how much she had missed the older girl, who was practically a mother to her.
Tifa reached down into the leather pouch, hanging on the customized saddled for the chocobo made for long distance travels, and pulled out some Mimmette Greens, Blade's favorite. The bird, sensing this, peered back at her eagerly with her large sparkling eyes. Tifa smiled at the chocobos face, as it looked almost as if Blade was smiling. It was almost goofy. Tifa bent forward and gave Blade that Mimmette Greens, who warked happily as a new energy started to manifest.
Scratching behind the large birds head, she leaned back and sighed, wondering where she should go. She didn't want to see any of her old companions just yet; She wanted to figure out where she was going and what she would do from now on. She wanted to be well sure about herself, so as not to worry her friends.
/I've got to think of a reason for why Cloud's gone, too../ Her heart thudded deeply in her chest at the thought of the blonde haired man that she loved so much. She remembered back on his smile. It was so rare to see at first, but as he began to warm up, it was sparkling and bright.. And his eyes always glimmered with a childishness, as if he was always up to something. His hair hadn't changed, it remained it's usual spiked composition, and she often teased him for it, as Barret had. He would always counter with calling her "fish tail", and that's usually where the playful argument would end, with Tifa stomping off in protest. He would then follow up behind her and tackle her, laughing and tickling, as they'd roll over the carpeted floor.
A tear unknowingly slid down Tifa's cheek at the memory. No matter what she tried, she knew those memories would mercilessly haunt her, probably for the rest of her life.
/Mercilessly haunting.. Just like Cloud's dreams of Aeris./
The idea struck her hard, and looked down shamefully. He had transformed so much when Aeris started haunting him again. His eyes would grow cold, his muscles tight and rigid. He was always in stark concentration, as if trying to contact her psychically, as he had in his dreams days before she died. He was worried, that much she could tell. Tifa had asked him softly if he had been able to reach her somehow, but he'd look at her cold and blank, as if scolding her for even asking.
/Will I become something like that in time? Will I be so haunted be the dreams of him that I'll become merciless and cold?/ She clenched her teeth and tightened the grip she had on her reigns. /No. I must move on. Cloud had a problem with it because of all the physical stress he had been forced to endure, with the Mako experimentation Hojo had progressed on him, and his falling into the Lifestream twice. It drained him, made his already confused mind suffer./
/Until I had helped./ A little voice in the back of her head had said. It was faint in her mind, but as she thought about it, it became strong in her heart.
/That's right. I helped him through it. I never left his side, not once./ The new feeling that was growing inside of her was strong, resilient. /I was always by his side. Always helping. No matter how hard it was for everyone else. I even stayed with him when we thought we were going through the North Crater alone, to fight the prodigious seraph, Sephiroth. I never once left his side, even after Meteor was gone. I stayed with him./
She made her inner voice sound as confident as she could. She needed it; even if she was only masking her true, inner feelings. This would at least provide some comfort in moving on. For now.
/I did the best I could for Cloud. He was doing just fine. We were both happy, and we were both deeply in love. But things changed. His heart was being led in a different direction, now. Wether he wanted it to happen or not, it was happening. He was changing from the man I loved to someone completely new./
"And he doesn't need me anymore." She said out loud. She had to force the words out, as they hurt her heart so horribly. She looked around her surroundings to see where she was. She was almost out of the Nibelheim Mountains. Thinking back on the map of the world she had once traveled, she pondered all the different towns she could stay in. She was limited, though, for she didn't want to be seen by anyone she knew, not just yet. Her mind instantly rested on Kalm. She knew nobody there. It was very close to where Midgar once magnificently stood, which unnerved her greatly.
But she had to move on sooner or later, which meant getting over a lot of her old feelings.
Upon reaching the exit, she headed Blade in the direction of Kalm, kicking off at a past pace. The bird warked gleefully, probably happy to be out and running once more. /I could probably go to the Gold Saucer again, and start racing some more. Just like when Cloud and I did../ She cut herself off.
No. Not right now.
.x.x.x.
Cloud didn't need a map. He had remembered so well the terrain of the planet. He had, of course, only been around it at least several hundred times. Cloud smiled, feeling the excitement build in his stomach for a new adventure. One that didn't involve saving the world from a treacherous being with incredible powers, hoping to destroy the planet on his behalf. That was all over now.
Cloud frowned at the thought. /Sephiroth./ In all honesty, they really didn't differ at a great quantity. They both had horrible pasts, both being manipulated by the Shin-Ra with Mako energy, both of them drenched in the knowledge of the Lifestrem, and both severely confused as to who they really were.
Cloud shivered the thought away. He didn't want to think of Sephiroth being even close to his well being; after all that he had done, Cloud wanted to think of him as nothing but a monster. A sorely confused monster, at the most.
/After all, he killed Aeris. Heartlessly, coldly./ Cloud steered the chocobo, Matrix, to the direction of the Cetra's death bed. The City of the Ancients. His mind endlessly toiled over the event, and wondered if it had really been Sephiroth who killed Aeris.
He scoffed at himself. /"What are you talking about, you spiky-headed dumbass!"/ Barret would have said. He honestly didn't know, but something about the thought bothered him. /Jenova, after all, had complete control over him./ He remembered back on the terrible tremors he would feel in his brain every time he would try to remember something. It was as if someone had gotten inside his head and put an electric fence around all the memories of his true self, and every time he tried to access them, he'd be shocked horribly. /Maybe it was the same for Sephiroth and Jenova.. She had manipulated him into believing all those faulty truths../
Cloud mentally kicked himself out of his reverie. /Why the hell am I trying to defend him, anyways./ He focused himself back to the journey ahead. Matrix seemed to be in a delightfully good mood, which meant faster travel. He kicked the bird into action, and the chocobo happily headed north, to their destination.
Cloud meanwhile pondered onto the words he would say once he found Aeris. He thought over and over again on what she would look like, what her surroundings would be, if he'd be able to hear her voice. He wanted to back sure that she was safe and that the Promised Land was protected, and if it was everything she expected it to be. He wanted to ask for forgiveness for not being able to save her when the time was right, for a raising his sword to her uncontrollably. He wanted to say sorry for not being the bodyguard he was supposed to be.
The thoughts poured and streamed through his mind like a waterfall, unending and torrentially. He sighed, and slowed himself down, organizing his thoughts and putting questions into a mental waiting line.
/I only hope I can find her quickly.. The longer I take, the more worried Tifa will be. Besides, what if there's only one chance? All this time she's been trying to contact me, what if there's only one moment to see her, and my time's running out?/ He kicked the eager chocobo into action, and it bounded lithely north, hoping that it wasn't too late.
.x.x.x.
When she had finally reached Kalm, it was nearly midnight. /That's what I get for leaving so late in the afternoon./ She shrugged, as she slowed the panting chocobo to a trot. The town's lights were warmly and brightly lit, welcoming the weary late-night travelers. It was a sight for sore eyes. Tifa hadn't rest at all since she left her home. Without a bite to eat, she was purely starved. She probably looked a mess, too, but that would have to wait.
As she neared Kalm's front entrance, she peered over curiously in the direction of Midgar. Her skin shivered only slightly as she could see the faint outline of it's massive structure. The night was clear, with millions of stars shining gloriously through the stark darkness. What she could make out of the ex-city was that it was nearly in shambles. It was at such a great distance that it seemed small, but yet, she could still see the outline of disaster that had been wrought upon it and it's weary people.
"Can I help you miss?" A soft voice called up to her, snapping her quickly out of her thoughts. She looked down at a young woman with a cheery disposition, who seemed to be referring to her chocobo. Tifa looked around and noticed she was in front of the local chocobo stable.
Tifa smiled at her warmly and climbed down from Blade, removing her needed belongings. "I'll only be staying for the night." She said, her stomach growling hungrily. A touch of pink brushed her cheeks, and the woman smiled at her cheerily.
"I'll bring your chocobo to the singles stables. You can pick it up there whenever you wish to leave. The stables are clean and fresh, so your chocobo can get the best rest possible." She recited from memory, as if she had only been on the job for a few days. "There's a fantastic restaurant in the end of town, called 'Heaven's Retreat'. The food is great and the price is right."
Tifa handed the girl some gil and gave her polite thanks. She turned, walking for the first time in hours, feeling the strain in her legs as she looked for the Heaven's Retreat. Being out under the stars felt like a wonderful escape. She never tired of their beauty. As she walked, she gazed up at them, smiling in deep thought, trying not to remember the endless nights under these stars with Cloud.
Unfortunately for her trying, she walked head on into a stranger, knocking her down to the ground in surprised, dropping her bag of belongings. She looked up timidly at the person, and felt a pang of guilt strike her heart. It was a man, a very tall man with short black hair and dark, almost empty eyes, his chin hugged with a thin, neatly cut go-tee. He wore a knee-length, black coat with clean pressed business slacks underneath, and perfectly polished shoes. He had dropped the briefcase he was holding. He scowled down at her as if about to snap out a remark about paying attention to where you're walking, but then his features softened as his gaze turned towards Tifa's guilt-written face.
He immediately reached his hand out to help her up to her feet, stopping to grab his briefcase first.
"Oh, I am so sorry, sir," Tifa stammered, accepting the strange man's hand. "That was completely rude of me, I should have been-"
"Do not worry about it, miss" The dark haired man said. His voice was liquidly smooth and deep. He seemed the type to give long lectures about scientifically important things. Judging by the way he dressed, he probably did just that.
Tifa blushed and brushed herself off, gathering again her things that had fallen on the ground, embarrassment flooding her. To her discretion, the stranger was studying her every movement. He was captivated with her beauty, her flawless form, her perfectly long slender legs, her pale, smooth shoulders and long, silky, dark hair framing two gorgeous crimson orbs, and he of course, examined her ample breasts. He smiled to himself. What a creature like her was doing out at a time like this, he didn't know. But he couldn't of had better timing.
When she had gotten herself together, she smiled at him, her cheeks still glowing red, and said with a voice that shamed the very stars, "I apologize again, sir. I'll definitely be more aware next time."
He gazed at her longingly and said, "Please, to where are you headed at such a dire hour of the evening?"
Tifa side-glanced him, a bit skeptically, hearing a small accent to his voice that was strangely familiar. After a moment of thought, she confessed. "The Heaven's Retreat. I'm a bit famished.."
"Ah, then, I have some spare time. Allow me to escort you." He said smoothly, a slight twinkle caught in his dark eyes.
Tifa hesitated. She honestly didn't want to be talking or 'escorted' around by anyone, especially not some tall, dark and handsome stranger such as himself. "Really, you don't have to.."
"I insist." He stated crisply, but with a tender smile.
Tifa forced a smile and replied. "Alright then, if you insist." She knew she wouldn't be able to get rid of the man, he was simply persistent. Besides, she was going to be leaving the next day, anyway, leaving her alone for a very long time. She guessed that this bit of conversation would be a good way of setting off.
The stranger reached forth his hand in introduction, and said with his deeply silky voice, "I'm Tadrith S.," He momentarily paused, "Dirkin."
Tifa, a bit confused by his stumbled name, reached forward her hand as well for a formal handshake. She was taken surprise, however, when he brought her hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss upon it. Tifa blushed girlishly and responded, "Tifa Str.. Tifa Lockheart." She flushed at the near error; Cloud had always referred to her as his Tifa Strife, and she herself had become accustomed to referring to herself under that name. But that it was, no longer.
Tadrith gestured for her to follow by his side as he headed for the end of town, to the awaiting restaurant. Tifa silently cursed herself for all that had happened. She wasn't normally the type to let herself get off guard, while plummeting into persistent strangers that seemed strangely familiar, yet completely unknown at the same time. She couldn't read anything from him. It was as if he was blanketed mysteriously so that no one could read his movements or thoughts, so he could be completely unpredictable. Handsome, for sure, he was; but Tifa had sensed an uneasiness about him. She decided to watch her back carefully while he was around.
"So what brings a lovely young dove such as yourself to this small town, alone, I presume, at such an ungodly hour?" Tadrith questioned, watching the young woman next to him with keen interest.
Tifa looked steadily forward, making it known her strong nature and prowess ability to defend herself in any given situation. Choosing her words carefully, "I'm visiting some friends. I'm just stopping by this town on the way to freshen up."
The tall man nodded. "And you came by chocobo, I'm guessing?"
Tifa looked up in slight surprise. "Yes; how did you know?" She asked, defensively.
Tadrith smiled. "I wouldn't think that you would be walking all this way. Seeing that you are physically strong, you wouldn't want to be so sedentary as to travel by vehicle. That wouldn't be your style. Chocobo's are fast and strong, yet take a keen ability to handle correctly, and require at least some physical strength to be able to endure sitting on one for listless amounts of time." The words just flowed like honey, as if he had practiced that exact speech again and again.
Tifa gazed up at him in shock, her mouth moving to say something in reply to his ready response, which seemed to reveal much about her, even thought she had only known him for a few minutes. "You have a keen eye." She finally managed.
Tadrith smiled and looked away from her. "I supposed you could say so, yes." A confusing choice of words, but it satisfied Tifa's ears, all the same. The closer she got to deserting this man, the better. She didn't want him finding out any more than he needed. And he already knew too much.
Before long, they had reached the quaint little restaurant. The young woman at the chocobo stables was right; the smell seeping from this place was absolutely delightful. Her eyes widened at the choice of foods, and she quickly ordered her choices. To her disappointment, the dark haired man with her decided to join her for the meal. They had sat down at one of the dimly lit tables, and sipped at their cool drinks while Tifa eagerly waited for her meal.
Tadrith, on the other hand, had a very hard time taking his eyes off of her. She was gorgeous, and drinking of her beauty was something he had taken a quick liking too. She was very quiet, however, seeming to want to conceal her thoughts and plans. He had hoped to change that.
"So, Tifa." He started, looking into those dazzling crimson eyes. "Where are you from?"
Tifa hesitated, seeing that the man hadn't stopped staring at her all this time. She actually felt a bit flattered, but this wasn't the time for that. "Born and raised in Nibelheim."
His eyes opened a bit wider, his eyes glimmering for a short moment with recognition, but it was concealed away again as if it were never there to begin with.
Tifa smiled inwardly at the little insight. /So, he has some kind of knowledge of Nibelheim, then./ She decided not to press the issue further, though. She didn't want to spark any interest to urge him to stay longer. "During most of my childhood there, I was trained by the legendary Zanghan to become a martial artist. I travel a lot to keep my training at a maximum. Wouldn't want my skills to be hindered." She said, almost threateningly, to make sure he knew she would be a deadly choice as a victim of any kind.
Tadrith caught this, and countered with a smile. "I would one day like to see you in action." He peered at his watch, checking the time.
"I don't think you'll need to worry about that. I won't be here after tomorrow. I leave first thing in the morning."
Tadrith's smile faded only in the slightest. "Pity." He said smoothly. "I would have liked to become more acquainted with you."
At that moment, the food had arrived. Tifa was all too happy at the timing, too; she didn't know how to respond to Tadrith's last statement. She happily accepted the food and dug in, keeping her manners in check as most as she could.
Tadrith's eyes never escaped her. He still had that smile on his face from before, as if something were going to happen and only he knew about it. Tifa was too enthused with the food in front of her to really care. "Maybe sometime you'll drop by again, and tell me of your ventures. I'd like to know how your little 'visit' with your friends underwent." He stood slowly, with his briefcase still in hand.
Tifa paused from her food and looked up at him, about to respond when he again took her hand in his. His hand was large, and very warm, almost comforting. He looked straight into her beautiful wine colored eyes. "I should also like to hear about the man you're running away from. Perhaps an answer to why." With that, he kissed her hand tenderly and whispered her name, engulfing in her beauty for one last time.
He then turned, and left, leaving a shocked Tifa sitting in her spot, gaping after him in wonder, amazement, and perhaps even a little fear. How the man had found that out, she would probably never find out. /Oh, well./ She sighed. /At least I'll never have to face him again./ She began to finish her food. /I hope../
As she finished, and grabbing her belongings, she left to pay for her food. At arriving to the counter, the cheery young clerk smiled happily at her and said, "The man that was with you a moment ago already paid, ma'am." Tifa smiled at her in thanks, and walked out the door.
Strange. She didn't remember even seeing Tadrith walk by the register to pay. He had left straight out the front door. She shrugged again. /Oh well. It's really late, I should get some sleep while I still can./ She headed for the nearest INN, unwillingly remembering back to when she and Cloud had stayed the night together in room #23. It was a sweet night, with a sky as clear as this.. She shook the image out of her head. Approaching the counter, she asked for a single room, for one night.
The old man smiled toothlessly at her. "Room #23, down the hall on the left. That'll be 100 gil, miss." Tifa sighed reluctantly, not about to ask for another room because of her silly memories. She paid, and carrying her things, made her way to the room.
The air was just as she remembered it when she entered it. She locked the door behind her, and looked over at the bed. She sighed again, sadly. Slowly approaching the bed in the center of the room, she weakly lifted the top mattress to reveal a small, red stain. She smiled and started to cry again for the thousandth time. She and Cloud were playing around and accidentally spilled some wine on the mattress. Giggling like little school children, they desperately covered it up by switching the mattresses around.
Tifa slumped on top of the blankets, and cuddling the nearest pillow, she succumbed to the tears that were trying their hardest to come out. She missed Cloud so much...
That night, she slept, sound and deep. No dreams threatened her, yet somewhere around her, she was being watched by a pair of dark, forbidden eyes...
..x.x.x.x.x..
[A/N: *For the unaware: MIA means Missing in Action. ^.^ The next chapter might take just a little while to put up, but it will eventually get there. Please, review if you have any comments/complaints/flames/ideas/requests/arguments/anything!!!! ::desperate:: o.o!!!!! ]
..x.x.x.x.x..
Cloud awoke from his abhorrent sleep on the bar table with a sense of urgency. He glanced up at the blurry vision of the neon clock hanging on the wall behind the bar table, where the many different types of beverages were stored. It was nearly 5 in the evening. Cloud stretched his sore muscles and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
/That's what I get for staying up all night, I suppose./ He thought lazily to himself. He looked into the remains of the soda can and heard that the fizz was gone, leaving the liquid flat. Cloud growled to himself and tossed the can into the nearby trash bin, forcing himself up to his feet.
He was immediately overcome by dizziness and was just as soon forced back down to the discomfort of his stool. /Ugh.. Only discomforting when you're ass has fallen asleep../ Cloud thought with a groan.
The image finally took over his mind again. Aeris. Cloud groaned again as his consciousness wavered in her image. /She's calling for me../ He thought with confusion. /I../ The image of Tifa finally made it's way into his blonde, spiky head. /Tifa.../ His head sunk back down to the bar table with a hurtful thud. /God, what am I gonna do?/
After some time of regaining his thoughts and putting himself together, he stood, slowly, to let the blood flow evenly. He slowly walked into the kitchen, retrieving a new can of soda to quench his newly parched throat, and walked about the house to look for the brunet woman he always reveled in the beauty of. He thudded upstairs and looked around, not calling out for her just yet, hoping he'd catch her off guard so he could sneak up behind her and hug her.
As he peered in their bedroom, he noticed some things missing. Mostly, her fighting gloves. /She must be out training again. She hadn't been able to do so in ages./ He thought to himself. It made perfect sense. Her favorite materia and fighting clothes were gone, too. Cloud smiled to himself. /Well, I'll just catch her off guard then when she comes home./ He laughed evilly to himself. /I'll give her a welcome she'll never forget./
Forcing Aeris out of his mind and keeping focused on Tifa was what he needed most right now. He bounded down the stairs, scheming his attack on the unaware Tifa when she arrived. He went to snag the sandwich she had made for him earlier, regretting his earlier actions. Or in his case, lack of actions. As he picked it up, he noticed an oddly wrinkled scrap of paper. He picked it up and read all that was legible.
"Cloud, I understand. Go find her."
He immediately dropped the chilled sandwich and unconsciously sat down on the couch. His heart skipped a beat and his mind swelled with what he thought to be joy. He stared blankly at the paper, feeling overwhelmed at the fact that Tifa really did understand him and his feelings. He needed to lay his past to rest, and finding Aeris just might help. Losing her was unbearable. Seeing her again for at least one more time would solve his conflicting heart, hopefully forever.
After a moment of soaking it in, Cloud instantly jumped up and bounded upstairs to start packing right away. He had a smile on his face wider than he could ever remember it being. He quickly adorned himself in his old fighting uniform, feeling glad that it still fit him perfectly. He opened the closet and retrieved the famed Buster Sword, which sat next to Tifa's favorite pair of fighting gloves, now dubbed *MIA. All his other swords and Tifa's gloves were placed in the dining room/bar, like trophies. Every other AVALANCHE member also gave their weapons for display in the large room. (Keeping of course, for themselves, their own weapons for times of "just in case")
Cloud grabbed his stash of Materia and some gil and hopped happily back down the stairs. He had, by now, completely forgotten about giving Tifa a surprise arrival. /I should probably wait for her../ Cloud thought hesitantly. /But I wanna get this done and over with. I have to see Aeris. Tifa will understand, I know she will. When I get back, we'll be together and happy just like before. I'll make her happy, I promise.. It's the least she deserves./ Cloud scribbled a note on the back of Tifa's, and happily bounded out the door. He went to the small stable that was built in their back yard to keep their pair of gold chocobos.
He was surprised to see that Tifa's chocobo, Blade, was gone. She usually didn't go far to train. Cloud shrugged to himself. /Well, she IS a professional, I don't doubt she left somewhere where the monsters are harder. I don't blame her, after what I put her through this morning../ He sighed inwardly, feeling the pang of regret strike his heart once more. He pulled out his chocobo, Matrix, and fed it some mimmette greens. He hopped onto the newly hyped chocobo and bounded off quickly through the Nibelheim gates to God-knows-where, to find resolve in the green eyed Cetra that he held so dearly in his heart.
.x.x.x.
Tifa had decidedly taken the mountain trail to exit her hometown. Leading her chocobo through the treacherous pathways, she avoided anything dangerous, particularly the bridges. She had twice fallen on those, both times with Cloud there to save her. This time, she was alone, and wasn't about to risk a third time. Besides, the more time she took, the better. This was more than likely the last time she would ever see her hometown, at least for a very long time.
While she passed through the narrow, dark caverns of the mountains, she pondered on wether or not she was being rational. She knew Cloud would worry, at least a little bit, but she wasn't planning on disappearing forever. She would visit her other friends and let them know she was alright. Cloud would learn of her through them, and then he could go on living happy with Aeris.
She sighed. Maybe she was bing irrational. Running away was definitely not the best option, but as she had thought before, she was tired of being the strong one.
She shook all the thoughts beyond her mental reach and decided to think about where to go, and what to do. Now that she was alone, she could do anything she wanted without having to worry about other people.
/Well, not just yet, anyway./ She thought. /I'll check in on Barret first, cus I know little Marlene will be worried to death if she finds out I'm missing./ She smiled slightly to herself. /Yes. I'll definitely need to see her first. That little cutie always brightens my day./ She remembered how Marlene helped run her bar back in the old days. Every time Tifa walked in, the little girl would run and hug her knees, smiling brightly, eyes sparkling, proclaiming how much she had missed the older girl, who was practically a mother to her.
Tifa reached down into the leather pouch, hanging on the customized saddled for the chocobo made for long distance travels, and pulled out some Mimmette Greens, Blade's favorite. The bird, sensing this, peered back at her eagerly with her large sparkling eyes. Tifa smiled at the chocobos face, as it looked almost as if Blade was smiling. It was almost goofy. Tifa bent forward and gave Blade that Mimmette Greens, who warked happily as a new energy started to manifest.
Scratching behind the large birds head, she leaned back and sighed, wondering where she should go. She didn't want to see any of her old companions just yet; She wanted to figure out where she was going and what she would do from now on. She wanted to be well sure about herself, so as not to worry her friends.
/I've got to think of a reason for why Cloud's gone, too../ Her heart thudded deeply in her chest at the thought of the blonde haired man that she loved so much. She remembered back on his smile. It was so rare to see at first, but as he began to warm up, it was sparkling and bright.. And his eyes always glimmered with a childishness, as if he was always up to something. His hair hadn't changed, it remained it's usual spiked composition, and she often teased him for it, as Barret had. He would always counter with calling her "fish tail", and that's usually where the playful argument would end, with Tifa stomping off in protest. He would then follow up behind her and tackle her, laughing and tickling, as they'd roll over the carpeted floor.
A tear unknowingly slid down Tifa's cheek at the memory. No matter what she tried, she knew those memories would mercilessly haunt her, probably for the rest of her life.
/Mercilessly haunting.. Just like Cloud's dreams of Aeris./
The idea struck her hard, and looked down shamefully. He had transformed so much when Aeris started haunting him again. His eyes would grow cold, his muscles tight and rigid. He was always in stark concentration, as if trying to contact her psychically, as he had in his dreams days before she died. He was worried, that much she could tell. Tifa had asked him softly if he had been able to reach her somehow, but he'd look at her cold and blank, as if scolding her for even asking.
/Will I become something like that in time? Will I be so haunted be the dreams of him that I'll become merciless and cold?/ She clenched her teeth and tightened the grip she had on her reigns. /No. I must move on. Cloud had a problem with it because of all the physical stress he had been forced to endure, with the Mako experimentation Hojo had progressed on him, and his falling into the Lifestream twice. It drained him, made his already confused mind suffer./
/Until I had helped./ A little voice in the back of her head had said. It was faint in her mind, but as she thought about it, it became strong in her heart.
/That's right. I helped him through it. I never left his side, not once./ The new feeling that was growing inside of her was strong, resilient. /I was always by his side. Always helping. No matter how hard it was for everyone else. I even stayed with him when we thought we were going through the North Crater alone, to fight the prodigious seraph, Sephiroth. I never once left his side, even after Meteor was gone. I stayed with him./
She made her inner voice sound as confident as she could. She needed it; even if she was only masking her true, inner feelings. This would at least provide some comfort in moving on. For now.
/I did the best I could for Cloud. He was doing just fine. We were both happy, and we were both deeply in love. But things changed. His heart was being led in a different direction, now. Wether he wanted it to happen or not, it was happening. He was changing from the man I loved to someone completely new./
"And he doesn't need me anymore." She said out loud. She had to force the words out, as they hurt her heart so horribly. She looked around her surroundings to see where she was. She was almost out of the Nibelheim Mountains. Thinking back on the map of the world she had once traveled, she pondered all the different towns she could stay in. She was limited, though, for she didn't want to be seen by anyone she knew, not just yet. Her mind instantly rested on Kalm. She knew nobody there. It was very close to where Midgar once magnificently stood, which unnerved her greatly.
But she had to move on sooner or later, which meant getting over a lot of her old feelings.
Upon reaching the exit, she headed Blade in the direction of Kalm, kicking off at a past pace. The bird warked gleefully, probably happy to be out and running once more. /I could probably go to the Gold Saucer again, and start racing some more. Just like when Cloud and I did../ She cut herself off.
No. Not right now.
.x.x.x.
Cloud didn't need a map. He had remembered so well the terrain of the planet. He had, of course, only been around it at least several hundred times. Cloud smiled, feeling the excitement build in his stomach for a new adventure. One that didn't involve saving the world from a treacherous being with incredible powers, hoping to destroy the planet on his behalf. That was all over now.
Cloud frowned at the thought. /Sephiroth./ In all honesty, they really didn't differ at a great quantity. They both had horrible pasts, both being manipulated by the Shin-Ra with Mako energy, both of them drenched in the knowledge of the Lifestrem, and both severely confused as to who they really were.
Cloud shivered the thought away. He didn't want to think of Sephiroth being even close to his well being; after all that he had done, Cloud wanted to think of him as nothing but a monster. A sorely confused monster, at the most.
/After all, he killed Aeris. Heartlessly, coldly./ Cloud steered the chocobo, Matrix, to the direction of the Cetra's death bed. The City of the Ancients. His mind endlessly toiled over the event, and wondered if it had really been Sephiroth who killed Aeris.
He scoffed at himself. /"What are you talking about, you spiky-headed dumbass!"/ Barret would have said. He honestly didn't know, but something about the thought bothered him. /Jenova, after all, had complete control over him./ He remembered back on the terrible tremors he would feel in his brain every time he would try to remember something. It was as if someone had gotten inside his head and put an electric fence around all the memories of his true self, and every time he tried to access them, he'd be shocked horribly. /Maybe it was the same for Sephiroth and Jenova.. She had manipulated him into believing all those faulty truths../
Cloud mentally kicked himself out of his reverie. /Why the hell am I trying to defend him, anyways./ He focused himself back to the journey ahead. Matrix seemed to be in a delightfully good mood, which meant faster travel. He kicked the bird into action, and the chocobo happily headed north, to their destination.
Cloud meanwhile pondered onto the words he would say once he found Aeris. He thought over and over again on what she would look like, what her surroundings would be, if he'd be able to hear her voice. He wanted to back sure that she was safe and that the Promised Land was protected, and if it was everything she expected it to be. He wanted to ask for forgiveness for not being able to save her when the time was right, for a raising his sword to her uncontrollably. He wanted to say sorry for not being the bodyguard he was supposed to be.
The thoughts poured and streamed through his mind like a waterfall, unending and torrentially. He sighed, and slowed himself down, organizing his thoughts and putting questions into a mental waiting line.
/I only hope I can find her quickly.. The longer I take, the more worried Tifa will be. Besides, what if there's only one chance? All this time she's been trying to contact me, what if there's only one moment to see her, and my time's running out?/ He kicked the eager chocobo into action, and it bounded lithely north, hoping that it wasn't too late.
.x.x.x.
When she had finally reached Kalm, it was nearly midnight. /That's what I get for leaving so late in the afternoon./ She shrugged, as she slowed the panting chocobo to a trot. The town's lights were warmly and brightly lit, welcoming the weary late-night travelers. It was a sight for sore eyes. Tifa hadn't rest at all since she left her home. Without a bite to eat, she was purely starved. She probably looked a mess, too, but that would have to wait.
As she neared Kalm's front entrance, she peered over curiously in the direction of Midgar. Her skin shivered only slightly as she could see the faint outline of it's massive structure. The night was clear, with millions of stars shining gloriously through the stark darkness. What she could make out of the ex-city was that it was nearly in shambles. It was at such a great distance that it seemed small, but yet, she could still see the outline of disaster that had been wrought upon it and it's weary people.
"Can I help you miss?" A soft voice called up to her, snapping her quickly out of her thoughts. She looked down at a young woman with a cheery disposition, who seemed to be referring to her chocobo. Tifa looked around and noticed she was in front of the local chocobo stable.
Tifa smiled at her warmly and climbed down from Blade, removing her needed belongings. "I'll only be staying for the night." She said, her stomach growling hungrily. A touch of pink brushed her cheeks, and the woman smiled at her cheerily.
"I'll bring your chocobo to the singles stables. You can pick it up there whenever you wish to leave. The stables are clean and fresh, so your chocobo can get the best rest possible." She recited from memory, as if she had only been on the job for a few days. "There's a fantastic restaurant in the end of town, called 'Heaven's Retreat'. The food is great and the price is right."
Tifa handed the girl some gil and gave her polite thanks. She turned, walking for the first time in hours, feeling the strain in her legs as she looked for the Heaven's Retreat. Being out under the stars felt like a wonderful escape. She never tired of their beauty. As she walked, she gazed up at them, smiling in deep thought, trying not to remember the endless nights under these stars with Cloud.
Unfortunately for her trying, she walked head on into a stranger, knocking her down to the ground in surprised, dropping her bag of belongings. She looked up timidly at the person, and felt a pang of guilt strike her heart. It was a man, a very tall man with short black hair and dark, almost empty eyes, his chin hugged with a thin, neatly cut go-tee. He wore a knee-length, black coat with clean pressed business slacks underneath, and perfectly polished shoes. He had dropped the briefcase he was holding. He scowled down at her as if about to snap out a remark about paying attention to where you're walking, but then his features softened as his gaze turned towards Tifa's guilt-written face.
He immediately reached his hand out to help her up to her feet, stopping to grab his briefcase first.
"Oh, I am so sorry, sir," Tifa stammered, accepting the strange man's hand. "That was completely rude of me, I should have been-"
"Do not worry about it, miss" The dark haired man said. His voice was liquidly smooth and deep. He seemed the type to give long lectures about scientifically important things. Judging by the way he dressed, he probably did just that.
Tifa blushed and brushed herself off, gathering again her things that had fallen on the ground, embarrassment flooding her. To her discretion, the stranger was studying her every movement. He was captivated with her beauty, her flawless form, her perfectly long slender legs, her pale, smooth shoulders and long, silky, dark hair framing two gorgeous crimson orbs, and he of course, examined her ample breasts. He smiled to himself. What a creature like her was doing out at a time like this, he didn't know. But he couldn't of had better timing.
When she had gotten herself together, she smiled at him, her cheeks still glowing red, and said with a voice that shamed the very stars, "I apologize again, sir. I'll definitely be more aware next time."
He gazed at her longingly and said, "Please, to where are you headed at such a dire hour of the evening?"
Tifa side-glanced him, a bit skeptically, hearing a small accent to his voice that was strangely familiar. After a moment of thought, she confessed. "The Heaven's Retreat. I'm a bit famished.."
"Ah, then, I have some spare time. Allow me to escort you." He said smoothly, a slight twinkle caught in his dark eyes.
Tifa hesitated. She honestly didn't want to be talking or 'escorted' around by anyone, especially not some tall, dark and handsome stranger such as himself. "Really, you don't have to.."
"I insist." He stated crisply, but with a tender smile.
Tifa forced a smile and replied. "Alright then, if you insist." She knew she wouldn't be able to get rid of the man, he was simply persistent. Besides, she was going to be leaving the next day, anyway, leaving her alone for a very long time. She guessed that this bit of conversation would be a good way of setting off.
The stranger reached forth his hand in introduction, and said with his deeply silky voice, "I'm Tadrith S.," He momentarily paused, "Dirkin."
Tifa, a bit confused by his stumbled name, reached forward her hand as well for a formal handshake. She was taken surprise, however, when he brought her hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss upon it. Tifa blushed girlishly and responded, "Tifa Str.. Tifa Lockheart." She flushed at the near error; Cloud had always referred to her as his Tifa Strife, and she herself had become accustomed to referring to herself under that name. But that it was, no longer.
Tadrith gestured for her to follow by his side as he headed for the end of town, to the awaiting restaurant. Tifa silently cursed herself for all that had happened. She wasn't normally the type to let herself get off guard, while plummeting into persistent strangers that seemed strangely familiar, yet completely unknown at the same time. She couldn't read anything from him. It was as if he was blanketed mysteriously so that no one could read his movements or thoughts, so he could be completely unpredictable. Handsome, for sure, he was; but Tifa had sensed an uneasiness about him. She decided to watch her back carefully while he was around.
"So what brings a lovely young dove such as yourself to this small town, alone, I presume, at such an ungodly hour?" Tadrith questioned, watching the young woman next to him with keen interest.
Tifa looked steadily forward, making it known her strong nature and prowess ability to defend herself in any given situation. Choosing her words carefully, "I'm visiting some friends. I'm just stopping by this town on the way to freshen up."
The tall man nodded. "And you came by chocobo, I'm guessing?"
Tifa looked up in slight surprise. "Yes; how did you know?" She asked, defensively.
Tadrith smiled. "I wouldn't think that you would be walking all this way. Seeing that you are physically strong, you wouldn't want to be so sedentary as to travel by vehicle. That wouldn't be your style. Chocobo's are fast and strong, yet take a keen ability to handle correctly, and require at least some physical strength to be able to endure sitting on one for listless amounts of time." The words just flowed like honey, as if he had practiced that exact speech again and again.
Tifa gazed up at him in shock, her mouth moving to say something in reply to his ready response, which seemed to reveal much about her, even thought she had only known him for a few minutes. "You have a keen eye." She finally managed.
Tadrith smiled and looked away from her. "I supposed you could say so, yes." A confusing choice of words, but it satisfied Tifa's ears, all the same. The closer she got to deserting this man, the better. She didn't want him finding out any more than he needed. And he already knew too much.
Before long, they had reached the quaint little restaurant. The young woman at the chocobo stables was right; the smell seeping from this place was absolutely delightful. Her eyes widened at the choice of foods, and she quickly ordered her choices. To her disappointment, the dark haired man with her decided to join her for the meal. They had sat down at one of the dimly lit tables, and sipped at their cool drinks while Tifa eagerly waited for her meal.
Tadrith, on the other hand, had a very hard time taking his eyes off of her. She was gorgeous, and drinking of her beauty was something he had taken a quick liking too. She was very quiet, however, seeming to want to conceal her thoughts and plans. He had hoped to change that.
"So, Tifa." He started, looking into those dazzling crimson eyes. "Where are you from?"
Tifa hesitated, seeing that the man hadn't stopped staring at her all this time. She actually felt a bit flattered, but this wasn't the time for that. "Born and raised in Nibelheim."
His eyes opened a bit wider, his eyes glimmering for a short moment with recognition, but it was concealed away again as if it were never there to begin with.
Tifa smiled inwardly at the little insight. /So, he has some kind of knowledge of Nibelheim, then./ She decided not to press the issue further, though. She didn't want to spark any interest to urge him to stay longer. "During most of my childhood there, I was trained by the legendary Zanghan to become a martial artist. I travel a lot to keep my training at a maximum. Wouldn't want my skills to be hindered." She said, almost threateningly, to make sure he knew she would be a deadly choice as a victim of any kind.
Tadrith caught this, and countered with a smile. "I would one day like to see you in action." He peered at his watch, checking the time.
"I don't think you'll need to worry about that. I won't be here after tomorrow. I leave first thing in the morning."
Tadrith's smile faded only in the slightest. "Pity." He said smoothly. "I would have liked to become more acquainted with you."
At that moment, the food had arrived. Tifa was all too happy at the timing, too; she didn't know how to respond to Tadrith's last statement. She happily accepted the food and dug in, keeping her manners in check as most as she could.
Tadrith's eyes never escaped her. He still had that smile on his face from before, as if something were going to happen and only he knew about it. Tifa was too enthused with the food in front of her to really care. "Maybe sometime you'll drop by again, and tell me of your ventures. I'd like to know how your little 'visit' with your friends underwent." He stood slowly, with his briefcase still in hand.
Tifa paused from her food and looked up at him, about to respond when he again took her hand in his. His hand was large, and very warm, almost comforting. He looked straight into her beautiful wine colored eyes. "I should also like to hear about the man you're running away from. Perhaps an answer to why." With that, he kissed her hand tenderly and whispered her name, engulfing in her beauty for one last time.
He then turned, and left, leaving a shocked Tifa sitting in her spot, gaping after him in wonder, amazement, and perhaps even a little fear. How the man had found that out, she would probably never find out. /Oh, well./ She sighed. /At least I'll never have to face him again./ She began to finish her food. /I hope../
As she finished, and grabbing her belongings, she left to pay for her food. At arriving to the counter, the cheery young clerk smiled happily at her and said, "The man that was with you a moment ago already paid, ma'am." Tifa smiled at her in thanks, and walked out the door.
Strange. She didn't remember even seeing Tadrith walk by the register to pay. He had left straight out the front door. She shrugged again. /Oh well. It's really late, I should get some sleep while I still can./ She headed for the nearest INN, unwillingly remembering back to when she and Cloud had stayed the night together in room #23. It was a sweet night, with a sky as clear as this.. She shook the image out of her head. Approaching the counter, she asked for a single room, for one night.
The old man smiled toothlessly at her. "Room #23, down the hall on the left. That'll be 100 gil, miss." Tifa sighed reluctantly, not about to ask for another room because of her silly memories. She paid, and carrying her things, made her way to the room.
The air was just as she remembered it when she entered it. She locked the door behind her, and looked over at the bed. She sighed again, sadly. Slowly approaching the bed in the center of the room, she weakly lifted the top mattress to reveal a small, red stain. She smiled and started to cry again for the thousandth time. She and Cloud were playing around and accidentally spilled some wine on the mattress. Giggling like little school children, they desperately covered it up by switching the mattresses around.
Tifa slumped on top of the blankets, and cuddling the nearest pillow, she succumbed to the tears that were trying their hardest to come out. She missed Cloud so much...
That night, she slept, sound and deep. No dreams threatened her, yet somewhere around her, she was being watched by a pair of dark, forbidden eyes...
..x.x.x.x.x..
[A/N: *For the unaware: MIA means Missing in Action. ^.^ The next chapter might take just a little while to put up, but it will eventually get there. Please, review if you have any comments/complaints/flames/ideas/requests/arguments/anything!!!! ::desperate:: o.o!!!!! ]